To Blizzard or Not to Blizzard?

I have had wonderful English and Speech teachers over the years who were adamant that one never begin a paper or speech with the following, but bare with me as it has a purpose.

A blizzard is defined as:
a. a storm with dry, driving snow, strong winds, and intense cold.
b. a heavy and prolonged snowstorm covering a wide area.
To quote dictionary.com.

I ask you then, when is this blizzard coming to the midwest? We have been under a blizzard warning for the past 24 hours. Apparently the definition of the word blizzard no longer applies. A good friend of mine stated, "I wonder if the meaning of the word blizzard was changed to mean 'a softly falling snow.'"

Seriously, there is nothing liking scaring people into hunkering down for 24 hours of pure winter hell. I happened to go to the grocery store yesterday, as I have lately been venturing out on Mondays because Jeremy is home with the kids. I kid you not, people were filling their carts with canned goods. Soups, chilis, canned vegetables, as if they were going to be snowed in for days. There is nothing at all like worrying people into a frenzy of winter supply shopping only to have them wake up to a couple inches of soft pretty snow and minimal winds. When did the definition of blizzard change? And if this is a blizzard, what does a real snow storm look like?

I have never really been one to be totally bothered by winter weather, but I ask God, haven't we had enough? Its only mid-January and we have had a ton of snow, and bitterly cold temps. This week is supposed to be the coldest week since 1996, and I remember that winter. I remember school being cancelled that year, not due to snow, but due to the bitterly cold temps and wind chills. It was so cold that they were worried about kids standing at bus stops for too long, or trudging to school only to show up with frost bite. Especially since the kids that went to my high school tended not to have the money to dress appropriately for winter. I am officially done with winter this year? Anyone else?


What I envision as a "blizzard."