[another blog post from winter commuter extraordinaire--Jane Allen.  You can Conquer the Cold!]

The plus side:

There is more you can do about cold than hot, so you can stay comfortable. In the summer, your options are limited and at some point, it’s just too hot and there is nothing you can do about it. You can always do something about the cold with another layer of clothing.

No matter how much snow there is, you can get to work. A few years ago during a big storm, I started walking to work when it became clear that the bus would not be arriving. On Summit Street, there are train tracks that cross the road and it is quite steep. A tow truck was spinning its tires and not able to move. Another tow truck with a car on the back attempted to pass the first truck, and also became stuck, and was slowly sliding sideways towards the first truck. Because of this, Summit was entirely blocked by tow trucks. Needless to say, I didn’t wait for the bus, nor could it possibly arrive via its normal route. When you are stuck in the tow truck, who do you call to save you?

It’s fun to walk in the snow, and this is when I see more neighbors than any other time, because they are all out shoveling snow.

The new snow is pretty.

The minus side:

No matter how much snow there is, you can get to work.

When you get home, after talking to your neighbors, you will have to shovel snow.

Only about 60% of residents clear their walks, so there will be ice on the sidewalk, sometimes for weeks, after each storm. This is when you need your Yaktrax.