First Snowfall Brings Fond Winter Memories

Snow has always been part of my life, and provides some welcome memories.

A walk in the woods after the first significant snow accumulation. © J. Labuzzetta. Used with permission.

I’ve always lived where there is snow in the winter. Growing up in Western New York, we had years when the snowfall was significant. I mean feet at a time were delivered from the gray skies. We heard on the news last night that Buffalo is due for a dumping of the white stuff today and tomorrow.

There were years, I remember, of the snowfall being so significant, the winter of 1978–79 comes to mind, when we were housebound for days after 18 inches fell on Christmas Day in Rochester, New York. Snowmobiles made the rounds and people dug out slowly. It took three to four days to dig out (Source).

I attended college in the Southern Tier of New York State where we also had some significant snowfalls at Alfred University during the 1980s. After that, I moved to Buffalo, where they get snow! Lots of snow! Fortunately, residents in New York State know how to drive in the snow. Things were rarely closed or canceled until feet of snow fell and the plows couldn’t keep up with the downfall. It did make for some very pretty scenes.