Walking in a Winter Wonderland
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Story and photographs by Tina Schell
or those of us on Kiawah in early January,
winter storm Grayson started the new year off
with a bang. The storm, which began January
3, 2018, delivered one of the heaviest one-day
snowfalls on record in the Charleston area. Kicking off as
an ice storm, the bombogenesis (yes, that really is a word)
eventually measured 5.3 inches of snowfall according to the
National Weather Service. Nearby Summerville recorded 7.3
inches, the most for any location in our state.
So what IS a bombogenesis? According to the National
Weather Service, it is “a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure of
24 millibars or more in a period of 24 hours”. Grayson, which
easily met the criteria, was the strongest bombogenesis to hit
the eastern US in 40 years.
As we all know, many of Kiawah’s residents are transplants
who have relocated to escape the wrath of northeastern or
midwestern winters. My husband and I escaped from the
cold and snowy winters of northern New Jersey. Many times
a foot or more of snow would fall, and we would enjoy its
beauty and quiet for a day or two until the snow plows and
salt trucks came to clear our way to jobs or school or other
commitments. Unfortunately, not so here in the south!
Kiawah residents were for the most part housebound for
four or five days. We have no snowplows, no salt trucks, no
snow shovels, no ice scrapers…you get the idea. Complicating
the situation further, the layer of ice beneath the snow made
it nearly impossible to walk, much less drive on our roads.
Bridges were closed, propane trucks were unable to deliver
much-needed fuel, mail was stopped, and grocery shelves
were soon emptied. Charleston’s airport was closed for five
days, much to the chagrin of holiday travelers trying to return
home. The extreme cold burst pipes and drove electric bills to
extraordinary levels. Even the sun’s eventual efforts created an
issue as the snowmelt refroze overnight, returning the streets
to an impassable icy mess.
For the adventurous among us, the snow delivered an
amazing opportunity for photography. Former northerners
like yours truly bundled up in the clothes normally reserved
for winter visits with family and friends we left behind and set
out to explore the winter wonderland. The ice, so treacherous
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Naturally Kiawah