While some of us mussed the last snowfall in the area, the folks in Valpo and Chesterton and other areas east of Gary got plastered with as much as 18 inches of the white stuff.

It snarled roads and closed schools and made life miserable for all the people living in the area. It also is a surprise for those going east on the toll road (other wise known as the highway robbery raod now that it’s privatized) and I-94. One second you are in sunshine and the next second you are in a blizzard.

I remember going through one of those a number of years ago. It was surreal. I was glad I got out of there when I did. These days, I try and stay out of Porter and the surrounding area during the winter. I’m not a great driver as it is. Going through snow like that is such a hassle.

Of course, once in a while we get a wind switch directly from the north and end up with the snow. Hammond got on of those January 20. I kept looking out the window and yelled STOP ALREADY! It finally did about 2pm that afternoon. I ended up shoveling 10 more inches of snow. We now have about 18 inches on the ground.

This weekend the weather will warm up to near 50 degrees. Now we will have to deal with flooding. No good thing goes unpunished. I’ll ne watching the basement and planning for seepage. I hope the sump pump works!