110 Comments
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Ron Miller's avatar

Three years ago, my wife and I moved from McMinnville to Sheridan, Wyoming so I could take a job here. Our first big snow storm, I called my boss and said I couldn't make it in -- we had 4 FEET of snow in our driveway. She informed me that snow could never be a reason to not make it in. She expected me at my desk, every day, regardless. I've driven in full whiteout conditions, in feet of snow and ice, in temps as cold as -34º F, and I haven't missed a day.

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509 Guy's avatar

Your boss probably wondered why you couldn't just commute to work via your snowmobile!

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John Canzano's avatar

So true

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Brian M's avatar

You beat me. I drove into work on Nov 1 1991 after a 32" snow fall, the infamous Halloween Storm in Minneapolis. But I am right there with you on my low temp experience. AZ is awfully nice this time of year

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Al Van Houten's avatar

Yes it is!

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Dennis Miller's avatar

I walked to work one morning in Rugene on a Monday morning I four feet of snow in January of 1969. I worked for the old PNB telephone company and it was expected. Not the only time I walked but the worst of them.

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AZJT's avatar

Surely we can all take one day away from the sports world and enjoy a story about snow and the fun kids have with it. Thanks, John.

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John Canzano's avatar

Thanks for being here

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Jen GH's avatar

I wouldn’t live in a snowy climate but I loved, and have cherished memories, visiting Sierra Ski Ranch at the top of Highway 50 when I was growing up. I’m in Salem and we have about 5 inches at our house, enough for this 63 year old to make a snowman after lunch! I’ll take snow over freezing rain any day.

Have fun with the girls! IMHO, the kids make snow days joyous 😊

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Ed S.'s avatar

Whoa! We live between Sunriver and LaPine (on purpose, no less). Five inches in Salem would be like 2 1/2 feet here!

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John Canzano's avatar

That’s a lot of snow

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Jen GH's avatar

Oh for sure! It might be heading your way! The system was coming from the south, hit Eugene first, then around 7am it started coming down pretty good. Stopped at about 11:30.

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Gus's avatar

I lived in Pa, NY, Mi and Wi before coming to Oregon 33 years ago. Even at 75 yrs, when it snows here I think about playing football in the snow with friends. It just brings out the kid in you.

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John Canzano's avatar

Amen

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Larry Ross's avatar

Snow can be a lot of fun if you know how to adapt. A lot of Portlanders don't know how. I always shake my head at the stalled cars with bald tires on highway 26, creating a hazard for everyone else. Ice is another story. The storm last year left people without power for days. It really comes down to preparation. Proper tires, gas in the tank, adequate food, a generator if you can afford it, a fireplace or place to go if needed, etc.

My "favorite" memory was the snowstorm that struck in the fifties on the West Coast. My parents were stuck on a train for days in the cascades, coming back from San Francisco, and had to be rescued by a snowplow. Meanwhile I and my sister enjoyed our vacation from school and punking our terrible sitter, Miss McGillicuddy., She never came back.

All that said, we can't ignore our neighbors who don't have the ability to deal with the bad weather. Make sure to be aware of them, and help as needed.

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John Canzano's avatar

So true

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Jarek Shahim's avatar

I remember as a kid up in the Wallowas, we got a dumping of snow, think 3 feet or so. Still had to go to school, never seen a snow day in my life up to this point. If the busses could run, you were going. We trudged our way down the quarter mile drive way and waited for the bus with the neighbors. A teacher who lived down the way was driving around telling kids school is canceled for the day. Some one threw water on all the doors and froze them shut. This was it, the day every kid dreamed of, a snow day. We proceeded to have a snowball fight with the neighbors, flinging one this way and that across the road. Building forts and tunnels. When we got to cold we trudged back up the driveway and dried out in front of the fire with cocoa. Just to get dressed back up to start all over again. Days like this bring back great memories.

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John Canzano's avatar

Snowball fight!!!

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David Hopkins's avatar

Nothing as beautiful as the Wallowa mountains in snow! Truly God’s country! I grew up in the Grande Ronde Valley outside of LaGrande.

