The media is calling our snowstorm the Holiday Blizzard of 2006. If the wind hadn’t been blowing 30-40 mph yesterday, I think it would have just been a nice snow storm. Last night on the news they said Colorado Springs got 5-9 inches of snow with up to 18 inches to the north and east. At my house we might have had 3 inches on the sidewalk but when I shoveled it this morning it felt like twice that much because it was so wind packed.

Yesterday I waited to leave work until 4 PM in hopes the traffic would clear out. Academy Boulevard was still just a parking lot so I tried a couple different ways through neighborhoods until I was able to get to Woodmen Road. A lot of the time I could only see about 2-3 car lengths because of the blowing snow.

A lot of people were driving with their emergency flashers on which was good because it was a big help in seeing them. There were lots of abandoned cars stuck in snow drifts. On Academy there were some that were just abandoned in the middle of the traffic lanes without flashers on. According to the news some people got tired of waiting in traffic jams and others ran out of gas from sitting so long. I-25 south bound wasn’t blocked off so I took that home but didn’t see anyone else on it.

Yesterday the forecast was for 6-9 inches of snow. It was cloudy and cold but we only had a snow flurry that didn’t even get the ground white. This morning when I got up it was just starting to snow and the wind was blowing 30-40 mph. I’m not really sure how much it has snowed this morning because it’s blowing so much. The snow is in drifts with bare patches in between.

A little while ago an upper manager sent out this e-mail. “Team, with blizzard conditions and white out travel I encourage everyone to start home early, take your time and be careful. Thanks.” The only good way for me to get home is I-25. I live close to downtown Colorado Springs and as you can see from the image below, I-25 is closed for miles in both directions. There’s only one short way and several long ways to get from where I am to home without using I-25. From what I’ve heard, the traffic is a mess everywhere. I think I’ll stay at work until everybody else gets off the road or the conditions improve.