We’ve had nine decent snowfalls over the past eight winters in Cincinnati. I know because I’m the contact for our street’s snow removal service; we live on what’s officially a private lane, so the city doesn’t plow it. A landscaping company clears our street once 2 inches of snow accumulate. I went back and counted how often I’ve paid them since 2016.
To me, winter without lots of snow is pretty dreary—especially in January and February. Too many slush puddles and gray skies. And I worry about the snow removal industry. Will those folks join the long list of obsolete jobs like telephone operators and one-hour photo developers? My grandpa used to drive a snowplow here in Cincinnati! Ha ha, can you believe people actually did that for a living?
OK, an eight-year stretch with meager amounts of snow isn’t the end of the world. It’s not like Cincinnati is starting to resemble Arizona or anything. It just means we have to be more resourceful in finding ways to get our cold weather kicks—which we’ve done in this month’s “How to Love Winter” section.
The perfect (pun intended) example of our collective resourcefulness can be found on a large hill outside of Lawrenceburg, where the Perfect family battles the elements to host skiing and snow tubing 30 minutes from downtown Cincinnati. I almost said they “tilt against windmills in a quixotic chase,” but the reality is Perfect North is actually a functioning ski resort most of the winter. Learn how it makes its own snow on page 46.
We also highlight events, stage shows, food and drink options, outdoor adventures, and tailgating gear you can enjoy only in the winter. And we have a guide to igloo dining and bust some frostbite myths.
I know plenty of you hate snow because of the chaos it inflicts on our daily routines. My take: That’s actually a feature, not a bug. And some will say I’m tempting Mother Nature to unleash one of the worst winter weather seasons in history. Jinx! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
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