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John Canzano's avatar

God’s country!

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Bill's avatar

I was born in San Jose, CA and my grade school had “rainy day” sessions, school cancelled due to some rain!!

I raised my kids in the Cascade mountains. The school busses have automatic chains that wrap the tires to keep em going.

It takes a lot of snow to shut the schools down up here.

When I tell my kids and grandkids about rainy day sessions, they look at me with incredulous disbelief. 😊

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John Canzano's avatar

You are not far from where I grew up

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Bev Zimel's avatar

My Minnesota relatives always scoffed at their Oregon snow wimps. And yes, I would voice the angst about ice and hills. That being said, many of us would do fine with careful driving save for the 4-wheel drive crazies who just have to see how fast they can drive in it. Even the snow in Hood River is different…no ice. And Michigan…have driven in both places just fine, but happy to be a lazy retired person, enjoying the beauty without being out on the icy streets. If only I had that 1968 Volkswagen Beetle…best car in the snow!

Thanks for a great column, John, and have fun with your girls!

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Brian M's avatar

Love this non-sports post, John. Growing up in the Willamette Valley, snow was very special since it only came once or twice a year, if lucky. Sometimes, not at all. There was the occasional very rare "dump" that was more than 12 inches and closed schools for a week since there is so little snow removal equipment in the valley towns. This happened in January 1969 and we all still talk about it, a 20 incher! I think I took up skiing (that very winter) in large part to enjoy the snow. And it was not insignificant I ended up falling for my wife who grew up in Minnesota because I was so envious of how much snow she got to see and for how long (like 6 months at a time some years). I can attest that with that much snow the novelty wears out on you. 32 cold winters later we moved to Arizona where we first met to get away from the cold and snow! But I sure get it that in Oregon your kids love it!

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Jean Southworth's avatar

I remember that storm in 1969, too, Brian. I still recall the delight at missing school for so many days in a row and playing outside until we froze.

Yes, the great part about snow in the Willamette Valley is that it happens rarely enough to be cause for celebration. It provides a wonderful surprise break from work and school in the dead of winter, and usually lasts just long enough to maintain its novelty.

I suffer no shame over our collective inability to manage as usual during these occasional storms. Our occasional stop-the-world-and-play-days are simply another of the great delights of living where we do.

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Sue Beck's avatar

I was in grad school at the U of O in 1969. There was 30 inches of snow and we lived in a a neighborhood that didn't get plowed. Missed a day of school, then a friend with a 4X4 picked me up. Eugene had no snow plows!

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John Canzano's avatar

Always a treat

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Skip Rochefort's avatar

Oregonians are snow wimps. OSU closed today because someone thought they saw a couple of snow flakes. Covered stadiums have dramatically changed the game of football. That's why modern day passing records are meaningless compared to Bart Starr, Fran Tarkenton, YA Tittle records in REAL weather conditions....especially Bart Starr who played in Lambeau Field his entire career (I think?). OK...Green Bay and Buffalo still count:)

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John Canzano's avatar

We are not hardened

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Brian M's avatar

Minnesota Vikings' Metropolitan Stadium was outdoors. There are lots of great photos of Bud Grant prowling the sidelines with snow flying all around. They built the Metrodome in 1982, my first year living there. So I never got to experience a game at the old Met in the snow. But I DID go see a game in Lambeau in December 1988, the Vikings vs the Packers. It was sunny but COLD! 11 degrees outside even in the sun is really tough. I saw Buffalo fans sitting outside a few weeks ago at zero degrees at night, NO SUN. I am just not that tough.

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Ed S.'s avatar

Bud Grant was a great coach, and as tough as his team. I still remember as a kid how Joe Kapp never threw a clean spiral but got the job done, even in arctic comditions.

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Bob M.'s avatar

My Mom would tie plastic bread bags (Williams bakery bags for those of you from the Eugene area) over our feet. If they wore a hole through we'd just put another bread bag over that. Mom was from the depression era who never threw anything away if it could be used, and sometimes not even then.

