Winter 2016-2017

For the past couple days we have enjoyed warmer temperatures and serious snow melt.  We can finally see our lawn which has been covered since the first part of December.  However, as I write this, snow is falling heavily with the prediction of 1-2".  The good news is that it will probably warm to rain by this afternoon and melt everything that is falling this morning.  Nonetheless, for those who are used to a "normal" Boise winter (20" of snow with no more than 5" on the ground at any given time), the snowfall this morning is disheartening.  Although the winter we experienced in Boise this season may be pretty normal for those in Iowa or Michigan, it has been termed the Snowpocalypse of 2017 in Boise.  Here is why:

A Boise mom designed these badges for a fun fundraiser for the Boise homeless shelter.

1.  This winter has broken a few weather records and has come near to breaking others.

• Most snow on the ground at Christmas since 1983 
• After a January storm we had the most snow on the ground at one time since they began keeping records in 1940 (>15")
• 6th coldest winter since 1875
• 8th snowiest December since 1898
• Over 35" of snow this winter so far

2.  All the snow, combined with some rain has created a nasty recipe for roofing disasters.  Walmart closed all their stores in the area one day to remove snow from their roofs.  Roofers have told people whose roofs are leaking (mostly due to ice dams), "If your roof hasn't collapsed, don't plan on us much before spring."  Cloverdale URC is in the "leaky roof, wait until spring" category.

3.  The Ada County Highway Department typically does not budget to clear residential roads.  Usually snowfall is 1-3" in warmer weather so it melts before they can get to the them.  This winter, however, this did not occur.  The highways and main roads were kept pretty clear, but ADHA realized they had a problem when no one could drive on those clear roads because people couldn't get out of their subdivision!

Just to give a little bit of an idea of what we had to drive through to get out of our neighborhood.

4.  Related to #3...Russ and the boys pushed neighbors out of snow on the neighborhood streets more times than they can count.  We had a couple days when we were a one vehicle family--nothing but the 4-wheel drive Expedition was leaving the driveway.

5.  Some avid skiers who enjoy going up into the mountains to find snow have found that it has lost its appeal this winter.  Coming back into the valley where there has been over a foot of snow on the ground all winter has made the mountain snow anticlimactic.  As one skiing family in our church put it, "We are so over it."   I am sure there are still many avid skiers who have loved this winter, however. 

6.  The Boise schools have had six snow days (these are the first we have had since moving here)--some related to the actual snow and road conditions and some due to facility issues because of the snow.  Our kids have had three at CVCS.  (The six snowflakes on the above badge are for each snow day in the Boise school district:)

7.  Our evening women's BSF class had never cancelled class before (as long as most of them could remember, anyway).  Always confusing on what lessons to cover when you return to class...

Needless to say we are looking forward to spring and track season!!