Snowpocalypse ’11

by Anna · Published January 31, 2011 · Updated June 24, 2014

I’ve been lucky enough to be on the East Coast this past week for a close encounter with some VERY Winter weather.

I know I’m from Texas, but I assure you that things have been bad, even for people who are used to winter! My friend Chris even claims that last week was even the coldest it’s been in Boston for the last 10 years.

How cold has it been? The front page of the Boston Globe from this past Monday should give you a clue.

My friends who were visiting Boston from ESTONIA were complaining about how cold it was this past Monday, when the high temp, was around 10 degrees Fahrenheit! Estonia is sort of between Russia and Finland, and it isn’t exactly known for its warm, sunny climate.
This past Monday, the locals were complaing about the bitterly cold temps. The best line was from a conversation that I overheard on the “T” while crossing the Charles River: “It’s like the arctic. There are ice floes out there.”
There were plenty of Boston locals who could be spotted around town while wearing those crazy lumberjack hats (You know, the ones with the earflaps and the fur around the brim!)
On Monday, I bundled up in so many layers that when I left my friend Chris’ place, I could barely move my arms. He didn’t want to say that I looked like the “Michelin Lady” But I did!
It was so cold that even with my glove-inside-a-glove strategy, walking around Boston this past Monday, my fingers were still cold.
The UGG motorcycle boots that have been way too warm to wear in Austin have been just fine here. Especially with a pair of wool socks!
I saw a woman in Malden using a PICKAXE to break up a good-sized chunk of snow and ice on her front walk.
On Thursday, which was a “snow day” for many of the schools in Greater Boston, I saw kids using all sorts of homemade sleds, and improvising areas to slide on. My favorite was the kids who were using some sort of tray to slide down their snowy back steps.

Still not convinced?