I don’t know when they started naming winter storms, but I remember the first named winter storm that I knowingly experienced. The storm was fairly early for Rapid City, South Dakota, where we lived in 2016. It started snowing on Thursday and it kept snowing until Saturday. The schools closed on Friday as 40 mph winds drifted the snow to close roads. Two to three feet of snow fell in the area, with the northern hills getting up to four feet. Power lines fell, the electricity was cut for many. The heavy snow and winds caused a lot of trees to fall. We lost trees in our yard, but were lucky that none fell onto our house or shed. Others weren’t so lucky. Tree branches pierced roofs and walls. Some were stranded in their cars before being rescued.

I also remember the mountains of tree branches that piled up in the parking lot of Fitzgerald Stadium. I hauled two loads with my pickup and trailer and crews were very organized. They helped me unload and then used front end loaders to push the piles higher and higher as load after load of storm damaged trees were brought to the stadium. We salvaged the trunks of the trees we lost and later processed them into firewood. Others were bringing in whole trees to dispose.

The storm was dramatic enough that it seemed appropriate to name it. The named storms of which I have been aware since weren’t quite as dramatic as Atlas, but it looks like the current storm, named Diaz, might be one to watch. It has already produced a lot of snow in the rockies. The Sierra Nevada got slammed with snow over the weekend. There are reports of snowfall amounts as much as 5 feet in the Tahoe region and parts of Utah got over a foot of snow.

When we lived in South Dakota, we paid attention to the public schools for information about whether or not to cancel church activities. We had a heavy duty 4 wheel drive pickup and tire chains for all four wheels, so we usually could get around even when blizzard conditions persisted, but the members of our church, especially those who were older, could be endangered by going out in stormy weather, so we tried to be careful when making decisions about whether or not to postpone a meeting, choir rehearsal, or other activity. Of course, we couldn’t consult the schools about Sunday worship, and I hate to cancel worship, so our policy was to hold worship unless the Rapid City police were asking that people stay off of the city streets due to storm conditions. That got the decision off of my desk in a way.

All of this was pre-pandemic. We didn’t have an online worship presence. We didn’t have the capacity for Zoom meetings. Things are very different now.

Still, as the storm bears down on my friends in South Dakota, I checked the schools by habit. They are closed today. This storm appears to be a serious threat. A blizzard warning is out for most of western South Dakota. In the eastern end of the state an ice storm warning is out. Ice storms quickly render roads impassible. Storm warnings are out in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin and Iowa. Snow and high winds could continue through tomorrow and even last into Thursday.

Storm Diaz is projected to bring snow and ice to parts of the East towards the end of the week. Southern states face the possibility of severe thunderstorms, hail, flash floods, and tornadoes, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

Much of the effects of this particular storm missed us. We had a bit of rain over the weekend, and the Cascades got more snow, but our lives weren’t disrupted. The children in our local school haven’t had a snow day yet this year. And we, who have lived in places where there is a lot more snow, have a tendency to ignore school closings around here. For the most part they don’t present much of a challenge for us to get around. We have an all-wheel drive car and plenty of winter driving experience and are surprised when others cancel events and activities for what seems to us to be a skiff of snow and a few slippery roads. I don’t think this storm had a name when it blew over us, or if it did, I wasn’t aware of it until I noticed it in the news from our old home town.

Winter storms taught us to keep our pantry stocked. They reminded us to have emergency supplies on hand. We knew how to use the freezing temperatures outside to keep perishable food safe when we didn’t have electricity to run the refrigerator. Our deep freeze usually kept things cold for several days, especially if we had some already frozen supplies in there. We could heat our house with a wood stove if the electricity was out for days, and even then our house held its heat pretty well. We had lots of blankets and lots of flashlights and lanterns for nights without power. We never suffered.

I think we have let our guard down a bit now that we have moved to a place with gentler winters. I did check the batteries in our backup lanterns a while back when I used them as an illustration for a time with children in church. But that was last spring. Time travels quickly and I haven’t even opened the case with the lanterns since.

I trust my South Dakota friends are well prepared for the days of winter storm Diaz. There are always unpredictable circumstances, but we pray that they will stay warm and safe. They come from hardy stock and are resourceful folks.

Meanwhile, we don’t have to face any tough decisions about whether or not to postpone or cancel church programs here. We’ll be meeting as usual, which includes a number of meetings over Zoom and other conferencing platforms.

Be careful out there. Stay warm. Watch out for your neighbors and help when help is needed. Remember, we’re all in this together regardless of whether or not they give the storm a name.