Growing up and living most of my life in Northeast Ohio gives me a somewhat unique perspective on snow, snowstorms, and snow drifts. I can’t count how many times I’ve ventured down the driveway to shovel, only to find a big drift wrapping around the car or garage. Part PIA (pain in the @%$) and part beauty, I find myself slice carving sections out with my shovel to then throw the snow onto the lawn, clearing the driveway (for a little while). I can remember, as a kid back in 1978, before I-480 was opened, we were driving down Brookpark Road by the Cleveland Hopkins Airport – the snow was so high that we could not see over the fences on either side of the road, just a long white tunnel! That year, we also had drifts of almost 40’!  For those of you who live in the northeast, you’ve likely noticed how storms are less severe than years ago (“when I was a kid, we walked 8 miles to school, barefoot, against the wind both ways, without jackets…”). Even though I’m fascinated by the drifts, at times, I must admit, sometimes they are a “pain”. These days I have a very nice snowblower, which allows me to occasionally start at my driveway and proceed down to the corner of the street and come back!! Yup -a man with his toys!  Here’s some cool science about snow and drifts I think you’ll find fascinating, along with a bit of big storms trivia. Stay warm and enjoy! 

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