I usually glance at the next day’s weather forecast on my phone, so I have a general idea of what’s supposed to be coming our way. For about a week recently, I was constantly checking the weather. As most of you know, I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We get more snow than most people, and I’m accustomed to that since we moved here in 2009.

A day or two of heavy snow, or an occasional blizzard, is something I’m used to. When I lived in Tennessee, people worried MUCH more about the weather forecast. If the weatherman was predicting a snowflake or two was enough to send local residents in a panic to the grocery store, where they (including me) would clear the shelves of things like milk and bread and toilet paper, as if a single snow day would wipe out our supplies.

People in the U.P. don’t talk about weather nearly as much or worry about supplies, as a general rule. My husband went to the store the day before the big blizzard was predicted to start and was shocked that the parking lot was completely filled and the store was crowded. There was still toilet paper and milk on the shelves, so we weren’t sure what the rush to the store was for. We bought both, as well as coffee.

This time around, the experts predicted three or four days of heavy snow, white-out conditions and even thunder snow, which is a snowstorm with thunder and lightning. I had heard a prediction for thunder snow here before, but it never happened. It didn’t happen this time either, at least not where we live. But we DID get three or four feet of snow, extremely poor driving visibility and sidewalks that were at times unwalkable.

It was the first time I remember the snow plough drivers being told to get off the roads. If it was too bad for the plough drivers to maneuver, then it was definitely too bad for us regular folks to drive. I stayed holed up at home. Fortunately, my husband was able to work from home on his computer and phone.

I only experienced the blizzard through my windows. The snow was so heavy, I couldn’t see the street in most places. The snow completely covered the windows at times, so I actually couldn’t even see the parking lot.

Much of our winters are just pretty: snow-flocked trees, pretty layers of snow on the ground. Light to medium snow gently blowing past the windows. This was a different level of snow for us. Impassable roads, cars getting stuck, some people actually trapped in their houses for days. We kept our power, but many people lost power for a time. Schools and even the local college had to close. The hospital handled emergencies, but rescheduled most surgeries and tests.

I’m not complaining, because we were truly blessed – safe, warm with plenty of heat and food. I think the rest of winter, which lasts until May for us, will be much gentler.

Please feel free to add your favorite snow story in the comments.