ThunderBlizzard!!!

I don't know if you have heard yet, but Chicago is in the midst of a blizzard right now - one of the worst storms in a long while. Cars are literally getting buried. It started last night and it's supposed to keep going strong until 3p - although after that, I  don't know how long it's going to take to get things cleared up. The University even shut down today - which I hear has like never happened. Too bad I don't have class today anyway, so I'm not really benefiting :-P

Anyway, we usually have an all-night shuttle service that runs around Hyde Park, but they had to stop it at 9p last night because of a few accidents. Luckily I caught it when it was still running at 6p! I guess there was a good number of people that got stranded on campus; we got an email late last night demanding that we "shelter in place" because it was too treacherous to even walk anywhere. I'm very happy I made it home.

It was freaking me out last night though, cuz I couldn't even see the apartment building outside my window on the next block - the snow was so thick, the street lights did nothing - but then suddenly huge fuckin lightning would go streaking across my window and then there would be cracks of thunder . . . all my friends have been calling this "snowpocalypse." I remember a Midwest friend of mine telling me that thunder snow is some of the craziest weather shit I'd see out here. And I believe him now! Garfield's sister said she's never seen a storm like this in real life.

So yeah, this is definitely intense. When I walked Juliano this morning, the snow had stopped for a minute and was just starting up again . . . by the time Juliano finished breakfast, it was crazy again.

And guess what? I almost froze my fingers off just to take some pictures for everyone! :) I should have gotten a picture of myself knee-deep in snow - literally. So with all this crazy wind, some spots aren't super deep, but then the snow is getting blown to and concentrated in other areas - the plowing and shoveling that's been happening has contributed - which has formed these crazy piles of snow, burying cars and making me sink half my legs just to walk through them.

After last night's walk. The snow had already started to melt, but a minute before he totally had a snow mask.

I walked out of my apartment, looked left, and this is what I saw. This is the up-to-my-knees snow.

Directly out the door of my building, looking a little to the right.

Right out in front of my building - see the buried car across the street?

This is my street, heading north, once you cross the main street (which has now been covered in snow again)

Walking Juliano, another street we passed.

Juliano getting covered in snow. He's been a rockstar, you'd never know he was from California.

Another street we passed during our 2-block morning walk.

Juliano trudging through one of the snow mounds.

Juliano, still pooping like a champ in the middle of the blizzard lol! Sorry, I thought it was funny - and it was the only time he was standing still long enough for me to get a good picture of his snow mask!

The view outside my window soon after our morning walk. See that slightly dark spot above the tree? that's the apartment building on the next block. Couldn't see it.

Looking down outside my window.

That car just behind the empty spot? Same buried car from earlier - except now even more buried. For some reason the mini behind it though has a kind of hollowed out vortex around it.