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One usually is not surprised by spring snowstorms out west in the Rockies, but in Milwaukee? Spring is normally well underway by April, and certainly by May. First the hyacinth, then the daffodils, and finally the tulips should be well up. By May the apple blossoms are pink and fluffy masses on the branches. NOT covered by heavy wet snow as happened one morning in 1990.
Ugh. I looked out the bathroom window and there was white stuff all over the grass and road. The apple trees were covered in white blossoms. Wait, no, that white stuff is S-N-O-W, not blossoms. What on earth was it doing there? Was I dreaming? Was I having a nightmare?
Was I in the Twilight Zone where the earth was moving into an orbit further from the Sun, into a zone of eternal winter? Couldn't be, I did not hear any dee-dee doo-doo music.
Down to the breakfast table for a quick bowl of Cheerios (is it ok if I say a brand name? I'm not selling anything, honest!) What a surprise this was. Dad had to go out to clear the sidewalks of the wet, heavy stuff, which was still coming down in big, gloppy flakes. It would be instant slush downtown where I worked.
Having bathed and dressed, I dug into my bag of winter gear. I grabbed a pair of warm red mittens, hat, and then my blue winter coat in the closet. Thankfully they did not smell of mothballs like when I was a kid and mom stashed everything away with those fragrant, make that offensive, little white balls. I had started making my own little net bags of cedar shavings and put those in my storage containers and drawers.
OK. Now for boots. Figuring the stuff was going to melt pretty quickly anyway I stepped into my ducks, waiting by the side door for rainy days. Ducks, in case you never heard of them, are not galoshes. They are short vinyl boots that lace up the front and are fine for commuting or garden work. Mine were tan.
Unfortunately since I was not actually in the Twilight Zone, I still had to go to work. I clomped up to the bus stop about two blocks away. It was all very convenient for getting to work downtown as there was no transfer necessary.
Riding to work gave me time to think, to jot down dreams in a dream log, to read, or just to wake up. But today I just gazed out the windows at this scenery as if I had never seen snow before. Certainly I had never seen snow like this on top of branches that were leafing out.
The little leaves held the snow, and the branches bent hard to the ground. Some housewives were shaking the branches clear so that they would not break under the weight of the heavy wet stuff.
It was all very pretty. The snow outlined the power lines and utility poles, the traffic lights, mail boxes and shrubbery. A nice mix of white and green, with some daffodils and other spring flowers standing up above a white tablecloth of snow. Like a fancy restaurant, with fresh flowers on the white tablecloth, waiting for the plates and silverware and guests.
I arrived at my stop on Wisconsin Avenue, the main street downtown. I had been so engrossed in the scenery that I almost missed the stop, so I jumped up to get to the exit. In my haste, I forgot the red mittens I had placed on the seat next to me. (Not wanting to put the wet mittens in my pockets like I normally would have, I had put them on the seat; bad mistake there.) I got out to a slushy mess. The snow was already beginning to melt down. I carefully made my way across the street and into the large office building.
What a morning. At least the weather is always good for an ice-breaker in conversation all day when something so out of the ordinary like this happens. It was more of a laugh than a disaster to us. At least until we found out some people were without power due to the lines breaking under the weight of the snow.
Fortunately for us, our power was not interrupted. And from what I could tell, our neighborhood was fine as far as power issues. Drat, the snow still had not melted away, though it was fading fast. Too wet for a last snowman of the season, no use at all. It was just a very cold rain, cold enough to turn white and shiny, and coat the city with a sloppy white kiss. Farewell, winter.
PS -- Went shopping for a replacement pair of the same style mittens at the same chain I bought them at. Could not find any red ones, natch. Settled for blue. Warm tho, with the same fleecy lining. Natch, red ones are the first color snatched up off the display.
Unseasonably early and late snow - October 19-20, 1989 and May 10, 1990. The winter season of 1989-90 was bracketed by 2 heavy, wet snows in eastern and southeastern Wisconsin. Milwaukee recorded 6.3 inches of snow on October 19th and 20th that coated power lines and trees still full of fall foliage. The weight of the snow dropped trees and power lines, cutting off power to eight thousand residents. The same situation occurred on May
10th, 1990 when 6 to 8 inches of snow fell in a band that extended from southern Oconto county, to northern Racine and Walworth counties. Trees, with their spring leaves sprouting, caught more of the snow than if they had been bare. Again, the weight of the wet snow, accompanied by 35 mph winds, snapped tree limbs and power lines. 30,000 customers were without power for two days, with damage totaling $4 million dollars.
(the above from the National Weather Service records at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mkx/wiwx.php)
