When Snowstorms Had Secrets, Not Push Notifications

by Angela Sanford

   Winter feels different as an adult—beyond the responsibilities of preparing for a storm or dealing with the aftermath. Even setting those tasks aside, winters are just… different.

   In the 1980s, the average January snowfall was around 20 inches —substantially more than we typically see in the 21st century. January temperatures usually hovered between -5°C and -1°C. Today, we experience fewer days well below freezing, and those cold stretches tend to be shorter -though I dislike them more and more every year! While this winter (so far) feels more like the winters of my childhood, the way we experienced storms back then was entirely different. Forecasts were short-term—there was no 14-day outlook that I recall. Warnings came via the radio or the six o’clock evening news, neither of which were easily accessed as a storm approached, nor did they tell us exactly when the snow would end.

   Now, I can check a weather app and know precisely when the snowfall will stop. Alerts are pushed directly to my phone, and social media feeds are filled with regular updates from multiple meteorologists.

   Today, our patience wears thin if the Department of Transportation hasn’t begun road work in advance of the first snowflake. Yet, I remember my father-in-law, on nights when he was on call, leaving well after the storm had begun before climbing into the plow to clear the roadways for travelers.

   Then there’s the matter of generators. Prior to Hurricane Juan, I’m not sure I could have named anyone who owned a full-sized generator capable of powering their home. What I do remember are the mass generator purchases in the weeks following Juan—much like the toilet paper shortages during COVID.

   I also remember digging out oil lanterns, even as a young adult with small children. In fact, I broke one of the two I still had—kept as ornaments in our home—while cleaning over the Christmas holidays. Today, we rely on several battery-powered light bulbs for short-term outages, only firing up the generator if the power is expected to be out for more than a couple of hours.

   We didn’t stock up at the grocery store—certainly not on “storm chips”—and I didn’t avoid the store the day before a storm to escape the chaos that now comes with every warning.

   I’m not sure the storms of yesteryear belong to the “good old days,” but I do know they are a very different experience than the storms we face today.

Resources: Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000 Station Data