Winter weather is not over yet

I wasn't really waiting to hear what Phil had to say. By early this week -- just about the time it was warm enough to play outside without a jacket -- I was buying snow boots on clearance.

You can count me among the people predicting an epic late-February or March blizzard. No, I'm not an expert on weather patterns or even a faithful weather-watcher: I'm just going by the simple logic that we've had it too easy all winter, so we're bound to end winter/start spring with a bang. It's just inevitable, right?

So yes, on the same day that I ran into Target to pick up some sunglasses to replace the ones my son lost, I consciously swung by the boots and did manage to pick out a great pair on clearance.

Last winter, though we did have some snow from time to time, my son was pretty young and I didn't invest in snow pants or boots. As spring approached and things started going on sale, I picked out a nice winter coat and a pair of snow pants one size too big for about $3 total at the consignment store we frequent. For winter 2011, I was going to be prepared.

Though we did get snow on Halloween, we were visiting our hometown to celebrate my son's birthday and so totally missed our chance to play in the white stuff. And, to date, there hasn't been enough on the ground again yet at our house to constitute sledding, snow angels or snowmen.

I'm betting, however, that we haven't missed our chance for this winter yet. So I bought the boots.

I'm even kind of hoping for a big snowstorm.

Sure, I don't wish for anyone to suffer power outages or car accidents as a result, but a nice snow day would do us all a bit of good.

As an adult, snow mostly has meant white knuckles and sweaty palms and fears about driving on treacherous roads. But now, with a kid old enough that he'd be fascinated to get to trudge through a blanket of it, it's easier to remember what getting snow used to mean as a child.

Snow days meant sleeping in, getting to spend the day at home and getting to roam the neighborhood for as long as our fingers and toes could handle it. Snowdrifts were potential tunnels -- that I could never quite manage to dig without a collapse. The climb up the big hills was always well worth it for the quick flight back down, and a get-together that ended in runny noses, hot cocoa and popcorn was pure joy.

As my son grows up before my eyes, I'm even starting to remember that rotten-leaf smell our snow boots got from tramping through icy mud and being wet all day and the wonder that came with catching a handful of snowflakes and examining them up close before they melted away on my glove.

Having never been a skier, I can safely say it's been a very long time since I got out in the snow for reasons other than to shovel it out of my way to drive to work.

So, if we get a blizzard, like I predict, I'm looking forward to making it a fun one at my house.
• Contact Jessica Wiant at jwiant@nvdaily.com