When it comes to snow, go ahead, laugh at Seattle. The rest of the country does.
Seriously.
Lemme say straightaway that while my town of Tacoma lies about an hour south of Seattle, a myriad of differences separates the two.
It’s no secret, my hate-hate relationship with Seattle. I happily admit that Seattle offers some interesting things to do. The best way to see Seattle is in passing. The items on the Seattle Sucks list far outnumber, in weight and quantity, those on the Appeals list. When I write that you couldn’t pay me to live in Seattle, I mean it most sincerely.
Snow.
While not snow country, the Emerald City sees a small amount on a consistent and/or annual basis to have implemented intelligent snow policies. Scratch intelligent. Functional.
Has it? Not. Even. Close. I’m in no mood to poke at that beehive today, however. Rather, I’ll let Seattle speak for itself.
Today, districts throughout King County/Seattle have closed the schools on the possibility of snow.
Repeat: ON THE POSSIBILITY OF SNOW.
Is it snowing? No.
Will it snow? Perhaps. Probably. And it’ll be a quick blast that dumps a minor amount that won’t last long.
Let the laughing commence.
I’ve said it before and will until the day I die: Western Washington state has become pathetically wussified. It’s the nation’s capitol of wimps.
Returning to Tacoma …
Around noon, a 30-minute snow blast dropped big fat flakes fast and furiously:
Nice to see some white stuff (acknowledging that much of the country feels otherwise!). (BTW, the day’s accumulation in the upcoming photo promises widespread closures, road havoc and accidents.)
Here’s where I feed the birds each day. They’re tough to photograph as they hasten to their refuge in the holly tree the moment the door’s opened. Joy swells in my heart at their feasting, especially in the snow and rain:
Barefoot Blogger 
Feb 23, 2011 @ 21:52:16
I’d love to see you write an article on your Seattle experience. I don’t think many people realize it’s not the coolest place in the US. I know a few people who plan on moving to the area at some point. Of course they’re coming from the east coast, which has so many problems of its own.
What kind of bird is that?
Feb 23, 2011 @ 22:28:45
@FaO – Seattle’s incredibly overrated. As for a piece on the place, honestly, I’m not sure I could limit myself to an article! There’s enough material for a novelette! – lol. Much of what ails the city is its mindset, which is a challenge to articulate. I do know that there are online forums, stories and chats that demystify Seattle’s image, debunk its myths and tell it like it is.
Perhaps you could encourage your friends to spend time reading at those sites (find by googling “I hate Seattle forums” for example) for a more accurate, realistic and balanced view before they take off. Seattle’s not all it’s cracked up to be and IMHO a helluva lot worse.
BTW, if any of those pals are depression prone, I’d emphatically advise against this region. Seriously. Washington state has one of the nation’s highest, if not highest, rates of suicide as well as antidepressants use for a reason. Serious stuff. If you want to learn more, just PM me via the Contact button at the banner.
Feb 23, 2011 @ 22:33:56
@FaO – Oh yeah! as for the bird, wish I knew! Perhaps a variety of sparrow? – a wildly uneducated guess.
Feb 24, 2011 @ 07:37:20
My son was disheartened this morning when he awoke to find school was still on; he’d been hoping for a snow day. I found myself informing him that since it only snowed a couple of inches at best, there was no way school would be canceled. Interesting how living in different areas for a while changes your attitude on certain things.
Feb 24, 2011 @ 11:29:26
@B – Whose attitude, the kid’s or yours and changed in what way?
Feb 24, 2011 @ 16:40:21
Mine, with regard to snow; I grew up in northern California, where snow was rare, and southern Idaho, which didn’t get as much as here, and even a few inches was problematic. Now, unless roofs are collapsing, nobody round here cares much, including me; just more crap to shovel out of the driveway. I’m tired of winter, but not for any inconvenience. Would that I could just pack up and move somewhere warm…
Feb 24, 2011 @ 17:51:02
@B – Gotcha.
Feb 25, 2011 @ 06:05:34
And I thought folks in the Mid-Atlantic were ridiculous about snowfall.
Feb 25, 2011 @ 12:44:14
@Expat – No joke, Seattle’s the laughing stock around its snow management. Matter of fact, cities around the country that manage large snow quantities with aplomb (i.e., Chicago) have *approached* Seattle with offers of assistance, tips, suggestions, etc. Seattle turns them down, insisting they don’t need the help, they’re Seattle, they’re just fine. Arrogance, arrogance, arrogance. Seattle’s full of it!
Feb 25, 2011 @ 13:51:25
Do you partonize Seattle’s Best Coffee? 😉
Feb 25, 2011 @ 14:01:34
@Expat – hahah. There are no cafes here by that name; to my knowledge, it’s solely a brand. I do drink it, though not by preference or choice, it’s what my favorite bookstore-cafe serves. Of course with Borders bankrupt and closing shop here then there, the sun may well be setting on my Seattle’s Best beverages.
Feb 27, 2011 @ 04:06:40
That was too big a target not to throw a zinger at. 😉
Never thought I’d see the day Bordeers would go into Chapter 11, but then I never thought I’d see the day Akio Toyota would be hauled before Congress either.
Feb 27, 2011 @ 16:46:45
@Expat – I hear ya. Remember when Tower Records folded? That was big too. Speaking of Toyota, surely you heard that electronic problems weren’t the cause of sudden acceleration. (I never believed that they were; I did know there was a “witch-hunt” element driven by our unfriendly socialist administration.) Source of the acceleration: wrongly installed floormats, sticky pedals and driver error. Imagine! That must suck for all those shooting for big bugs from lawsuits!
Feb 28, 2011 @ 02:43:42
“..when Tower records folded”? Nope, I was in Japan then. Given my experince at The Firm, I do see perhaps an element in how/why it is being driven; to pay off some organized labor chits?
Oh and Toyota, I hardly feel they’ve been victimnized.
Feb 28, 2011 @ 12:10:56
@Expat – Tower closed on the heels of departure from Japan. I still vividly remember the Tower I frequented smack dab in the heart of Tokyo’s Shibuya. The place was always hoppin’!