Winter’s majesty

Branches are weighed down by heavy snow in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Early forecasts had the southern Vermont area missing the heaviest snowfall of this week's epic winter storm, but that was not to be. Instead, some parts of the region got over 40 inches, like Ludlow which saw a whopping 42. Elsewhere in the Northeast, parts of New York also topped 40 inches, and snowfall records were snapped in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. In Binghamton, New York, the National Weather Service reported nearly 40 inches of snow, that city’s largest total snowfall since records began in 1951.

This storm got winter off to a start many areas hadn't seen in years. For some parts of the Northeastern U.S., this one storm dumped more snow than the entirety of last winter. That says a lot about the size of this storm and the mild snowfall some areas experienced last winter. Obviously, this week's winter blast was the antithesis of mild, and caught some people quite unaware. Case in point: Check out the timelapse video in this CNN report where some lonely deck furniture quickly gets buried in Binghamton, New York.

Speaking of decks, cars and walkways, many of us were thrust right into the middle of wintry clean-up in the blink of an eye. This storm seemed that fast. In some parts of the region, the snow fell at six inches per hour. That slowed and continued through part of the day, before tapering off in the afternoon as people everywhere continued with their wintry tasks. A few people turned to wintry walks in the evening, and, as for us, my wife, daughter and I headed downtown for a brisk walk in winter air — my daughter bringing her Nordic skis along for fun.

In every way, today felt like the beginning of winter, and with its majesty all around us, I look forward to enjoying it and letting its beauty inspire me as I write. That inspiration can be shared by all of us, as winter brings out some of the most beautiful scenes in nature. Perhaps that awe-inspiring beauty can warm our hearts at the coldest of times and inspire us as we endeavor to make progress in life. That's the kind of inspiration we can really use this winter, and with that spark of winter's majesty, we can bring that light with us into the holiday season and share it with others.

— Gareth Henderson