Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home – Edith Sitwell, British poet and critic (1887-1964)
To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold – Aristotle, Greek philosopher and polymath (384BC-322BC)
Please don’t worry about the use of weather instead of whether the days have gone gray and cold outside, a bit of humor may lift the spirits. In order to keep the homestead warm there’s much to do. The first thought was food if we lost power. Sandwich making, salads, fruits, and canned soup fit the bill from the grocery store where many others were preparing as well. We were blessed to have propane delivered. The propane for the fireplace would warm the home and heat the soup. Now as I’m writing we don’t know what the future weather will be like. We’ve been told from the Weather Channel we may have the rest of the month in 20-degree temperatures during the evening.
Mississippi has shouldered a number of winter storms over the years. In February 1895 a major freeze resulted in 6 inches of snow causing 60% of livestock to perish. February 1899 A severe drop in temperatures below 0*F forming ice. Christmas and New Years 1963-1964 created one of the largest single-day snowfalls of 18 inches. January 1951 A strong ice event caused massive damage to the state’s timber crop. January 1974 a widespread ice storm dropped significant ice accumulations. January 1982 an ice storm paralyzed Jackson metro area causing the closing of schools and businesses. February 1994 was named the worst ice storm in Mississippi history; it dropped 6 inches of ice in the Delta and surrounding areas 750,000 people were left in the dark, 8,000 utility poles downed, 4,700 miles of power lines destroyed. It became impossible for utility companies to keep up. February 1996 a major ice storm followed by arctic air crippled central Mississippi for a week. February 2010 a significant snow event, dropping up to 8 inches in parts of the state.
I do remember the ice storm of 1974 while living in the Delta. There’s not a lot of information about that ice storm. Major roads looked like skating rinks, kids grabbed anything they could sit on and slid down the levee. The delta is as flat as a pancake so that was our “hill”. Tractor-trailers jackknifed, emergency vehicles struggled to respond, commerce shut down, everything stopped in a winter wonderland. The oven worked with gas lines, lights were out, so we used flashlights and candles. I walked in the snow some and returned to the house to set up a game of Scrabble, Monopoly, Cards, Checkers, Card games like Crazy Eights, Old Maid, Spades, Hearts, Solitaire, and Go Fish.
It’s our hope and prayers if we do have ice and snow that everyone will be safe in the coming days.
Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].
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