Dallas Snowfall Breaks Record

The weather people have been predicting snow for a few days. But, I don't think anyone expected the kind of snow we received in Dallas yesterday. Snow accumulations at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport reached a whopping 12.5 inches after a 24 hour period of continuous snow fall. According to weather.com, the average annual snowfall in Dallas, Texas is only 2.5 inches!

The view outside my Dallas apartment window early this morning resembled more of a scene from a picturesque, snowy Christmas card than the usual Dallas winter scenery. This scene is very familiar to me, having lived in Michigan my entire life up until last year. However, there are many people, mostly children who have never witnessed such a massive amount of snow.

Not only are they excited about getting the snow but also getting a "Snow Day" off from school. The children are just delighted. Some adults are even joining in on the fun. The local news showed reports of people young and old all over the metroplex making the most of the inclement weather by making snow angels and building giant snowmen.

While the snow has certainly been breath taking to look at and fun to play in, it has been a nightmare to over one hundred thousand residents who have lost power. It has also been simply destructive to the poor Texas trees that simply cannot handle so much heavy snow. As a result, the branches are snapping. There were dozens of trees with broken and fallen branches just in my apartment complex alone. It will take days for all of the snow to melt, the messes to be cleaned up, and for complete power to be restored.

The same mighty storm system that blanketed most of North Texas with snow is now headed east towards Mississippi and Alabama. Snow has already started to fall in parts of Louisiana.

As the light traffic indicated, many people decided to stay in today. Winter storms can be enjoyable as long as you don't have to trek out on the slushy streets. If it isn't an emergency, don't risk driving in this weather. The less cars on the road, the safer it is for everybody. So, stay home and spend time with your family or curl up with a good book.

Sources: weather.com, www.nbcdfw.com/weather/stories, www.businessweek.com, www.dallascityhall.com
Click here to see a video from The Weather Channel.