March 17, 2026
When 40 to 65 cm of Snow Brought the City to a Stop
Yesterday felt like something I’ve never seen before in this city, at least not in my lifetime. For the first time that I can remember, the city was basically shut down. Most stores were closed, the roads were a mess, and everything just seemed to stop. It didn’t feel like a normal snow day. It felt like the city couldn’t keep up with what hit us.
We got between 40 and 65 cm of snow across the city and the surrounding area, and it showed everywhere you looked. Only the main streets were plowed, and even those weren’t great. The moment you turned onto a side street, it was a completely different situation. Many of them weren’t plowed at all. The snow was so deep that people couldn’t get out of their driveways, and some couldn’t even open their doors without shoveling first.
Cars were getting stuck everywhere. A lot of people had no choice but to leave their vehicles right where they got stuck. Now there are abandoned vehicles on many streets across the city, sitting half buried in the snow.
Emergency vehicles were even getting stuck, which is something you almost never hear about. Tow trucks weren’t taking private calls for the first part of the day because they were busy dealing with emergency vehicles that needed help. That alone shows how bad things were.
Because the side streets weren’t cleared, tow trucks and plow trucks that do private driveways weren’t going down them either. They said they’d get stuck too, and honestly that makes sense. If the city plows can’t get through, no one else can either.
Now this is day two and some people are still stuck in their homes. They still can’t get to work. Some can’t get their cars out. Deliveries are behind, workplaces are short staffed, and the city still looks like it hasn’t caught up yet.
We get winter storms every year, but this one felt different. When stores are closed, emergency vehicles are getting stuck, people can’t leave their homes, and streets are filled with abandoned cars, that’s more than just a snowstorm. It’s the closest thing to a full shutdown of the city that I’ve ever seen.
Hopefully things get cleared soon, but this is one storm people are going to remember for a long time. I know I will, because I’ve never seen this city come to a stop like it did.
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