Song 20--Let is Snow, Let it Snow, Let is Snow

"Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow"
Words

Let it snow.  I remember the anticipation of snow days as a kid.  We would turn up the radio and wait and wait and wait.  It seemed like we were the longest hold out of all the school systems in our area.  But more than just snow days, this song reminds me of the one time that a snow day was a given.

You see I lived in Toledo, Ohio during the Blizzard of 1978.  We had wind gusts over 100 mph.  We had drifts that covered cars.  Everything came to a standstill.  We ended up with around 13 inches of snow, but the snow came on top of  ice and slush.  The stories included people getting to work and to the hospital on snowmobiles!  I still remember the way the snow was piled up against our house.  It felt like we burrowed out of the front door.

When we were able to burrow out, the first thing we did was check on our neighbors.  A lot of people were without power, but everyone in our neighborhood was okay.  After the first day it became obvious that no-one was driving out anytime soon.  By the second or third day, the news said some stores were open.  Remember we didn't have this thing called the internet.  We were probably listening to battery powered radios some of the time.  The neighborhood figured out what everyone needed and a convey of sleds and tobaggans headed to Churchill's grocery store around a mile away.  Everyone looked out for each other and everyone was kept safe.

It was probably one of the most unique weather experiences I have ever had.  As a teenager it was a blast!  Unfortunately the storm was not without casualties.  Nearly a dozen people died in Northwest Ohio.  I guess that's the two sides of letting it snow.

Snowmobilers, skiers, winter resorts all need the snow.  I enjoy a fun snowball fight with my kids.  People make sculptures and snowpeople and all sorts of stuff.  But too much cold and snow also lead to car accidents, people going through the ice, cars getting stuck with people stranded and people's heat going out. With the two sides of letting it snow, let's be smart, have fun and watch out for one another.