Nine Catastrophes Worse Than Snow: Introduction

Probably the biggest detraction from visiting the Finger Lakes in the winter (or deciding to reside here permanently) is snow.  Between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, our region receives a significant  amount of lake effect snow, which might seem intimidating but is really quite tolerable considering the extreme weather and natural events that are inflicted upon other areas of the United States.  

Probably considered a major disaster by someone living south of 
Pennsylvania, this wouldn't even make most CNYers late for work.

I can't say that I especially love snow, but I don't find it nearly as horrific as the media would like everyone to believe.  I know it's a disaster when it occurs in some parts of the country, but snow in central New York is no big deal.  Our plow guys know how to get it off the roads, our roofs are purposely built to handle the weight, and, because traffic doesn't stop completely at the first snowflake, we can pretty much go about our normal daily lives without too much inconvenience.

Besides having to brush off your car if you don't have a garage and the need for appropriate winter apparel (who doesn't love a good pea coat?), snow really isn't a big concern in the Finger Lakes.  We are given days to prepare if there happens to be a bigger storm coming our way.  Preparations pretty much consist of buying some canned soup and making sure you have a blanket and a book to read if your driveway isn't the first to get plowed out.  If you really like to be prepared, you might have a kerosene heater or a generator in case the power goes out.  I know the kerosene heater came in handy both times the power went out at my house due to inclement weather over the last 31 years.  In the end, as long as you have food, water, and a heat source, losing electricity probably won't kill you.  After all, having to spend a day or two at home isn't the end of the world. 

To help those who find snow to be a compelling reason to avoid the Finger Lakes, I will be spending the next nine days presenting my case for why Finger Lakes weather is significantly less threatening than what many other areas of the country consider normal. Always a fan of lists, here are my Top Nine Catastrophes Worse Than Snow.

~Sarah Jane