Holy Cold Spell!

For many of us that have grown up in the Midwest, we are used to cold/snow/wind. However, we have supposedly entered into a "Global Warming." I'm not certain -50 degrees is considered warm....ANYWHERE! While I do believe that we entered into a weather pattern that had warmed for a stint...I think Mother Nature has come back with a vengeance! The Winter weather we are having, and that which is forecast, is the Winters I remember as a child.

Many people talk about the snow storm from 1978, well....I remember this. I have a picture of my brother and I sledding down a snow bank that was taller than our house! I remember Winters that were bitter cold, a bunch of snow, and honestly...I remember one Winter being outside playing football with my aunts and uncles in shorts! I can't honestly remember a Winter since that I would put on shorts...it's been too COLD! 17 years ago, I moved to Missouri. This is farther South than Chicago, so it should be warmer, right???? WRONG! Typically all the weather we have here, affects my family in the suburbs, within a day or 2 of when we have it. The first Winter I lived in Missouri was horrible! There was a lot of snow, it was colder than a well diggers ass, and I learned real quick that if I wanted warmer Winters, I needed to go further South! Since then, we've had cold and snow, we've had a blizzard, we've had warmer(but still above zero), and we've had just down right cold!

I kind of get tickled when I hear stories about the grocery shelves being emptied in hours, before a storm. A quick back story...I grew up with convenience. I grew up where you could always get to town, you were never really snowed in, and as long as you took it easy...you could go anywhere. Fast forward to now...not so much! We live 20 miles from any town, if it snows 3-6 inches, you are snowed in until the plows find their way out here, and you plan ahead for the seasons. I'm talking gardening, canning/freezing everything possible, and never have less than a 30 day food supply on hand during the Winter months. Honestly, in the 2 years we have lived here, I have not been snowed in for more than a day or 2, but the blizzard we had in 2011...had everything halted for 3 days!

I have spent 16 years living in rural Missouri. I have learned to plan ahead for the Winter months, and I have learned to expect the unexpected. With the forecast of -25 to -50 degree temps, it's going to be cold and snow is forecast too. I believe the last totals for us was 3-6" of snow, with 25-40 mph winds. It's going to be cold, snowy, and is going to keep my little family indoors for a few days.

I hope everyone that reads this will check on their neighbors, and the elders. You may be able to prepare, but not everyone can. Make sure to provide your animals with a place to get warm, if they are outdoor animals. Keep children indoors! At those temps, frostbite can happen in minutes. Take care of yourself, your neighbors, and your animals.

Stay warm friends!
Salli