The forecast for our local airport (Boston suburbs) is a high of 4 degrees F on Saturday with a low of -12.
Tomorrow will be toasty warm by comparison with a high of 29. Time to celebrate? I just got this email from the airport operations folks:
Tomorrow, Thursday 1/4, we are expecting 10-15” of snow with blizzard conditions, followed by high winds gusting over 50mph and frigid wind chills down to -25F through Saturday 1/6.
To better assist you, we ask you to advise us of any planned flight operations on Thursday 1/4 or Friday 1/5.
(The airport almost never officially closes, but sometimes a runway will be closed for snow-plowing and also sometimes runways are in marginal condition, e.g., covered with an inch or two of snow.)
From the school on Monday:
As you know we are experiencing extreme cold temperatures with dangerous wind chills. This is a reminder to ensure that your children are properly dressed for the conditions as they prepare to return to school tomorrow. … Our principals, including the preschool coordinator, will be working with faculty to ensure the safety of children throughout the day. As always, you should make the decisions that are best for your family regarding transportation to school and school attendance under severe weather conditions. [emphasis added]
(As it happened, the school building, slated for a $100 million identically sized replacement, was so thoroughly heated that students and teachers ended up opening windows to obtain a comfortable T-shirt temperature in the classroom.)
I’m convinced that people live in New England because they like cold weather and high taxes.
Anon: https://taxfoundation.org/state/new-hampshire/ says that New Hampshire is one of the most efficient states, collecting 7.9 percent of residents’ income. Warm https://taxfoundation.org/state/georgia is at 9.1 percent. https://taxfoundation.org/state/north-carolina at 9.8 percent (https://taxfoundation.org/state/massachusetts is at 10.3 and https://taxfoundation.org/state/new-york at 12.7 percent(!)).
$100M — $0.1B — for a school building? How many thousands of students attend this school?
Steve: about 600 students. See http://philip.greenspun.com/blog/2017/11/17/why-wouldnt-a-massachusetts-town-set-up-a-school-for-gifted-and-talented-students/ for how this works out an amount-per-student that is equal to the endowments of some of America’s most prestigious colleges and universities.
Ah, but it builds character. To quote Sam Houston when as governor of Texas he refused to support the Confederacy:
Let me tell you what is coming. After the sacrifice of countless millions of treasure and hundreds of thousands of lives, you may win Southern independence if God be not against you, but I doubt it. I tell you that, while I believe with you in the doctrine of states rights, the North is determined to preserve this Union. They are not a fiery, impulsive people as you are, for they live in colder climates. But when they begin to move in a given direction, they move with the steady momentum and perseverance of a mighty avalanche; and what I fear is, they will overwhelm the South.