You remember those days, waking up to your alarm clock radio only to hear that school has been canceled due to weather. Instead of heading off to learn you would be spending the day with your friends, playing in the snow and driving your parents to their wits end. All the while you rejoiced in the fact that your teachers were unable to assign you homework or make you sit for a test.
But I have a secret for you. Your teachers also rejoiced on snow days. Well, mostly.
As a winter storm pummels the midwest, I am sitting in my home office with the knowledge that I won't be going into work tomorrow. Instead I will be here, writing missives for you all to enjoy during the coming week. I rather enjoy writing, and I also enjoy spending time with my family. So it's a win all around.
But it also means that if the storm worsens into Wednesday, which it very well may, then classes will be suspended on that day as well. That pushes all my lectures back at least a day. And the exam my astronomy students are scheduled to sit for on Friday will have to wait for next week. (I swear I just heard cheers of joy coming from the direction of the University. Weird.)
So it may bring a nice break now, but come the return of classes things will be hectic. (You hear that students?) But with the snowfall and ice brings an added level of danger. Especially as some will be compelled for one reason or another to be out on the roads during this treacherous weather. Some out of necessity, some out of lunacy. And during this kind of storm, that is neither safe or wise so please do be careful if you are caught up in this mess.
In bringing this post to a close I draw your attention to the above image. Taken today by NASA's GOES-13 satellite, the storm is clearly visible creeping across North America. The perspective it brings is somewhat breathtaking, carrying with it an erie beauty. A rather stark contrast to the reality we are experiencing beneath that vail of grey.
A Winter storm steams across the midwestern United States on January 31, 2011. Image Credit: NOAA/NASA GOES Project
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