Middle'buried' under Valentine blizzard

Author: Kelly Janis

The whir of snow plows. The scrape of shovels. The exasperated sighs of snowbound homeowners, suffocated by a whirlwind of white fluff.

As Middlebury College students basked snugly in the reprieve of a snow day, the Northeast pulled out all the stops to wrench itself out from under what has begun to be called the Valentine's Day Blizzard of 2007. The epically proportioned storm, which drew its moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and arrived in two explosive waves, one from North Carolina and the other from the Ohio Valley - delayed flights, propelled scattered power outages, spurred jackknifing tractor trailers and cancelled schools for as many as three consecutive days.

The blizzard set a new 24-hour snow fall record in Burlington - shattering by 2.3 inches a record which had been in place since 1934 - and at 25.7 inches, ranked as the city's second largest snow fall since record-keeping began in 1883.

According to snow fall totals offered by the National Weather Service, Central Vermont was among the regions hit hardest by the storm. Both Montpelier and Waterbury Center reported receiving 30 inches of snow.

The National Weather Service in Burlington released a special weather statement advising that there was an increased risk of avalanches in the back country of the Green Mountains in Vermont and the Adirondacks in Northern New York.

"Outdoor enthusiasts heading into the Back Country through the holiday weekend need to be aware of the avalanche danger and the risks involved," the statement read. "Steep, open slopes will have the highest avalanche risk Ö The conditions creating the avalanche potential will continue into early next week. If you go into the Adirondacks or Green Mountains to snowshoe, ski, or ice climb, be aware of the avalanche danger and take appropriate precautions."

The powerful weather caused numerous problems for the town's dwellers. A dispatcher at the Middlebury Police Department said that the most serious complication posed to local residents by the storm came in the form of carbon monoxide poisoning. Drifting snow amassed on heating vents and prompted the build-up of the poisonous gas inside of homes, causing several individuals to grow ill. This was the case in other locales as well. The Burlington Free Press reported that twelve people were treated for minor cases of carbon monoxide related illnesses at Fletcher Allen Health Care on Thursday.

The same newspaper did not have any more heartening news to offer with regard to the fortunes of the area's farming population. Ten dairy barns across the state were reported to have collapsed beneath the storm's might. A collapse at the Goodrich Farm in Salisbury resulted in the death of more than 40 cows, a loss which will cost the family $300,000 to $400,000 in damages, alongside lost revenue from milk production.

Despite the seriousness of such events, the blizzard managed to haul in tow its share of benefits for industries ailing in the wake of a previously mild winter. Sugarbush Resort, a popular Warren, Vt. ski destination, delighted in the coveted four feet of snow that slammed its mountaintops.

"It's insane. It's unbelievable," said employee Kelly Stadman. "Today was like a very busy Saturday, and it's a Friday. People are still coming out, people are still very happy. The storm has done nothing but good things for us."

The ski conditions at Stowe Mountain were similarly enhanced. "Stowe was already 100 percent open before this new snow arrived, and conditions for the upcoming holiday week will be the best in the East, and perhaps the best in the country (yup, we said it,)" the resort's website boasted. "Mother Nature has given us the best Valentine's Day present we could have hoped for."

Not every industry fared as well. A number of local restaurants took unfortunate hits in the wake of the storm.

"Wednesday was not a good day. I had one customer. They came in to pick up an order, a lunch special, and that was it all day," said Davey Mei, owner of May Garden Chinese restaurant. "Thursday, I was open in the nighttime. I originally said 'no business!' but I opened anyway, and we had a few customers." A relative newcomer to Middlebury, Mei was impressed by the magnitude of the storm. "Last year, it didn't snow like this," he said.

An employee of Tully & Marie's said that the restaurant remained open throughout the storm, but that business was slow and parking was an issue. Most of the customers who spilled through the doors of the establishment had braved the windy abyss to arrive there on foot.

While the storm kept the typical hoards of Valentine's Day diners at bay, the matter did not universally translate into financial loss. On the contrary, the Middlebury Inn and Restaurant prospered. "The storm actually had a positive economic effect on the Inn," said employee Calvin Hobbs. "About 60 or 70 people, doctors, nurses, people who couldn't get home from work, came in off the street and stayed overnight."

The intervention of such doctors and nurses proved necessary as individuals succumbed to the storm's fatal blows. According to the Rutland Herald, three patients died of heart attacks and 10 more were treated for cardiac problems at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center on Thursday as a consequence of shoveling snow.

As the towering snow banks recede, the storm is certain to linger in the memories of local residents. At last, the Vermont winter is beginning to display its characteristically full fury.