Thursday, December 11, 2008

Snow in the Crescent City



Pictured above: a palm tree, my home and the historic St. Charles Streetcar in the New Orleans snow

The last time I recall a snowfall in New Orleans was on December 25, 2004; like everything else we use to gauge time here, it was pre-Katrina. Truly, it was a White Christmas. At that time it snowed for a little over an hour in the This morning the snowfall has been falling steadily for well over an hour and the grass has begun to be covered by a thin layer of the white stuff. People in my former abode in Cleveland are used to dealing with much larger accumulations than we will see today, but the fact that it is snowing is a big deal and probably a lot more dangerous, since most people here don't know how to drive on snow or ice. Also, there are virtually no contingencies prepared to deal with snow or ice on the roads or highways here and, given the lack of abilities of drivers to navigate through snow, there is potential for a good number of accidents. Some bridges have been closed due to icing, but most major roadways, including those with elevated portions, were kept open. All of that notwithstanding, it is a very pretty, albeit a very rare sight in New Orleans.

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