February 1, 2011

#20 Bracing for a Storm

Weather forecasters have predicted the biggest blizzard since the 60's will hit Chicago sometime this afternoon. In preparation for the 2 feet of snow that's expected to fall overnight I spent $150 on a nice pair of knee-high water-proof boots. I tested them out this morning in the 2 inches that have fallen so far and am generally pleased with my purchase. My walk to school was hampered by howling winds and an occasional thin flurry, but fortunately temperatures haven't yet fallen below 20 degrees so on the whole the experience wasn't bad...in fact, I overheated a little along the way.

In addition to the blizzard warning, a Lake Michigan flood warning has been issued and waves could begin to reach 10 to 15 feet in height (man I'd love to see that!). Out by the music building the main mass of water has been kept at bay by an ice buffer a few hundred feet wide, but when I arrived at my usual sunrise post this morning, I could see and hear an angry swell surging away in the distance...

Northwestern News sent an email around this morning that linked to a bunch of archival photos taken after some of the biggest snowfalls at NU. This was my personal favorite...

If snow like this falls, I guess my fancy new knee-highs aren't gonna do one bit of good!

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