January Days

 

 Remembering the snows of years ago.  The photo above is from the Chicago Tribune Archives of the Big Snow  of 1967.

The blizzard of 1967 is still  the largest single snow event  in Chicago history. During  35 hours on January  26-27, a total of  23 inches of snow fell on the city and suburbs.

We've had winters of ice jams and ice dams, double-digit subzero wind chills, Chiberia   and the polar vortex.  But when we think of January in Chicago, maybe it's the snow days we remember. 

January this year has  seemed especially long, and gray. There are 5  Tuesdays in January this year!  When will it be over?  We are all asking ourselves that question, as we walk on the treacherous  ice, under gray sky the color of dirty snow. 

But January has its beauty, too. Just ask the die-hard folks who ventured out the first day of not-so subzero temperatures to go to the grocery store or walk their dogs  under bright sun and dazzling blue sky.  

 We are almost 2/3 of the way through meteorological winter---December,  January, February. Yes, there can be blizzards in February, too.  Remember the Groundhog Day Blizzard of 2011?  This was the third  largest snowfall  total in Chicago history, a total of  21.2 inches (54 cm) of snow fell at O'Hare Airport. 

But February is the turning point. Days are getting longer, almost 2 minutes of daylight every day. Today, we will have 30 minutes 46 seconds more daylight than  the winter solstice on December 21, 2023.

 

Welcome to Chiberia!

 

Chiberia is back--- cold winds off the lake, the Hawk wind out of the west. This is the subzero side of Chicago. Some folks may remember single-digit temperatures and brutal -30 and -40- wind chills of years past. For others, this will be a whole new experience!

Yes, this may be the closest any of us will come to living on another planet. The extreme cold affects everything from  switches on CTA trains,  starting a car, doing anything outside.

If you have a dog or cat, please keep them safe. If it's too cold for you, it's too cold for them, too.

If there are stray cats in your neighborhood, Alley Cat Allies has some advice on how to help them. You can read more here.

Please dress for the subzero temperatures. The chart above, from the National Weather Service, offers you some examples---layering is the way to go-- wear loose, light layers, a windproof jacket, a scarf, a hat  that covers your ears, mittens or  gloves, and waterproof boots.  Snowboard pants are also great--loose and light, and plenty of pockets...

 Dress for the weather, and be careful out there!

January 6---And Snow!

 

 

 

 

We are still new to the new year, and new beginnings. Already, earthquakes, missiles and the first school shooting of the year.  Today is January 6--- and 3 years ago, it was Insurrection Day, a  violent attempt to overthrow an  election. It didn't start that day, and there is still a threat to democracy today.

Saturday, January 6---Epiphany, Three Kings Day.  And snow today! This is real snow, the snow the kids wanted for Christmas. About 1 or 2 inches of wet snow, here. Yes, enough to shovel.  It's so beautiful, clinging to the bare branches of the trees,  the milkweed  pods, and stems of the autumn grasses.  

The snow is the color of the sky, and the sky is the color of the snow.

And today, walking through the alley, there are  Christmas trees,  covered with snow.