EDITORIAL | Let it snow, let it snow

This winter is turning out to be a disappointment for those who feel winter without snow is like summer without sunshine, neither of which is rare on Whidbey Island.

In late January a year ago, South Whidbey was buried in a foot of snow. Schools closed, drivers plowed softly into ditches and the TV news in Seattle made it seem like we were experiencing some new Ice Age moment.

There was no new Ice Age. Instead, what followed was 10 months of rain and an unexpected 2 month rainless period in late summer. The “winter” of 2012-2013 consisted mostly of rain and clouds. A couple of days of icy roads and a short power outage or two were all we had to show for it. On the positive side, all those thousands of Honda generators sitting in garages were not used, leaving the neighbors undisturbed for a change.

But we do need snow and this winter is not yet lost. We need snow similar to what walloped the East Coast last weekend. A foot or two would do, or double that if we want the Weather Channel’s Jim Catori to fly all the way out here to stand in our weather. As the old song goes, he’s been everywhere, man, except here, because our weather is not extreme enough. Talking into a microphone while the drizzle falls is no way to make a name for yourself in TV news.

Even worse is what our kids are missing. Childhood passes in the blink of an eye. Kids need the joy of waking up to find snow on the ground, finding a Tweet from the school saying no school today, and digging out the sled for a day of slooshing down the slopes of the nearest hill. Adults need something fresh to complain about.

It’s only February. Snow could still happen in the next few weeks. Let’s hope so, otherwise we’ll once again find ourselves victims of global warming, which means a steady diet of rain.

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