As the snow falls again in the DC-area today – luckily only brief snow showers – I still can’t get over last week’s record-breaking snowfall – 50+” at my house. Here are some reflections and anecdotes from Snowmageddon / Snowpocalypse.
1) Thank You Social Media: Kudos to BWI airport in Baltimore for their ongoing Twitter program and regular website updates. I’m not the first to say this, but in today’s always-on world, getting minute-by-minute updates in a major weather event is wonderful – especially when you have to travel. (Wish I could say the same for the airlines.) I am happy to report that Jennifer MacLeid Qotb and I successfully and safely made it to Philadelphia and Manhattan for successful business meetings, and back to our homes right before the worst of Round Two hit. Jennifer flew in on one of the first flights to BWI early Monday morning ( Feb. 8 ) without a delay.
2) Snow Daze: Working from home or telecommuting is not immune to snow days. Under blizzard conditions with the whole family home buzzing with excitement, it is hard to get in a full day’s work – and who doesn’t enjoy a snow day?
3) Reconnecting and Uniting: Nothing like a major weather event to force you to slow down and reconnect. In a region dominated by horrendous traffic and bureaucratic red tape, the epic snowstorm(s) united communities against a common enemy – the weather!
4) The Importance of Local News: While many of us in the area got hyperlocal news reports from Facebook, Twitter and blogs, the local television news was in its glory – out in the thick of it – with yard sticks for measuring the snow and Skype for taping segments where news trucks couldn’t go.
2010 DC-Area Blizzard Round Two