The Blizzard of ‘26- Janyce’s story

It’s my first winter in Rhode Island. I lived in France, near a ski station. I know the snow. I grew up with snow and that doesn’t scare me. On the contrary, I have always loved winter. When I came here, near the ocean, I couldn’t imagine so much snow! I knew the temperature here was cooler compared to my country but the sensation isn’t the same (wet and dry don’t give the same sensation). Even if temperatures drop lower here, it doesn't feel as uncomfortable.

So, Sunday arrived, and I'm celebrating my birthday with some friends. And then ... our phones suddenly start making some noises, an alert loud enough to wake up every squirrel in the neighborhood! "Warning: Blizzard Approaching." What to do? I've never experienced anything like this! I need to quickly run to get some food at the grocery store. After, I relax on my couch and wait for the snow.

I was so surprised in the morning when so much snow arrived but the landscape was so amazing! I wanted to jump into the snow but, unfortunately, I’m not a kid and I don’t have good clothes for that! But, it was my birthday! I have always had snow for my birthday, like a tradition. And the tradition continued even here (I think the snow followed me!). I’m glad to have seen a beautiful blizzard like that, especially for my first winter. I’m lucky because my neighbor and my husband helped me clear the snow in our way, and we didn’t have any power outages. I only experienced the good sides of the storm. I just watched my husband clean snow from my window, nice and warm.

I was also surprised by the huge quantity of salt which was used on the road. In my region, the source of water, mountains and nature are so important, so we take care of the planet and the water that we drink (also to take care of the wild animals, who can poison themselves with salt). For that, we don’t use a lot of salt on the road. French people have almost no 4x4s but but buy good tires (snow tires) and if you don’t have good tires, the policeman gives you a fine. I knew how to drive in the snow (Okay, though not with as much snow as the size of the car!) I remember, once, one friend lived on the top of the mountains, and we couldn't go there by car because the road was too slippery. Without hesitation, we climbed the mountain in reverse and had no problems.

And to finish with a little joke my husband often tells me, I think the ocean is salty because it’s all the salt on the road in the USA.

In summary, the blizzard 2026 was very fun and beautiful. I’m ready for the next one 🙂.

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Janyce - France