My wife and I recently moved back to the valley from The Dalles and the snow hysteria now seems a bit comical, as you alluded John. It was fun this fun this morning, but the best part was I knew that it would be gone tomorrow probably. The thing about living in a snow area is the fear that it won't go away for several months. Snow is beautiful for sure...as long as it's still white. After a few weeks though the county trucks with grit turns the snow on the road into a brown goo that stays forever.

I like the snow in the valley better...

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Al's avatar

Very enjoyable story John. I grew up in Klamath Falls. I remember 4 feet of snow in 1948, ice skating on Klamath Lake and at Moore Park. Driving to OTI at 5000 ft for college and never once do I remember winter shutting schools down. Walnut snow tires was all we had, I remember moving to Washington County in 1961 and being amazed when what seemed like very little snow shut shools and most everything else down. The added humidity from lower elevation I soon learned, makes things much different. Retired now in Central Oregon with winters much closer to what I grew up with, my tolerance for cold has diminished sig-ni-fi-cant-ly! 14 degrees and three inches of new snow we had thing morning didn't help. (It is gorgeous however) Arizona sounds better all the time.

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John Canzano's avatar

Four feet!!?!? Can’t imagine

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Jeanie Monterossi's avatar

You are at your finest writing Human interest John . ..although I love sports columns…grew up in Seattle (no snow) we moved to Kalispell Mt and on to Montana St PLENTY of snow in both places then on to Klamath Falls and just recently to PDX . My dad was a newspaper publisher and wrote a newspaper column every week for over 50 yrs on his old underwood —community issue, many many human interest stories and a million mentions of his beloved Cougars. Thank you for all the pleasure your columns give me John keep up the good work!

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Brian M's avatar

We thought about retiring in Bend. I have two brothers there and grew up skiing at Bachelor and Hoodoo. My wife checked out the winters and said, NO! So we ended up in Scottsdale. Not a bad choice.

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David Hopkins's avatar

Outstanding article John! Thanks for sharing. I grew up in Imbler in NE Oregon. Blizzards, wind, ice are normal. It was a small town and we played 8 man football with basketball and baseball.

Our normal road trips would be 100-150 miles one way. During early fall we could play football in 100+ weather and in the late fall in snow and ice. Played one game with a foot of snow in the ground. During basketball we would travel in a bus, leave at noon, get back at midnight on Friday, then get up and do it again on Saturday regardless of blizzards, snow or ice. During my school years there I think maybe we had 1-2 games actually cancelled.

Needless to say you learn real early how to drive in those kinds of condition's. Most folks in Portland are nuts driving in any snow or ice. There is no infrastructure here to clear the roads.

My favorite memories are my folks old home movies of my brother and me playing in the snow. One winter the whole side of our house was covered with snow. Those were actually great times and find memories!

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John Canzano's avatar

Thanks for this

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Doug's avatar

Some of my favorite memories as a kid were rounding up the guys on a snow day and playing tackle football in the snow

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John Canzano's avatar

Snow football!!

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Jack Glubrecht's avatar

That’s how real men play football!

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Steve Setera's avatar

When I moved the family from Atlanta to Traverse City we got two used snowmobiles and were able to snowmobile right out of the garage. Lots of fun cross country skiing as well.

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Dylan's avatar

As a Wazzu fan, the worst snow day ever for me was the 2018 Apple Cup in Pullman.

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509 Guy's avatar

Worst snow day indeed. At least we'll always have the 1992 Apple Cup.

"Bledsoe looking deep, he wants either Davis or Bobo...TOUCHDOWN WASHINGTON STATE!"

That was the best snow day of my life. Go Cougs!

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John Canzano's avatar

Love this

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Shad Nichols's avatar

Bledsoe unis and everything!! No way we should’ve lost that game

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John Canzano's avatar

Amen

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Ed's avatar

Agreed. I am still cold from that game and still mad how the Dawgs kicked Wazzu’s but. Go Cougs!

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