January is snowiest month in state's history

Yesterday, 6-9 inches of snow were predicted for overnight. But we got more like a foot and a half.

Weather isn't very interesting, I realize, so I've semi-attempted to keep this blog off that topic. That said, this has been a truly grueling, bizarre winter, very unlike last year. And it's not just my imagination; this is apparently the snowiest month in the history of the state! Read that story here.

There are real consequences to the snow, and the cold. For example, we Yale SOM students rely on the kindness of food-cart vendors to eat lunch, as we have no cafeteria this year. (Our cafeteria was converted to study space over the summer.) What if our food suppliers can't get to campus, or don't want to be out in the freezing cold? What will become of our tummies? Fortunately, about five of the carts appeared to have made it to school today, so I am still alive.

But these types of disruptions can really interrupt our little bubble of a world. Another example: This afternoon I have a class, Strategic Leadership Across Sectors, taught by Jeff Sonnenfeld, that relies on prominent guests for discussion. Today, one of our panelists is Sherron Watkins, the famous Enron whistleblower and former Time magazine Person of the Year (2002). Another is Daniel Scotto, also famous for being on the side of justice during that scandal. What becomes of our three-hour class if the guests are delayed? Dunno. Fortunately, all our guests today appear to have made it into New Haven.

The cold, snowy weather also:

1. Causes the floor in our apartment to be wet and dirty.

2. Makes people sick. I blame the weather, in part, for why I was sick for two weeks and developed bronchitis. And lousy feelings abound.

3. It and it leaves people stranded. I've had a couple classes canceled. My roommate had to crash at a friend's house last night because her car got trapped in the snow. One of the two prospective students I was supposed to interview today couldn't make it in, and he was hardly the only one.

4. Related to being stranded is not being able to get anywhere, like the grocery store. The food situation in my apartment is starting to get a little pathetic. If it weren't for leftovers from when my roommate threw a baby shower for two classmates on Tuesday, my dinner last night would have consisted of maybe cereal and a can of beans.

The snow may be beautiful to look at, from inside, but it can cause some ugly problems, and headaches. Fingers crossed we're able to leave town as planned tomorrow at noon, for the ski trip.