Photo of the Day: Times Square ‘Blizzard,’ January 2015

Last week’s blizzard, we were told, was the worst in five years. It got me wondering if I had any photos from around that time. The closest I came up with was the attached image, which I took in Times Square on January 26, 2015—a year away from the totals we were told about several days ago.

I have quotes in this headline for a reason: the “blizzard” didn’t turn out to be much of one at all. At the time, meteorologists issued dire warnings, but, after being downgraded to a “high impact winter storm,” all that fell in Central Park was 5.5 inches of snow. I took this photo in Times Square when it looked like it was going to be far worse.

This year, we have not had the same kind of drastic overestimates. In fact, in my area of northern New Jersey, it has been the exact opposite. I would say we ended up with 10 inches more than what the weather people were originally expecting 24 hours away. Similarly, for this past Sunday, instead of the three inches or so anticipated early on, we got more like seven inches.

In this winter of 2021, meteorologists have resembled dentists who assure you that a tooth of yours doesn’t look particularly good, but they think they can handle it. Then, as they get closer, their faces take on a doleful cast. It turns out to be worse than they expected or than you wanted. Sorry!

In a way, this photo makes me nostalgic. It has been 11 months since the pandemic induced my former company and other city employers into work-from-home mode. I have not ventured into midtown Manhattan—an area I had frequented for three decades—since then. The way things are going, I’m not sure at what point I will do so again. 

I can't say that I miss the possibility of slipping on the snow, but I feel a dull ache from no longer seeing the bright lights of Broadway.