I can only wish it was melting away....
From my local newspaper (
www.concordmonitor.com)
And it doesn't show signs of stopping
Still, some say let it snow, let it snow
By DANIEL BARRICK
Monitor staff
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For those Granite Staters already sick of shoveling, skidding and shivering through the winter, forecasters have some bad news: This is just the beginning.
More than 50 inches of snow have already pounded central and southern New Hampshire. And weather conditions - including a cold jet stream sweeping down from Canada - indicate that we can expect plenty more in the coming weeks.
The 53 inches of snow that have fallen on Concord this winter is nearly halfway to the record total for one season: 113 inches, set in 1995-1996. Saturday's 17-inch snowfall also set a record for a single day in Concord. At that rate, breaking the seasonal record is looking more and more likely, forecasters said.
Meteorologists blame the wet winter on several factors. An unusually wet autumn, as well as constant cold gusts from the northwest, have kept the flakes falling, said Mark Tobris, a forecaster at Accuweather. And driving jet streams will only keep that cold air hovering above New England for the rest of the winter. Forecasters predicted cold temperatures today and tomorrow, with snowstorms starting up again tomorrow evening and into Wednesday and Thursday.
Of course, readers of the Old Farmer's Almanac had a head start on the rest of us. The 2002-03 edition warned New Englanders of above-average precipitation this winter, with the heaviest snowfalls in January and February. And if you were hoping the worst was behind us, take note: "Watch for a major blizzard the second week of February," the almanac warns.
Despite the cold forecasts, not everyone is praying for spring.
"This is nothing, this isn't brutal at all," said Tim Frankel of Penacook, scoffing at the winter whiners. "I'm from Niagara Falls. You have to expect this if you're in New England."
As Frankel hacked at a two-inch block of ice in his driveway,
his daughters Megan, 14, and Ariel, 11, showed off the igloo they had built.
Their golden retriever, Comet, dashed in and out of the fort's entrance, enjoying the powder as much as anyone.
Local ski resorts couldn't be happier. The crowd at Pats Peak in Henniker was the biggest in the resort's history. More than 3,000 skiers took to the trails, one-third more than usual, resort employees said. Visitors parked as far as a mile away and packed the cafeteria and crowded lift lines all afternoon, enjoying the fresh powder and smooth runs.
"It's incredible. We're running out of rental equipment," said Doug Peel, the resort's marketing director. "We could have used a few more ski instructors, too."
But given the snowy forecast for the remaining winter months, Peel wasn't complaining: "The future looks great," he said.
And at Ragged Mountain in Danbury all 50 trails were open for business.
"We're having a great winter," said resort owner Al Endrianus. "Bring it on!"
Not everybody headed to the hills to enjoy the storm's results. Linda Hopper of Hopkinton decided to shop for snowshoes. Far from dreading the snow, she was embracing it.
"I'm looking for new ways to enjoy going outside," she said, as she browsed the aisles in Eastern Mountain Sports in Concord yesterday afternoon. "After Saturday, I just had to do it." The snowshoes are a birthday gift for her husband: a pair for each of them. Upon hearing predictions for more storms, Hopper was ecstatic.
"Let it come," she said. "I want to get use out of my snowshoes."
Allie Mock, trailmaster for the Kearsarge Trail Snails Snowmobile Club in Warner spent much of the day grooming paths for fellow snowmobilers.
"There's ice on the tree limbs and plenty of snow," he said. "We're in pretty good shape for the rest of the winter and very excited. It'll be a busy two months."
While some found enjoyment in the snow, others saw opportunity. Plow drivers have had one of their most lucrative winters in recent memory, with calls for help coming nearly every day.
"The last two winters have been kind of slim," said one local plow driver. "But this year it's been so busy, I can't get to them all."
