2013 - It's a Blizz-icane, it's a Snow-nado, it's NEMO!

February 8-9, 2013

Meteorologists, which is a title we allow weathermen when their predictions have been spot on, called the Blizzard of 2013 pretty accurately.  It was spawned by two lesser storms that met for a tryst over New England and begat a super-storm unofficially named by the Weather Channel as Nemo.  

BEFORE - Sideways slush at Fort Hill 

It teased Cape Cod all of Friday with increasingly wet snow showers which turned into a couple of inches of ice until a colder front blasted through late at night with hurricane force winds and white-out snow.  

...and stand on your head?

It continued to snow and blow all through the following day bringing an accumulation of between three inches and three feet depending on what part  of the drift you were measuring.  

The show included wind-whipped snow-cyclones whirling along open expanses and thunder snow with winds that literally shivered our timbers, sent anything not secured flying and gobbled up big portions of our beaches.  

Hang on, Claudia!

With great advance warning, we were all able to take precautions and settle in to ride it out, honoring the 24-hour no-driving ban, a first in my experience.  

The rose bushes outside our kitchen window are always a popular port in a storm.

75% of the Cape lost power, but we're convinced that because we now have an automatic generator, our neighborhood was spared loss of power through sheer irony.  Even so, we can't do anything about losing cable, so we take our television and internet break along with everyone else and watch our bird channel.  

Suet saves the day

How does one spend a Super-Storm Saturday?  Although the winds made visibility and going very far an impossibility, playing in the snow and shooting pictures is always a must for me.  Ron preferred to nest with the cats and a book. 

Love those bluebirds

 One of our precautions was to fill all the bird feeders and we've certainly earned their gratitude in great numbers. 

 Following snow time, it seemed a good day to make some kitchen magic with leftovers from the fridge and the kale and potatoes our neighbor dropped by.  A little of this and that soon made a delicious pot of soup.  Then, more snow time, digging a path to the gate and through the drift that buried it and trying out some boots which sadly failed the waterproof test and cut my walk short.  

Tunnel to freedom

A hot shower and then a hot latte, provided by my Super-hot hubby, finished the afternoon as we thumbed through the Cape Codder Weekly news that had just made it to the mailbox before Nemo did.  Evening brought quieting winds, although the snow continued to swirl with the last bit of energy left.

Sunday lived up to its name and we were wakened by the blinding brightness only full sun on snow can create.  Cats fed.  Birds fed.  Lattes consumed.  Then back to shoveling the car out so we can check on the beaches.  

AFTER - Nauset Light Beach

We'd already heard that the steps to the beach at Nauset Light had been washed away for the second time in two years and an old peat bog had been uncovered at Coast Guard Beach.  

Shades of the past unearthed on Coast Guard Beach

A trip up Fort Hill provided a view of the waves breaking beyond the outer dunes that seem much clearer than before suggesting either less dunes, higher waves, or possibly both?  A few more storms and we may have our harbor again.  

AFTER-a little less dune, a lot more view on Fort Hill

The First Encounter Beach parking lot on the Bay was inundated with sand, debris and lumber that was said to be from some former beach houses in Plymouth which were remodeled by the high tide.  But even in February, there is ALWAYS someone on the water.

What storm?

We haven't heard of anything that came close to the devastation that the Jersey Coast suffered months ago and except for the people last to get their power, I think the overall feeling is that we've successfully weathered another one.  The Parks Department has promised to restore the beaches before tourist season, but will let them be for the time being in case any more tough guy storms decide to visit.

Thanks for all the emails and phone calls.  We're safe and expecting full house in the B&B this weekend . 

a frozen neighbor with a green mohawk