According to the forecasts, this weekend’s snowstorm was anticipated to be the biggest, most dramatically impactful storm to hit the New York City area in ten years, since the historic blizzard of January 2016, which dropped a record of 27.5 inches in New York’s Central Park. That record has not been surpassed. TIn 30 hours of snowfall, this blizzard dropped only 19.7 inches in Central Park!
That was enough to give city public school students a real snow day – their first since 2019, ever since remote learning (or non-learning) became the fad. It was also enough to make it illegal to drive in the city from 9:00 p.m Sunday through noon Monday. I usually appreciate the quiet and darkness during my early morning « contemplative » hour, but the absence of almost any external activity at all early Monday morning presaged an especially tranquil day.
Which is what a snow day ought to be! it is an arrogant contemporary conceit of our soulless modernity that work must always continue no matter what else is going on around us. For those lucky enough to have heated homes and food and modern media luxuries, it was a truly tranquil day.
