Major storm blankets Sisters Country

Not enough, not enough... too much.

Old Man Winter must have been feeling guilty about the dearth of snow in Sisters Country through December and January, for winter descended with a vengeance last week, with more than two feet of the white stuff falling over three days.

The heavy snow started on Friday and it continued with almost no letup all day and all night and through most of Saturday. The continuous heavy snowfall outstripped the ability of local and state agencies to keep up with plowing. Much of Indian Ford Road was unplowed through Saturday, and city crews worked in shifts around the clock to try to clear city streets.

As of 7 a.m. Saturday morning, the city was issuing an appeal for citizens to "please stay home!" That wasn't a problem for most folks, who were having a hard time getting out of their own property.

Sisters was a veritable ghost town all day Saturday, with many businesses either closing early or not opening at all. However, Javier Luna of Rancho Viejo reported a brisk dinner trade - perhaps of folks who were sick of being snowed in.

For some folks, the big white dump was just an opportunity to indulge in some winter recreation without leaving home. Cross-country skiers swooshed around Crossroads as the young and daring skied and snowboarded on streets and down mounds of snow.

Some folks broke out the snowshoes just to navigate around the property and begin shoveling out.

By Sunday, the sun was breaking through and turning Sisters dazzling, with bright sun reflecting off snow and massive icicles that adorned buildings across downtown.

Private contractors and volunteers were out pushing snow out of parking areas - creating six-, seven-, eight-foot tall snow mounds that may be with us for weeks.

On Monday, there was still so much snow removal to be done that the Sisters School District cancelled classes for the day - turning kids loose to wallow in the leavings of the biggest snowstorm Sisters has seen so far this century.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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