It's official.... winter has begun!

I heeded the advice of the weathermen who advised no travel today and didn't go into the office.  We are expecting 5-10" of snow and strong winds over the next 18 hours or so, so I think staying home to work is a good plan.  School was cancelled today as well, so I think we can officially say that winter has begun!

What makes this storm special is the rain and sleet that is coming before the snow.  The windows on my house that face north have a coating of ice on them so that they look like those privacy windows that you find in bathrooms.  I've been out three times this morning with Ice Melt to try to clear some of the ice off my sidewalk and driveway before the snow hits.  I think I just made my last pass as it's starting to snow and the visibility is dropping.

There's something special about that first storm of winter.  While it can be a hassle to fight with, it's not bad if you have some flexibility in your schedule.  But it also helps get you in the right frame of mind for the holiday season and gives you a nice change of pace.  I like having a good excuse to work from home for a day as I usually can be pretty productive.

That said, you may want to ask me how I like it tomorrow when I'm clearing my driveway...