Posted on 01/11/2007 12:57:08 PM PST by loreldan
Slick streets. Missed work. School snow days. Endless shoveling.
Yet another storm in the forecast, followed by extreme cold. A long-term prognosis for wetter-than-usual weather through the winter.
This week’s sunny days were a brief reprieve, but the warm-up won’t last long enough to melt the remnants of the past two storms.
Does all this white make you feel blue?
If so, you’re not alone, according to area therapists.
“People get squirrely when they can’t go anywhere,” said Randee Anderson, a marriage and family therapist.
“It puts some people in survival mode, which scares
a lot of people. A lot of the ‘what ifs’ come up.”
“Life is harder,” said psychologist Alice Brill. “You have to wear more clothes, scrape the car, drive carefully.”
Along with the post-holiday letdown, vexing New Year’s resolutions and short winter days, we have to deal with snow that doesn’t melt the next day, like it’s tended to do in recent years.
People like predictability, and right now they’re not getting it, Brill said.
“The weather is so extreme. We feel out of control. It reminds me of the hurricane season in the South,” she said.
“When people get upset they tend to disconnect and isolate. Whatever your Achilles’ heel is, you do. Like drink too much.”
Her advice: Embrace what might be the new winter norm.
“Say, ‘This is the way it is. How best can I deal with it?’ If you fight it, you are going to be unhappy,” Brill said.
Of course, the recent wintry weather is mostly good news to people who like snow sports.
Join them, Brill said: “Get out your snowshoes.”
Step outside, said Michael Allen, Pikes Peak Behavioral Health Group clinical operations director.
It is important to get sun rays, he said. Open the curtains. Let the light in.
Also, stay busy.
“Don’t hang out on the couch,” Allen said.
Do something different, social worker Tim Landis suggests.
Build a snowman. Make a snow angel with the kids.
“Anything,” Landis said, “to break the monotony.”
Confinement generates conflicts among family members, he said, adding, “Give each other more privacy and space.”
He echoed Brill’s advice, that people need to change their outlook on snow house arrest.
“Look at it as an adventure or challenge,” Landis said. “See it as fun, rather than a bore or something you have to endure.”
After all, forecasters say there’s no end in sight.
“There’s a chance for abovenormal precipitation from January to April,” said Jim Hall of the National Weather Service in Pueblo.
He also thinks the drought of recent years has made people forget what normal is.
“Remember, we’ve been dry for a few years,” he said. “These storms have done wonders for our snowfall.”
The trick is to make it do wonders for our psyches.
CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0253 or
andrea.brown@gazette.com
WHAT’S AHEAD
A winter storm will begin creeping into Colorado, bringing much colder temperatures and a chance of snow or freezing rain to the Pikes Peak region tonight, the National Weather Service said. Snowfall could get heavier through the weekend and the high Friday will plunge into the low 20s. The wintry conditions are expected to stick around at least through Monday.
We're looking at rain again tonight here in Michigan.
I wish these people would make up their freakin' minds!!! Is GW a BAD thing or is it a GOOD thing??? Do we WANT snow days, or do people actually LIKE pleasant, comfortable weather!!??
I'm SO confused!!!!
For some reason I always thought you were in Colorado! I guess because of 'Cripple Creek'.
"This morning I shot six holes in my freezer.
I think I got cabin fever.
Somebody sound the alarm!
Boat drinks!
Waitress I need two more boat drinks!
Then I'm headin' south for my dream train.
I gotta go where it's warm!
I gotta go where there ain't any snow
where there ain't any mo'
Cause my fin sinks so low!
I gotta go where it's WARM!" - Jimmy Buffett
Couldn't happen to a bigger batch of hand wringing, bed wetting libs. Why are they asking a social worker what to do? ..."The rich have excellent heat and fine brandy, while the poor, as usual, don't have a pot to pi$$ in"!
Beautiful picture! We should all put on the attitude of those kids!
Any day is a good day if you can get out of bed on your own, go to the window, look out at this wonderful world, and thank God for everything!
At least birds are smart enough to migrate.
It's 23 F in Denver right now and cloudy.
It think the guy who mentioned that people forgot what normal looks like is onto something. While it's never been normal to get huge snowfalls week after week, we've been having pretty mild winters and drought conditions for some time.
People just need to realize that this is winter, winter is cold, and that's the way it is out here. You want to always wear shorts in January? Move to Miami.
What does he know? Really, What does he know?
(Why doesn't he keep it secret like he did his classes when he was the college professor?)
Does anyone know if the OPPOSITE effect has been studied?
Grey, dreary days invigorate me. I love winter and cloudy, overcast, so-called 'depressing' weather.
Don't GET much of it here in the deep South, but when we do I feel great. The sun appearing to break up the clouds ruins a great day for me.
My grandmother, from the High Pyrenees of France, was the same way. I get my limit of sun by March. Endless summer sun and heat make me depressed.
What is it then? Negative ions? Why is it that the weather most people see as negative makes me feel great?
that is why I live in California.
we have rain expected either today or tomorrow.
I like the bright sunny days but I love stormy weather. The nastier it is the better I like it.
Hey, if you don't want it send it to the Northeast.
Nada... yet he's pulled down some serious buck$ ala P.T.Barnum.
This is the most snow I've ever seen except for in the mountains, of course, but this much at one time is unusual for the Plains section of Colorado.
Doesn't sound like were going to have much temperature the next few days.
I wish snow was BLACK!
Love the snow! Hated living in it day in day out though without a garage when I was younger.
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