The Big Flurry

A new group was started on Facebook yesterday. At press time, it has 6,460 members and is growing by the hour. Its name: I survived the big Nashville snow flurry of 1/7/10.

People are using this site to post impressive snow pictures, such as snowmen they built: Why is this so funny?

Nashville is apparently pretty desperate for some “real” snow. Earlier in the week there were predictions that we would get up to 6 inches. It was later downgraded to 4 inches “in some areas,” and then to “up to 2 inches,” beginning between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m.

Even 2 inches would be the biggest snow we have gotten in recent years. Excitement mounted. Grocery stores were mobbed and completely sold out of milk, bread and other essentials. Crews got out and salted all the roads. Pretty much every single school system and private school in Middle Tennessee had already called off school by Wednesday night before a single flake fell.

We all prepared to wake up to a winter wonderland.

Thursday morning I jumped out of bed and looked out the window . . . at . . . nothing. Brown grass and bare sidewalks. Not even a flake falling from the sky. “Never fear,” said the weather people. “It will arrive around rush hour.” I didn’t know whether to go to my 8:00 meeting or not, but I really couldn’t justify staying home, since it wasn’t even snowing yet, so I went. When I got done at 9:00, nothing. “It’s still coming,” they said. “It will be here around noon!” The predicted accumulation had been reduced to half an inch.

Well, around mid-day we did begin to get a little snow. It stuck, because of the cold temperatures we have been having, but it could hardly be considered more than a dusting. Kids, while happy for the days off (they are out again today), were very disappointed that it wasn’t really enough to play in, though some tried. Thus the snowmen, pictured above. Oh well. I guess we have to take what we get.