Wes Junker's confession - great read

[SLPressure]

Great piece! Good to know we can all be weenies and be in good great company.

 

I wish I could remember the storm of Feb. 1958. All I do know is that my fathers car got stuck in the snow on Harrison Lane in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County. The ambulance that was then called also had no luck on that steep hill. The police car that was requested at that point made it up to my house but then slid into a ditch and got stuck. Finally, a hook and ladder made it to my house, My mother and father jumped into the front seat (is there a back seat?) and rode the fire truck all the way to the old Alexandria hospital, where I was born on Feb 17, 1958.

I then grew up in the tropics and never saw real snow until 1979. I have now lived through 8 of the greatest snow storms in the Washington region. And I hope to share with all the other weenies out there many more snow storms to come.

[TJ2]

What a great read. Feb.79 caused my illness as well Wes. I wish more people who post here were old enough to remember it.  There would be no comparisons. I went to bed that night knowing school was out regardless since it was a holiday. But the snow had tapered from earlier in the day. When I woke up early Monday morning it was to a scene I will never forget. I don't remember 66 but my dad took several pictures.  No storm since then in DC can compare to that with regards to incredible drifts. But for depth and intensity, for me Feb. 79 is the one that all the big ones are measured against. And nothing has touched it.

[Yeoman]

Awesome.. mirrored my childhood fascination with snow (opening/closing doors, staring at car headlights) brought on by being stranded in a hotel during the Blizzard of '78 at age 6.. probably one of the worst (or best) forecast busts in favor of a storm that I can remember besides Veterans Day.

[RDM]

Fantastic article Wes.  While I've obviously not posted much here, I've been an avid reader for many years while living in the DC area and abroad.  I thought I was an aspiring   However, reading the requirements outlined in your article provided the revelation that it now seems I am one already and have been since a young age.  From elementary school on, my goal in life was to become a pro-met.  Unfortunately I got sidetracked in college and ended up becoming an engineer.  Be that a curse or ill gotten fate, the "side track" in professions never muted my profound interest in weather.  Living overseas in Germany, India, Japan, Thailand and Afghanistan, I've been fortunate to experience some of the worse (or best depending on one's vantage point) Mother Nature has to offer.  But no matter where I was, I continued to monitor things back here in the good ole USA for MECS, SECS, BECS and everything in between.  While this year has been an obvious disappointment to all, the eternal optimism that the next one is just a week away on the models underscores the affliction we all share.  Thanks for putting into such eloquent words that which we all eat, drink, and dream about every day... 

[uncle W]

Wes is one of the best mets out there retired or not...I was in the third grade in 1958 and remember the storms well...I became a snow weenie after the March 1960 blizzard...1961 had so many snow days the school year went past July 4th...That spoiled me and I've been a snow weenie since...

[Midlo Snow Maker]

Awesome read Wes, it brought back some old memories I had As a kid, good stuff

[Deck Pic]

Great article wes....I have gotten comments from a few people who dont normally comment on CWG articles about how awesome it was

[WEATHER53]

That is so nicely written and I hope it gets published other places.  General public should like it as much as us weather nuts.

[usedtobe]

Matt, Howard, Midlo, and and all others who have commented,  thanks for the kind words. I had fun writing it and of course thought of a couple of other weather related strange acts like walking in the rain during a thunderstorm,  going to the window of the world weather building during a tornado warning  when the SDM was telling us to go into the hallway,  I actually saw the tornado so it was a win. 

[H2O]

 

Matt, Howard, Midlo, and and all others who have commented,  thanks for the kind words. I had fun writing it and of course thought of a couple of other weather related strange acts like walking in the rain during a thunderstorm,  going to the window of the world weather building during a tornado warning  when the SDM was telling us to go into the hallway,  I actually saw the tornado so it was a win. 

 

You mentioning the tornado stuff reminds me of when we would do drills in elementary school for that. I always wanted to know why we did it.

[usedtobe]

  

You mentioning the tornado stuff reminds me of when we would do drills in elementary school for that. I always wanted to know why we did it.

I think some odf the drills were for the cold war, at least that was part of the reason we had them when I was a kid.  We were told first to duck below the desk and they then had us go to the hallway. If we truly had ever had a a-bomb attack,  kissing our butts goodbye would have been a more logical exercise. 

[mappy]

Great read, Wes! Thanks for sharing

[Terpeast]

Loved the article! Thanks for sharing.

The big winter of 86-87 got me started, and the blizzard of 96 clinched it for me.

[Srain]

I thoroughly enjoyed the article, Wes. I certainly can relate to some of your musings, my friend.

[stormtracker]

I think some odf the drills were for the cold war, at least that was part of the reason we had them when I was a kid.  We were told first to duck below the desk and they then had us go to the hallway. If we truly had ever had a a-bomb attack,  kissing our butts goodbye would have been a more logical exercise. 

That was a damn good article Wes.  Brought by memories of how I got this sickness.  My mom told me stories of PD 1 and how I cried when they pulled me in the house after literally wallowing in he snow.  I have no memory of that, since I was 4 years old at the time, but still. 

 

Kinda sore that you didn't mention the bus.  Good day sir.  I said good day. 

[usedtobe]

That was a damn good article Wes.  Brought by memories of how I got this sickness.  My mom told me stories of PD 1 and how I cried when they pulled me in the house after literally wallowing in he snow.  I have no memory of that, since I was 4 years old at the time, but still. 

 

Kinda sore that you didn't mention the bus.  Good day sir.  I said good day. 

 

I should have mentioned the bus and eastern.  Maybein some future article, I'll write something about weather forums. 

[Bob Chill]

I should have mentioned the bus and eastern. Maybein some future article, I'll write something about weather forums.

