Postcard from Snowstorm Jonas
If you haven’t heard by now: New York City (and most of the East Coast) had an epic snowstorm this weekend. With around 30 inches of snow in 24 hours, it came close to being the biggest snowstorm since 1869 (apparently, we just missed the record by a tenth of an inch!).
A Walk In A Snowstorm from Christine Amorose on Vimeo.
Although I spent the vast majority of the weekend warm and cozy in our apartment–writing blog posts, sipping mulled wine, making a big batch of turkey chili, finishing When Breath Becomes Air, reading the Saturday edition of the New York Times that miraculously got delivered–I did venture out for a grand snowy adventure early on Saturday morning.
When I left my apartment around 8am, the buses were still running. I hopped on a B48 bus heading toward the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and it was all going swimmingly until we stopped at a stoplight–and then realized that two cars were stalled ahead of us and another car was stalled on the cross-street. Hence the ban on all cars other than emergency vehicles that was instituted a bit later in the morning! 
So I decided to get out and walk toward Prospect Park. I love how silent the city is in a snowstorm: it’s such a wonderfully strange sensation to have all the streets to yourself. 
And I actually bought new snowboots back in September of this year, anticipating that we’d be getting snow a lot sooner. I’m glad they finally came in handy! 
One of the greatest thing about New York City is how the community bands together in crisis. This guy was just walking around with a shovel, and as I took this photo, he was offering to help the truck get unstuck. 
Speaking of eerily silent, this is Eastern Parkway–it’s a major thoroughfare in Brooklyn and almost always crowded with rushing traffic. I didn’t see one car as I walked through the intersection! 
One silly thing I did in the excitement of a snow day adventure: I forgot my gloves! When I spotted this subway station, I figured I’d duck below quickly to warm up and maybe check on the status of public transportation without snow falling on my phone. 
So I was extra surprised to see just how much snow had piled up in the station! It wasn’t much warmer down here, but I was able to get myself sorted before heading back up into the elements. 
Completely random side note: I’ve gotten super obsessed with the podcast StartUp and I listened to a bunch of episodes while trekking through the snow. Does anyone else love listening to podcasts while walking? 
Yay Prospect Park and Grand Army Plaza! I made it! This was my goal end destination, and it was just as snowy and magical as I’d hoped for. 
There were a surprising number of people out in Prospect Park with their dogs–and all of the dogs were loving it! 
In particular: this husky looked like he thought it was Christmas morning! Definitely made for this kind of weather (although the owner looked very ready to go back inside). 
Snow day success! 
I ended up taking the S train back: the train was warm, but I was completely soaked through at this point! 
Walking along my street was a surreal experience: I haven’t seen this neighborhood in the snow yet, so it felt like a whole new perspective. 
How did you spend Snowstorm Jonas? Did anyone else brave the outdoors, or did you have a snuggled-in snow day?
