Zombie Snowpocalypse

a/k/a #BLIZZARD2016

We've been calling it the "Zombie Snowpocalypse" because of the state of things here in the days leading up to the big snow storm.  It . . . was . . . crazy!!!

Although the weather people had been talking about this storm almost a week before it blew in, too many people waited until the last minute to prepare.  The closer we got to the storm, the more dire the warnings became for our area . . . "expect 20-30 inches of snow" . . . "blizzard conditions with wind gusts of 40+ mph" . . . "shelter in place" . . . "have at least a three-day supply of food on hand" . . . "expect the power to be out for days" . . . "worst storm to hit the DC-area in 100 years."

It was sobering to see how quickly the supply "system" we take for granted can break down in times of impending crisis.  Grocery store shelves were quickly emptied.  Basic supplies such as eggs, bread, meat, fresh produce, cereal, batteries and bottled water were gone, with no hope of replenishment before the storm.

Parking lots were full and the stores were packed with wild-eyed, inconsiderate people (the "undead," or zombies, in my analogy) frantically rushing about to grab whatever they could get off the shelves, pursuing their own self-interest without much concern for their fellow man.  Oh, the humanity!  Sadly, some opportunistic people even viewed it as a chance to profit off other people's unpreparedness.  The news reported that someone in a nearby community was selling loaves of bread for $20!

And trying to find "camping-type" supplies like a small propane canister for our tabletop Coleman cook stove?  Every Walmart, Home Depot and Dick's in our area had been sold out for days.

Gas stations either had lines down the street or were closed because they ran out of gas.

What was happening?!?

Let's just say it was a good warning shot over the bow as to how quickly things can deteriorate in times of crisis, especially in an intensely populated urban area.

In any case, back to the historic storm!

As predicted, we were right in the crosshairs.  It started snowing on Friday at about 12:45 pm.  It snowed steadily all afternoon, and we went to bed with a few inches on the ground.

And we woke up the next day to about 16-18 inches.

We got busy shoveling, knowing that there was more to come.

The winds kicked up to blizzard proportions on Saturday, causing near white out conditions.  The hubby and I couldn't resist going for a walk at the height of the blizzard, just to see how bad it really was.

Sometime after we went to bed on Saturday night, the snow stopped falling, the winds died down, and the storm shifted out to sea.  We woke up to brilliant blue skies and a winter wonderland of 28-29 inches of snow on the ground!

Since we only have one snow shovel, we took turns and shoveled snow for the better part of the day today.  

The clean out is going to take days, but at least we have clear sidewalks, a clear driveway and a path to the single lane the snow plow made on our street.   

As the sun sets on this frozen winter wonderland, we're counting our blessings that we survived the "Zombie Snowpocalypse" (and especially that our power stayed on throughout the entire storm!).  School has already been cancelled on Monday and Tuesday, and OPM just said Federal offices will be closed tomorrow, so we're celebrating by kicking back and watching "Snow Day."  Huzzah!