Winter Storm Stella, predicted to dump feet of snow through mid-state New York and along the eastern seaboard, was the one time the weather forecasters were right on the money. Though initially forecast to arrive on March 13, just weeks after 60 degree temperatures began to bud wild apple trees, Stella arrived in all her dangerous, white, wondrous glory on the 14th.
New York found itself in a state of emergency and travel bans quickly followed as the snow fell for the next two days, sometimes at the rate of two-inches per hour.
Small dogs, those meant for warming the lap or captaining a kayak, were reluctant to partake of nature's call - and did so grudgingly and quickly to avoid the expansive piles of snow. Big dogs, those meant for hiking, romping, exploring and guarding, found the snow tiring after a few minutes of dolphin-like diving.
Stella reminded Catskill residents of winters-gone-by - the kind experienced in the region in the time before global warming altered her name to "climate change."
Old Man Winter could be heard on the edge of 40 mph wind gusts screeching "Remember me from '93?!" - reminiscing about the last big snow storm, also in March, that disabled the region.
Though roads, schools and businesses were closed, we winter sports enthusiasts, thrilled that the weatherman was correct - donned snow shoes and embraced the late-season sap-snow storm that brought the Catskills to a standstill. "Et tu' Stella?".
*Between hikes, Lillian Browne writes about the environment, politics and business in Delaware County. She is a NYS licensed outdoor adventure guide exploring the world around her, one step at a time, with her dog - Charlie. Follow her on Instagram @catskills.unleashed on Twitter @browneinwalton or on Facebook/Catskills Unleashed. www.CatskillsUnleashed.com - #unleash your potential
You are some interesting writer..
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading! Let's hike!
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