Ready for Harper

I'm not sure how I feel about winter storms being named.  Actually, I do know how I feel.  I'm against it.  Why?  Hurricanes are named by the National Weather Service using a specific, defined set of criteria.  A storm must reach defined, measurable, sustained wind speeds to be classified as a tropical storm or hurricane, at which point it is named.  Winter storms are not named by the National Weather Service and don't have specific, defined criteria that must be met in order to receive a name.  The naming is done by a committee of three at the Weather Channel.  I'm sure it is all done just to make the storm sound more ominous and generate ratings.  They claim that their analysis determines how impactful the storm will when determining to name or not name.  2,000,000 people must be impacted to be named.  But there are flaws with this methodology.  For example, the 2014 lake-effect storm that dumped 7 feet of snow in Buffalo was not named because it didn't affect enough people.  Their system is arbitrary at best.  Like I said, it just seems to all be for ratings.

Why am I even mentioning this?  Well, it is because we are due to have another winter storm hit this weekend.  Last week we had Winter Storm blah-blah.  This weekend is Winter Storm Harper.  Sounds scary, huh?

Last Saturday was the kind of winter day I love.  A gentle snow that lasted all day.  I stayed inside, watched television, drank tea and knit.  It was perfect.  My siblings and I had a group text going.  I sent the following pictures to them throughout the day.  

The snow started in the morning.

A couple inches by mid-afternoon.

4 inches by that evening.

The snow was all done by Sunday morning.  I measured 6 inches on the front porch.

It has been cold this week but hovering around freezing today.  Some of the snow is melted.  Small patches of grass are showing.  

We have a winter storm warning for tomorrow.  The current forecast is calling for 5-8 inches of snow.  After that the temperatures are going to plummet on Sunday night, going below 0 F.  I'm ready for it all.  I did my grocery shopping and bought food for now through Tuesday. I have my activities planned, which mainly involve being wrapped up in a quilt on the couch.

While on the couch I will continue working on Sixty Years.  I am behind schedule and not likely to get this done by the end of January.  But I still like how it is moving along.

I also have a couple books to read.  After watching a Fruity Knitting podcast last week, I ordered myself this behemoth.  I hope to glean new techniques from this.

I also have this novel to read.  Only a few chapters into it but it is already catching my interest.

Progress on Sixty Years was interrupted by my Kallisti knitting.  I had to get that project done, just because I was so anxious to wear it.  It turned out so soft and lovely.  I wish I had more of this yarn to make a matching hat.  It would be the perfect winter ensemble.

I'd also need some mittens to go with it.  Hmmmm.