“In the bleak midwinter
Frosty wind made moan
Earth stood hard as iron
Water like a stone
Snow had fallen
Snow on snow on snow
In the bleak midwinter.”
MANSFIELD — Today we begin perhaps the worst two months of the year to live in Ohio.
Christmas Day has come and gone. The ball has dropped at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Fittingly, it was done in the snow in downtown Mansfield.
The party is over.
In January and February, we all pay the fiddler for the dancing we enjoyed over the holidays.
Prepare for two months of bleak midwinter, best described by English poet Christina Rossetti, a work first published in 1872.
It’s the Buckeye State’s version of Groundhog Day
Cold. Snow. Gray. Ice. Wind.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Long-time Cleveland radio voice Mike Trivisonno used to get in trouble during afternoon drive when he failed to break his vocal train of thought for “weather and traffic on the 10s” at WTAM.
When producers told him one day in January that callers were complaining about not hearing the frequent breaks, the late, great Triv made it simple for them.
“It’s Cleveland. It’s cold. It’s dark. It’s gonna snow. When that changes, I will let you know,” “Mr. Know It All” said with his customary bluntness.
But maybe, just maybe, north central Ohio will catch a break this winter, despite the predictions found in the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
We had a decent December in terms of weather, a vast improvement over the below-zero hell we experienced a year ago when warming shelters were as much in need as mistletoe and wrapping paper.
The aging farmer boldly predicted a colder than normal winter with below-normal precipitation, but above normal snowfall. The almanac writers said early-to-late January and much of February, as well as early March, will be the worst.
“Businesses in the area should be prepared for the snow removal season to ensure smooth operations and safe premises for customers and employees. Proper planning and management of snow removal services will be essential to keep walkways, parking lots, and entrances clear. Invest in reliable snow removal equipment and services to efficiently navigate through the snowy season without any disruptions. Stay ahead of the snow and make the necessary preparations for a successful snow removal season,” the almanac forecast.
Well, hell.
Thanks.
However, I choose to be optimistic, which may be a shock to those who know me best. I survived the blizzard of 1978 in Ohio. This winter cannot match that death from above.
My right hip, replaced eight years ago, has not ached as much as usual in the last several weeks. To me, that’s a more accurate weather predictor than wooly bear caterpillars and woodchucks hauled from their lairs.
I don’t see a single major snow event coming in January. There are only 28 days in February. So even if it’s bad, it will be over with relatively quickly. March will come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, or some nonsense like that.
The simple fact is we in choose to live in north central Ohio don’t have a choice. We don’t have hurricanes here. We don’t get many (knock on wood) tornadoes. Earthquakes are unusual. Wildfires are rare.
No, our collective cross to bear is snow, ice and cold during winter.
So put on your coats and hats and gloves.
Sure, use a scarf if that’s what you do.
Break out the snow shovels, salt and snowblowers. Have an emergency plan for what you will do when ice storms knock down power lines. Check on your older neighbors to make sure they are OK, if the worst happens.
And warm your hearts and minds around the words of Anne Bradstreet, one of the most prominent early English poets of North America and the first writer in England’s North American colonies to be published.
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.“