Snow in Maryland in Biblical Proportions

[Gary Richardson]

I measured 30+ inches in my driveway this morning and it is still coming down. Probable another 5-10 inches before it all stops.

I wish I had a shorter driveway, today! Not that it would matter much. Snow plows don't anticipate getting to my neigborhood until Monday night or Tuesday.

Neighbors are coming over for fondue and wine (maybe a Port), so there is some positive side to this. We dug a funny looking path (3 feet wide and 3 feet of snow on either side) between our houses officially dubbed the "alcohol path."

-- Gary

[Andy Velebil]

I guess snow is fun only in small quantities. I couldn't imaging trying to dig out my driveway to go somewhere.

At least you've got the perfect Port drinking weather. I hope you've got enough on hand to get you and the neighbors through

[Roy Hersh]

Reminds me of the snowstorm in January 1996 in MD, VA and DC of similar depths. I was working as a F&B director in a downtown DC hotel and living in Reston, VA. The hotel's GM sent a guys in a jeep and plow to come to my house which I found shocking. I open the door for the guy and he said, "Mr. Pollard said for you to pack clothes enough for a week as you'll be staying at the hotel." That was fine with me because I did not have to dig my car out which was covered to the roof with the drift. I returned home on day 8 and still had to dig my car out. There was still plenty of snow around.

[Glenn E.]

Sounds like fun, Gary!

I grew up in NE Nebraska, so I love snow. Seems like we'd get a couple of snowstorms like that every year, but sadly we rarely got out of school because our small town had an impressive array of snow removal equipment. At our house we used to get 6' to 8' drifts going across the driveway because the town would put up a snow fence in the lot next to our house in an attempt to keep (some of) the snow out of the street. So my brother and I would hollow out the drift near the front door and have a nice snow house to play in for a couple of weeks!

Unless you really need to, don't shovel your driveway until the streets are plowed. Otherwise the plows are just going to dump it all back in your driveway and you'll have to shovel it again! When the snow on the street gets 2-3' deep it really builds up in front of the plow, which makes a freshly shoveled driveway a release valve for all that built up snow.

[Michael Hann]

I grew up in rural Illinois and we had both our fair share of snow falls as well as dramatic drifting. I moved away immediately upon graduating from college and so never had to manage keeping a car operating and a driveway cleared. I now live in Texas and sorely miss snowfalls. I was just sharing a dream with my sisters who still live in Illinois -- who received about 8" of snow yesterday -- of one day having a house with a study with a large plate glass wall facing a woods or an orchard where I could sit and read or write and watch the snow falling heavily and silently out in the woods. Maybe a large stone fireplace with a crackling fire along one wall. A glass of port would be a nice accessory for this fantasy, also. My wife is from Oklahoma and usually breaks out in hives whenever I talk about snow and wanting to live somewhere that snow in winter is ordinary.

[Gary Richardson]

After just being dug out on Sunday, we got another 12+ inches today ... and still coming down. Could be as much as 20 inches.

If I needed a 'snow fix', I certainly am over that!

-- Gary

[Roy Hersh]

So what Port do you have lined up next?

[Gary Richardson]

We just finished a 1937 Noval Colheita. Otherwise, no Ports lined up. But, we have had a nice Amarone, a Primus Cab/Merlot/Syrah/Carmenere blend and are currently working on a Vinsanto. There has been a LOT of wine over the past few days.

-- Gary