The Omaha Blizzard of 2009

Last I heard, Omaha received about 10 inches of snow today, with drifts as high as five feet. Before the storm ends, we are supposed to receive between 11-12 inches. That's quite a blizzard. Throw in the fact that we had a blizzard on December 8, in which we received 9 inches of snow, and we have snow piled everywhere. I made sure to go outside to snap a bunch of photos this afternoon.

 My roommate

The snow fought the bush and the snow won

 The ice on the tree branches pulled them down almost to the ground

This will give you a little perspective regarding the depth of the snow

That's not going to melt for a while

With the roads nearly impassable, most of the plans people had for Christmas Day needed to be changed. My family was not able to get together for the first time since I was born. I didn't get bummed out though. On Christmas Eve, my roommate and I watched Serendipity (the second time in four days I saw it) and You've Got Mail. Today I spoke with my family several times throughout the day and we were just happy that everyone was safe and warm.

By the middle of the day I began to wonder about the stories we might hear from people who were forced to stay home and ended up enjoying themselves more than they imagined. I put the call out on Twitter and Facebook asking for such stories. Here are a couple of the responses, both of which are insightful:

The relatives that we invited over won't come until Sunday, or New Year's day if the snow doesn't stop. So, we are sharing a very quiet Christmas and I have had time to spend with John [Pamela's husband] by the fire in his favorite place . . . the garage. But finding the connections, instead of the busyness has been a treat. Plus, this will bring us from Christmas through the Epiphany since our family dinner is delayed. The importance of the ENTIRE Christmas is brought to light through this blizzard.  -Pamela Sonnenmoser 

Thankful for electricity, friends, and family. Even if I can't be with them.  -Amber Tiedeman

Do you have a similar story? If so, share it.

UPDATE 12-26-09: Just as I expected, my local newspaper is full of stories this morning about people who made the best of a bad situation and some of them even enjoyed the adventure.