Eastern was my demise. Pre-eastern all I did was read deeply into hpc and all the surround weather office discos. HPC loved talking about models that I didn't know much about other than they sounded cool. Then I found eastern....and started reading deeply into discos from you and other ma regulars...and started adding link after link...and reading and learning and watching and thinking...

I think the jury is still up in the air as to whether finding eastern was a good thing or not. And you are partially responsible for worsening my sickness the last 7 years. I've learned so much along the way so that's a good thing with one exception. I know have acute knowledge on how tricky it is to line things up in these parts.

[Ian]

Good stuff, Wes. Read it twice yesterday but was busy all day so didn't have a chance to comment. 2016-17 will be rockin.

[Bodhi Cove]

Wonderful article Wes. Like many have already said, reading it resulted in a wistful stroll down a childhood memory lane.

My family moved every 3 years. So, after spending the first 7 years of my life in either the Caribbean or Scottsdale, to then spot a funny looking ice thing hanging from our roof in Sun Valley, Idaho, well, it freaked me out. (My mother chuckled as she said "that's an icicle.")

Thank you Wes, for sharing your wonderful memories, and in turn, reminding us of our own.

[RitualOfTheTrout]

Great read! I particularly like these lines:

"My dad was constantly after me for opening the door and looking to see how cloudy it was and to check to see if the snow had started yet. I also constantly turned on our one spot light to watch the falling snow."

 

I remember always getting scolded for constantly turning the spot lights on and off to see if it was snowing, or gauge intensity. I couldn't help it I loved and still do love watching snow fall especially at night. At my home now, I have a parking lot across the street with lights so I can casually gaze out the window and watch the snow fall.

[nw baltimore wx]

Great read, Wes.  I remember Louis Allen, but it was at the end of his career. For me, Gordon Barnes was the guy I watched every night at 6:20.  

[H2O]

 

I think some odf the drills were for the cold war, at least that was part of the reason we had them when I was a kid.  We were told first to duck below the desk and they then had us go to the hallway. If we truly had ever had a a-bomb attack,  kissing our butts goodbye would have been a more logical exercise. 

Weren't you a little too old to still be in school when the cold war started?

[usedtobe]

Weren't you a little too old to still be in school when the cold war started?

lol,  I remember it well.  I also remember sledding on Tunlaw (sp) and the top of Brich Land right below where it intersected with Braddock road and even remember when Birch Lane was a a dirt road.  I hated it when they paved it because the darker color of the paved raod absorbed the heat faster so the snow and ice on the road melted faster. 

[H2O]

 

lol,  I remember it well.  I also remember sledding on Tunlaw (sp) and the top of Brich Land right below where it intersected with Braddock road and even remember when Birch Lane was a a dirt road.  I hated it when they paved it because the darker color of the paved raod absorbed the heat faster so the snow and ice on the road melted faster. 

Where I lived over in Dunn Loring had the best sled hill when I was a kid. I found other hills and stuff when we moved to Annandale. Was Pinecrest golf club there when you were a kid? They had some nice hills. 

[Avdave]

lol,  I remember it well.  I also remember sledding on Tunlaw (sp) and the top of Brich Land right below where it intersected with Braddock road and even remember when Birch Lane was a a dirt road.  I hated it when they paved it because the darker color of the paved raod absorbed the heat faster so the snow and ice on the road melted faster. 

What a massive you are 

 

Awesome article Wes. Can relate to a lot of the posts in here in regards to snow when I was a kid. Only good thing was back then in far NWNJ we had to move the antenna to get a good signal from the NYC stations to get the weather. Sadly, I think I seen more snow (snowy signal) on that TV than I have in the last two years down here

[usedtobe]

 

Where I lived over in Dunn Loring had the best sled hill when I was a kid. I found other hills and stuff when we moved to Annandale. Was Pinecrest golf club there when you were a kid? They had some nice hills. 

Yes and I even skated on the pond at Pine Crest years ago back when ponds actually froze. 

[ravensrule]

Yes and I even skated on the pond at Pine Crest years ago back when ponds actually froze. 

Lol you are real old school.

[WEATHER53]

Sledding was a huge part of my childhood and it was a rare winter the ponds did not freeze.

[Deck Pic]

Yes and I even skated on the pond at Pine Crest years ago back when ponds actually froze. 

 

 

Sledding was a huge part of my childhood and it was a rare winter the ponds did not freeze.

 

 

My sledding years were great years...often the less snowy winters were colder winters, so I we had more snowcover,....which is obviously a very important factor with sledding and playing in the snow....I was very fortunate to have awesome winters...only 1 winter sucked (80-81) and it was a prime sledding winter, but we did get 1 big enough snowfall that we went sledding and made a gigantic fort and another big enough to have a snowball fight....it wasnt 2001-02 bad, but wasnt good either....I remember 77-78 and PD2...and 81-82 was sick...pond frozen over 

 

Bucks County PA

 

 

76-77 - 21"

77-78 - 57"

78-79 - 31"

79-80 - 16"

 

Annandale, VA (Off Wakefield Chapel)

 

 

80-81 - 4"

81-82 - 30"

82-83 - 35"

83-84 - 15"

84-85 - 10"

85-86 - 17"

86-87 - 35"

87-88 - 20"

88-89 - 10"

89-90 - 25"

[EastCoast NPZ]

Some of my earliest memories are of sledding through some wicked wooded trails behind our house and ice-skating on frozen ponds during the mid to late '70s.  Can remember a family friend who had a big pond on thier farm and hosted ice-hockey games.  In-between games people would congregate (and drink) by the barrell-drum fires.  It seems almost surreal now given the new reality of our climate.  i doubt there's been a cold-enough period since 1996 when one could safely skate on a pond in these parts (if even then).