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October 30, 2008
Snow in October - Lots of it
Yesterday, October 29th, at 12:40pm, it started snowing hard here in Zurich. It snowed for several hours, but didn't stick too much. Nothing on the roads, but a fair amount on the lawn. I used the dining room table as my desk so I could look out at the snow falling in the garden (my office is in the basement).
But overnight...a LOT more snow. This morning, we woke up to a winter wonderland and assumed there would be school nonetheless, since this is Switzerland and surely they don't get caught by surprise here. In the end, however, Emily's school was cancelled - not because of snow on the roads (the ploughs were very efficient), but because the wet, wet, snow was so heavy that a number of roads were blocked by fallen trees and large branches - including the only road into the school. The authorities deemed it unsafe and would not allow anyone through until they could take care of the trees and make sure no more were about to fall.
Emily went out in the snow with David to wait for her school bus to come, and it never did. After phone calls to the school and other parents of kids on the same bus route, we figured out school was cancelled (they didn't cancel it until 5 minutes before it was supposed to start, in all the confusion).
Meanwhile, I was trying to drive Jason to the train station, because his school assured us they were not closing. What normally takes us 12 minutes took us 45 minutes (again due to road closures for fallen trees, and the ensuing traffic jams and flashing orange stoplights). So of course he missed his train and had to get the next one (which was also late, thankfully, or we would have missed that one too by a couple of minutes). Poor thing, he was not too keen to get aboard when the rest of the family would be at home (David was still home sick today). But my teenage boy persevered and did the right thing.
The snow was beautiful, and we felt less silly about having our snow
tires on the cars already (a lot of other people were bemoaning the
fact they hadn't quite done it yet).
What fun living here! I wonder how much snow we will have this winter. Hopefully enough for lots of good skiing.
October 30, 2008 | Permalink
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Comments
We had you beat with snow in Boise on 10/11 which was the earliest snow on record (http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/530075.html). I told everyone it was just a sign of "Global Cooling" ;-). Unfortunately ours didn't even stick around for the next day. I will look forward to hearing about how much you all get there this year.
Posted by: randall | Oct 31, 2008 2:25:35 PM
The first year we lived in Switzerland (Geneva has that lovely big lake, so has a different climate from the one you have, I suspect), it never snowed at all. When it finally did snow (year three of our time there, I believe) you and Katherine B. went out and built a snow camel! Do you remember? What fun! Mom
Posted by: Patricia | Oct 31, 2008 4:56:26 PM
Just noticed in the picture at the table, that you are reading your Bible. I can tell because I also have a sheet folded in half, like yours, with all of those verses marked off in different colors! Only I was reading in bed, and there is no snow to gaze upon, just the autumn golds and reds of the trees in the Blue Ridge and far hills of Virginia. Love you, Mom
Posted by: Patricia | Oct 31, 2008 5:01:18 PM
Nice shot of you looking out the window. Pretty snow, but wow early!
Posted by: Helen | Oct 31, 2008 11:59:17 PM
Some beautiful snow! None in South Carolina, though.
Posted by: Martin LaBar | Nov 1, 2008 12:50:10 PM
