So, I guess here we go again. Another winter weather forecast with “warning, warning warning!” and “snow alert!” Should we take it seriously this time? Maybe. Should we prepare just in case? Probably.
Okay, so this is what I decided to do. I will make two columns. One column for the weather forecasts saying snow warnings of over five inches, and another column with forecasts for just rain or what they call a “rainy, snowy mix.” By the way, I believe this is a fairly new expression being used by the meteorologists to cover their bases whether it rains or snows, so they can say they predicted it accurately. In any event, at the end of the day, the column with the most forecasts will be the one I follow and prepare for. Doesn’t this sound like the most logical and conclusive way of determining the weather?
But just in case, I will also check my garage to make sure all the necessary cold weather equipment is there just in case it really does snow and I need to dig my way out.
I go down to my garage and, lo and behold, the snow shovels that I have not used in the last two years due to lack of snow are still present and accounted for. Okay, I better go get a broom and rag and wipe the dust and cobwebs off those shovels in case I really need them in the end!
Now the question is where I put that bag of salt I purchased three years ago in preparation for “the big one” that never came? I definitely have it here somewhere—all I need to do is remember where I put it away. Please do not remind me that when I first bought it, I must have put it someplace logical, where I would be sure to find it in case I needed it, since, three years later, I still have no idea where that “logical spot” might be!
Ah, finally found it. Some elf must have pushed it back into a corner behind a bag of fertilizer, grass seed, and a wheelbarrow—no wonder I couldn’t find it!
Last but not least, I pull out my trusty snow blower. Yup, the snow blower also needed a good dusting off. I should also test it to make sure it still works just in case I might actually have to use it. Usually, if I test the snow blower and everything hums like a well-oiled machine, showing me that I’m completely ready for winter, it’s a sure sign that it won’t snow that year.
You see, Murphy’s Law dictates that snow is only likely to fall in large quantities when you are not prepared for it and have nothing to clear it.
This actually reminds of a big snowfall years ago when I lived in Brooklyn. I had one of those driveways that slants down toward the basement level with a drain at the bottom. I did not have a snow blower back then, and was too tired and too lazy to go out and shovel eight inches of snow that had totally blocked my driveway and was a real royal pain.
Conveniently though, right inside the door to my house, inside the garage, was a sink next to my washer and dryer. I decided to try something new and innovative. I attached my garden hose to the faucet and pulled the garden hose all the way out to my driveway full of snow.
Then I turned on the hot water and sprayed a long stream of hot water all over my driveway, melting away the snow until it ran off down the drain. Picture Olaf after his trip to Miami Beach if you want to know what it looked like.
After doing this for nearly half an hour, I was soaking wet, but my driveway was completely clear of snow. I topped it off by throwing pounds of salt all over the driveway so it wouldn’t freeze again now that it was sopping wet, and put away the hose and rain inside the house to change into dry clothes. For those of you who will ask if it was worth it, the answer is an emphatic yes. All my neighbors spent the next few hours out in the freezing cold shoveling while I put my feet up and watched a movie!
Anessa Cohen lives in Cedarhurst and is a Licensed Real Estate Broker (Anessa V Cohen Realty) with over 20 years of experience offering full service residential, management and commercial real estate services in the 5 towns of Long Island as well as the tri-state area. She can be reached at 516-569-5007 or Readers are encouraged to send any questions or scenarios by email to anessa@avcrealty.com.
