In anticipation of heavy snowfall.
January 20, 2026
Golden hour just after dawn, the warm light glitters off the glass facades of a row of distant buildings, making them sparkle in the sunshine. Above the horizon line, icy blue stretches into the endless dome of the sky, not a cloud in sight. It’s cold and we have a Cold Weather Advisory, warning of wind chills below zero.
Another busy day has past. At nightfall, a sliver of the waxing crescent moon appeared, hanging in the sky like a giant Cheshire cat. The crimson glow of sunset softly fading into night. Who could imagine such a beautiful sight? 🌙
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Anxiously awaiting the approaching winter storm. I thought it would have started by now (3:58pm EST), but there is nothing. A big truck lumbers up the hill, leaving copious amounts of salt in it’s wake. I had plans of drinking hot chocolate (recipe in this post) and baking brownies to celebrate the snow, but it’s not as fun when there is no precipitation yet! If this storm fizzles, I am going to be disappointed.
Yesterday, I stepped outside for a few moments to get some fresh air. The cold blue sky was dotted with thin, high clouds. I think they are called “cirrocumulus,” (although, they could be cirrostratus?) basically, this means they occur above 20,000 ft1. While I have studied meteorology upon occasion, I am no cloud expert, so this is merely my best guess.
Image from Wikimedia Commons; Photo Credit: Simon Eugster
As of 4:13 pm (EST) a few tiny flakes have begun to fall. Looking to the west, a veil of white hanging beneath the clouds can be seen advancing towards us. Ah, here it comes at last! I don’t know why, but I am really looking forward to some heavy snowfall! Even if we get half of what they’ve been predicting, the city will be in shutdown mode. Let’s get snowed in! ❄️
From later that evening, looking out the upstairs window… At first glance, it appears as though nothing is happening outside. However, the street light once again illuminates what I had initially overlooked. Snow is falling rapidly and the flakes are much larger than they were before. It’s starting to accumulate, filling up the box gutter and gently covering the cars below. Slowly, softly, silently wrapping the world in fluffy whiteness. It was weirdly bright outside all night, which I have to assume is due to light reflecting off the snow. I am too tired to watch it now, but am looking forward to seeing what it’s gotten up to come tomorrow morning.
Sunday, January 25, 2025
We have lots of snow! I cannot tell how much without going outside, which I am not keen on doing at this moment. As far as I am aware, it has been precipitating continuously since late yesterday afternoon. Currently, coming down at a steady rate. Much of the city is obscured from view, I think it’s because the snowfall is so dense.
(After the snow passed) A local news station is reporting we got a record breaking 9.2 inches of snow on Sunday2. The article goes on to state that, “This season, we’ve seen more than foot over the “normal” amount of snow for this date, 24.3 inches.” That’s a lot of snow for Cincinnati and winter isn’t over yet!
Analog Pastimes
I realize not everyone enjoys getting snowed in. If you’re used to leaving the house everyday, being stuck inside can get boring fast. Which in turn can result in zoning out in front of the TV or endlessly scrolling on your phone. I think we’ve all been there. However, as someone who hates being bored (and who has been largely stuck at home for the past 5 or so years) I thought that I might share some ideas for how to fill your time without a screen.
- Start a new hobby or return to an old one, just make it something analog. For example, I would like to learn how to make pottery and return to my yoga mat.
- Join a club – find a book club, a gardening club, a birdwatching club, an urban sketching club, there are clubs for just about everything if you go looking! (Granted, you will likely need a screen to find a club… so maybe I shouldn’t have included this?)
- Move your body – find a physical activity that’s fun and you actually enjoy doing. Exercise doesn’t always have to feel like exercise.
- Play – play with your pets, your kids, a relative, a friend, your significant other. You are never too old to play. Even my cats enjoy having a pillow fort made from couch cushions to hide in!
- Listen to an audio book – this can be great paired with other activities or a good replacement for physical books.
- Start a journal – this one is super open ended, could be a scrapbook, a junk journal, one quote a day, a diary, weather observations (wink, wink), make it whatever you want. Its really nice to look back on a year or two later.
- Learn a new language or a new skill – Pick up a language book or a cook book. Try that new recipe. Learning something new is really good for your brain, it can also be a lot of fun. Even better, when it stops snowing, take an in person class.
- Send snail mail – this can be surprisingly fun, and who doesn’t like getting a hand written letter in the mail? My favorite part is trying to think of new things I can stick in the envelope alongside the letter. Stickers, tea bags, note cards, recipe cards, printed photographs, confetti, the list goes on. (You can order stamps directly from the USPS in their online shop).
- Put your green thumb to work – tend to an indoor plant, start some seeds indoors, get some paperwhites, anything that brings you in physical contact with nature. You could even grow some cat grass!
- Take photos with an actual camera – doesn’t have to be film, but it removes the temptation of checking social or getting distracted by notifications.
- Find a creative outlet that sparks joy – this is the most impactful one in my opinion, although it may overlap for some with the first suggestion. When you create, you give your energy back to the world, an excellent counter measure for consuming content. Write, draw, paint, crochet, sew, make all the things! You don’t have to share it with anyone if you don’t want to.
“As snow blankets the land, it provides a dazzling array of serenity, draping the world in a silken cloak of pure enchantment.”
– Unknown
