Bring it on!

The Weather.

CNY is notoriously known for brutal winters.

Cold and snowy.

Growing up and living here we are pretty used to it.

We are well educated on the types of snow. In fact many of us can identify what kind of snow we are having by just looking at it. If you are in a warmer climate you may not even know that there are different types of snowfalls.

Most common here is what is called  'lake effect' snow.

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Phenomenon in the Great Lakes region, Southeast Canada and the U.S. Northeast

Buffalo, NY after 82.3 inches (209 cm) of snow fell fromDecember 24, 2001 to December 28, 2001.

Cold winds in the winter typically prevail from the northwest in the Great Lakes region, producing the most dramatic lake-effect snowfalls on the southern and eastern shores of the Great Lakes. This lake-effect produces a significant difference between the snowfall on the southern/eastern shores and the northern/western shores of the Great Lakes.

Lake-effect snows on the Tug Hill Plateau (east of Lake Ontario) can frequently set the daily records for snowfall in the United States. Syracuse, New York is directly south of the Tug Hill Plateau and receives significant lake-effect snow from Lake Ontario, averaging 115.6 inches (294 cm) of snow a year, which is enough snowfall to often be considered one of the "snowiest" large cities in America.^[10][11] The communities of Redfield inOswego County and Montague and North Osceola in Lewis County, all on the Tug Hill Plateau, average over 300 inches (760 cm) of snow a winter.^[12] In February, 2007, a prolonged lake-effect snow event left 141 inches (360 cm) of snow on the Tug Hill Plateau.^[13]

A small amount of lake-effect snow from the Finger Lakes falls in upstate New York as well, until those lakes freeze over. The Appalachian Mountains and Atlantic Ocean largely shield New York City and Philadelphiafrom picking up any lake-effect snow; snow there tends to come from storm systems mixing with cold weather.

Notable lake-effect episodes

This article or section may be slanted towards recent events. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective. (December 2008)

• Lake Storm "Aphid": October 12 – 13, 2006 - A crippling lake effect storm which struck Buffalo New York and surrounding areas with nearly 23.62 in (60 cm) of heavy wet snow, damaging many trees (most of which were still in full leaf) and knocking out power.^[23]
• Lake Effect Storm Bald Eagle: December 24, 2001 – January 1, 2002 - A major several day event in which Buffalo NY sees over 80 inches (200 cm). This event is even featured in local postcards.^[23]
• Lake Storm Chestnut - November 21, 2000 - Brief but well-timed and intense lake event that is often known as the "Gridlock Snowstorm" due to its major disruption of traffic.^[23]
• Lake Storm "Locust" - February 2007 - An extremely long-lasting lake event that paralyzed much of central New York for over a week. Over eight feet of snow fell in most of the affected areas, north of buffalo and in and around oswego new york.^[24]

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Due to the current weather of the midwest with the brutally frigid temperatres we have been expecting the worst.

The weather forecasters around here have been on some type of hypersensitive frenzy. That gets everybody else in a frenzy. 

Me included.

A few days ago I set out to the grocery store for provisions.

I got all the things I needed to make hibernation comfort foods. You know... spaghetti and meatballs, soup, homemade mac and cheese, pulled pork, ect. I got enough milk and bread and all the other staples. I was prepared to be shut in for a few days.

I know these forecasters little tricks yet I still manage to get sucked in. Yeah, it's been cold. BUT it been much colder before. We were also supposed to get snow. Nope... no snow has come either. (North of us has gotten it but not us.)

Our highs have hovered between 7-11 degrees for a few days. At night below zero. But come on where is our hardcore winter weather???

At this moment mother nature is making us look like wimps!

Besides I have been trying to make a mountain in the backyard for the kids to play on. And it looks absolutely pathetic at this moment. I keep telling Sam to be patient, as soon as it snows again we'll add to the mountain. I am getting as impatient as he.

So, bring it on. We are ready.

Excerpts gather from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_effect_snow