The Weather Outside Is [Insert Adjective Here]

    Last weekend marked the first major winter storm of the season.  I first heard inklings about this storm a week before it happened.  My mother heard about it from one of her contacts in the highway department, whom she first called years ago about one project or another that she was complaining about.  Anyway, she phoned him about another road work incident when he informed her about the upcoming storm.  The highway department gets direct information from the Jackson weather service, and they had just issued the first alert about the upcoming storm.  One early model had a foot of snow forecast for the area.  When I got home that night, the local television station's weather forecaster suggested not to take too much credence about this early model, as it was the US one which is frequently imprecise about long-range snow accumulation.  The European model had less than an inch of snow forecast for the area.  (I saw this model on The Weather Channel.). This model is usually better at predicting snow over a longer period of time. Regardless, I started to make preparations for the storm.  I usually make plans for Christmas well ahead of schedule anyway, but the forecast for snow and very low temperatures put a new wrinkle on the planning.  I made sure there was enough food to last through that Saturday, or even through Monday morning if alterations had to be made.  Two problems came up at the last minute though.  First, a part on my car started to act up.  It would not be a problem, yet, but an appointment was made for last Thursday to get it fixed, once a part came in.  Second, a final, emergency delivery of chocolate-covered cherries was being sent down from Barboursville.  They came in well before the store closed Thursday.  Too bad the part for my car didn't.  The dealership said to check Friday, and if the part and mechanics came in, they would try to get the car repaired.  That night, I was watching the weather almost non-stop.  By then, the forecast had removed almost all of the snow, leaving mostly a dusting less than an inch, but there would still be very strong gusty winds before the temps tumbled down into the single digits.  I left the heat on high until just before going to bed, in case the power went off in the night.  That was a mistake.  Even with just a single blanket on, I was burning up.  I was even sweating.  That, paired up with a neighbor who had kept their lights on and had a child yelling for awhile, prevented me from going to sleep for over thirty minutes.  When I did fall asleep, to the sound of light rain, it wasn't for long.  I woke up around 2:30 still slightly sweaty, but it had snowed some.  I woke up again about two hours later.  I was no longer sweaty, and the snow seemed to have covered the ground.  It was noticeably colder, so that was when I started to let the water run in my interior half bath.  I got up at my usual time Friday morning.  The temps had already plunged to the low teens, and the wind was gusty fierce.  However, the power was still on and people were still occasionally on the road.  I hadn't heard any scrappers go by, but there was barely a thin layer of ice under the dusting of snow.  I saw reports of road conditions online, with most suggesting it was possible to go out, but to be extra careful.  I started my regular morning routine to get to work, but stopped just short until I could contact the car dealership.  Turns out, not only was the part still not in, probably due to shipping problems and the icy conditions, but that the place would be closed until Monday for the holidays.  The earliest I could take the car in would be Tuesday.   So, I decided not to open the store Friday.  I just watched the weather, played a few computer games, and cocooned in a blanket to rest for the day.  I still had to go in Saturday though.  I had to check up on the store and, hopefully, have a few last-second shoppers for Christmas.  It took me twice as long as normal to clear the snow and ice off my car.  Including warming breaks.  I should have took more, as my face got very cold.  (I might need a balaclava one of these days.) I took the long way to the store, avoiding the most treacherous roads if they were still ice-covered, and left late to get the maximum road clearing and traffic flow.  Turns out, I probably could have taken my usual route, albeit slightly later than normal, but I still opened the store.  We did have two customers that morning, including one box of cherries, but no one that afternoon.  We closed early and went home.  No other problems the entire weekend, save that the air-conditioner cover had been blown off and lost, but someone found it and brought it back a few days later.  Just yesterday, multiple leaks erupted in the water lines, but none directly near me.  Still, the water pressure went down.  All-in-all, this first storm of the season was cold, but not really that bad for me.