Bob CollinsNobody ever went to the Headline-Writing Hall of Fame by writing, “Snowstorm is no big deal.” But that doesn’t diminish the fact that the snowstorm the headline writers yesterday described as “crippling,” has mostly been an inconvenience.
It’s true that there’s supposed to be a second wave of snow on Christmas, and that we may end up with a total of 12 inches or so. But two snowstorms separated by a break isn’t a 12″ snowstorm — it’s two 6″ snowstorms. And in Minnesota, a 6″ snowstorm — or two of them — isn’t a big deal.
By midmorning today, the work of the people who worked overnight in the Twin Cities was on display for all to see. And it shouldn’t go unrecognized.
I pulled out of my driveway onto the side street, and it was obvious travel wasn’t going to be a problem thanks to the city I live in.
Then, I turned onto the county road. That’s right; it’s down to pavement.
.. and finally onto MnDOT territory — I-494.
and I-94…
Then onto St. Paul city streets, which weren’t that great, but it’s downtown St. Paul. Who needs to get to downtown St. Paul?
Meanwhile, out at the airport, most of the flights are flying, despite plenty of cancellations (224, including arrivals).
In our rush to turn a snowstorm into a crippling tragedy, we missed the real story: There are a lot of people at this snow removal game, who are really good at what they do. And most Minnesotans know when and how to sit tight until they do it.
Here’s the latest official Golden Snowball Challenge measurement:
