It was fifty degrees and sunny on Saturday. On Sunday it was snowing with some fog. Yesterday we were under a Level One Snow Emergency with a high of about 25 degrees.
Don’t worry. It will be 43 and sunny again tomorrow and rainy and cool again Thursday.
Welcome to Ohio. Our weather will keep you guessing. It’s one of our state’s most charming qualities.
Meanwhile, I think I appreciate the snow more right now because I know there probably won’t be much more this season.
I know plenty of people who aren’t enjoying this at all but I’m thrilled. Besides, if you don’t like the weather right now, maybe you’ll like it better tomorrow!
Back in December I proclaimed that I wanted to hike a lot this winter.
Cue the polar vortex and the weeks of snow and ice on our trails that made it nearly impossible to safely get in the woods.
BUT, it was fifty degrees and sunny on Saturday so we jumped at the chance to get out for a little saunter through the woods. We chose the Moonville Rail Trail for its proximity to home and all around easiness. After all, we hadn’t been out for months!
We even made a new friend. It seemed a little early and chilly for him but he appeared quite satisfied enjoying the day in the sun.
It was a good choice and a beautiful day for fresh air, exercise and some bonding with nature. I came home feeling refreshed and not worn out. I was calmer, rejuvenated and better.
It was a powerful reminder to keep looking up! Happy Monday, friends. Keeping looking up.
PS- The temperature plummeted and the snow returned yesterday so our timing was great!
The weatherman says that there’s a zero to 100 percent chance that some/most of the country will get zero to 20 inches of snow beginning and ending sometime between tomorrow and Monday.
And where I live, people are losing their minds.
Milk, bread and toilet paper are flying off the shelves and weekend plans are already cancelled in anticipation of this weather event. My parents waited in a tremendous line at Walmart Thursday night and had the war weary faces of people who had seen too much in their quest to pick up my hamburger buns and lettuce.
The forecast models aren’t especially helpful either. One meteorologist that serves southern Ohio has three models going and each one shows something drastically different. Winter storms are hard to predict and last year’s gutting of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) didn’t do us any favors in this department.
So, I am preparing as though we will get several inches and be placed under a Level Three Snow Emergency where driving is restricted. I’m also planning for ice and heavy snow that will snap trees and power lines. And I’m prepared to just be happy staying home with a stack of books this weekend.
I was already prepared for that last one. Heh!
Here’s what I’m doing to get ready for Snowpocalypse 2026:
Charging– Yesterday I rounded up all the flashlights and battery backups. I checked batteries and started charging everything so it’s ready to go.
Food Preparation – I plan to boil some eggs and make a small pot of soup and some corn muffins today. I have some things that could easily be made on the grill or eaten cold so I’ll gather up that stuff and keep it front and center. That way I don’t have to dig through the freezer in the dark.
Water – Now that I’m no longer reliant on a well that’s electric powered, I worry less about water. However, a water line break is always a threat so I still have on hand a few containers of water for flushing as well as some bottled water for drinking. If water were still more of an issue, I would have every pot and pan in the house filled with water by now.
Warmth – I do not have an alternate heating source but I do have a tent! I wrote about this before (here’s the link) but it is worth mentioning again. A tent you use for camping outside will keep you warm inside your home if you lose heat. My tent is the perfect size to fit on a queen sized bed and it keeps me nice and cozy. I pulled the tent, sleeping bag and nice Eddie Bauer insulated blanket out of the closet yesterday.
As an aside, If you have small kids and are worried about keeping them warm, consider building them a blanket fort with your kitchen table. I used to do that when I was a kid and it’s loads of fun. Their body heat will help to warm that small space and make it more comfy!
Gathering Other Supplies – I tried to think about what else I might need if the power goes out. Today I will empty a plastic tote for outside food storage in case I want it. The nice thing about a power outage in the snow is that you can pack food stuff in snow in coolers or totes. Store them in the trunk of your car to keep them cold and safe from animals. I also have a bag of ice in each of my freezers. If I don’t open the freezer doors, everything should stay frozen for a long time.
My snow shovel is handy as are my boots and cold weather gear. Today I’ll run outside at lunch time to feed the birds. I’ll repeat that process again tomorrow morning if the snow hasn’t set in yet. That way their little bird bellies will be nice and full until the snow moves through and I can feed again.
Entertainment – I have a puzzle at the ready as well a stack of books to keep me entertained regardless of what the weather does this weekend.
What’s missing? I think I have covered my own priorities but would love to hear about yours!
Southern Ohio is known for its prolific population of white tailed deer. Hunters come from all over to take part in deer hunting season. Most of us have inflicted damage to our vehicles by hitting at least one deer. They traipse through my yard and are an ever constant presence in our world.
In other words, I’m familiar with deer. Yet I squealed like a toddler every time I saw a mule deer in Colorado Springs.
They were everywhere.
Mule Deer are a little bigger and stockier than the White Tailed Deer we have here at home so they’re kind of a novelty.
There’s a small herd that lives at the Broadmoor Resort and in the surrounding neighborhood. Locals lookout for them and even give them names. They walk down the streets and across grocery store parking lots.
They act like they own everything and it’s pretty awesome!
Today is threatening rain, I’m tired, and it’s a No Spend Challenge Month. Exactly how I will spend my day is still uncertain. I could work on the Herculean organizing project in my messy craft room or maybe do some decluttering and experiment in the kitchen. Maybe I’ll watch a movie or pull out a puzzle. You can bet I’ll do some reading.
None of it will be too taxing but you can bet I’ll enjoy having the free time to do as I please. My favorite days, in fact, are the ones where I get to do just that. No plans. No stress. I can just putter around and do what I feel like.
The photo above was taken one morning in December at the famed Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado. I was wandering around on the cold when they turned off the Christmas lights.
A new day had dawned. The sky was starting to look like a bundle of cotton candy. Ducks, geese and swans sang their little hearts out as they splashed around. it was awe inspiring to stand in the cold and see nature at work all around.
If every day were so magnificent, it seems that the majesty would be lost and it all would become… well ….. everyday.
That’s partly why I’m grateful for these regular days with rest and chores. They make the special ones seem that much more special! So, whether you’re home cleaning a closet or out on adventure, I wish you the very best day.
