Generational Arctic Blast

So, overnight last Friday into Saturday, the temperature in East Sandwich dipped to -4 degrees. The high temperature on Saturday was 16 degrees. On Saturday night into Sunday, the temperature went down to -9. These were actual temperatures, not wind chill figures. As for those, it felt like -31 degrees due to wind gusts of 40-50 mph. I'm not really sure of the wind chill -- can't remember exactly, and there's no record I can find at this point. I'll say this, however. IT WAS COLD!!

Our pipes managed to stay intact. TSO says that's because they are made of some kind of plastic and are wrapped with some kind of electric blanket. On Sunday, our washing machine didn't work, and we couldn't figure out why. Perhaps its pipe somehow broke? Nope. A plumber came on Monday to tell us that, coincidentally, a pump had broken. He fixed it and went on his merry way. 

I'm curious about the phrase generational arctic blast. There are so many crazy terms and phrases nowadays. Bomb cyclone. Polar vortex. Tornadic activity. I swear these weathermen make this stuff up just to keep things interesting. I remember back in, I think, September 2004. There was a big flood when the Delaware River overflowed. It started in the Catskills. They called it a 100-year flood. The trouble was that another super flood happened about 2 years later. Instead of a 102-year flood, they called that a 500-year flood. Seriously?  

It seems that winter here consists of a few sunny days followed by a few cloudy days and rain. A few sunny days followed by a few cloudy days and rain. It is windy 6 out of 7 days a week. 

On Friday of this week, there is a possibility that the temperature may reach 54 degrees. If the sun is out, and the wind is minimal, I'm plopping my arse in the detrital beach chair and soaking up the rays. I can't wait!!