Winter's wrath arrived with a power outage during high winds on December 4, 2024. While some people likely bemoaned the darkness, others embraced the tranquility as snow swirled outside. A subset of homeowners powered through with backup generators creating islands of bright lights and a rumble among the darkness.
The utility company communicated that "tree contact" was the unsurprising cause. To be kept abreast of an outage status, including the expected time of power recovery, customers can opt to receive free alerts from I&M Power. The notifications include a link to a power outage map that gives a sense of how widespread the impact is, as reported by customers. I&M offers other power outage tips.
Despite the loss of power, a handful of neighbors walked the streets in the initial hour. While it may have seemed dark to indoor residents looking out their windows, the regional light pollution actually kept KPVillas bright without the negative impact of typical glare. Brilliant Jupiter was briefly visible among the stars to the east until a cloud front cut off the celestial highlights.
Several of the garbage bins that had been place curbside for the next day's pickup were on their sides, and most of the remaining lids had been blown open, yielding a small scattering of debris. When a sudden rush of wind drove icy snow in a sustained assault, the streets cleared of pedestrians and a dog owner at a doorway exhorted his pet to return inside.
Typically in the winter the gates at the front entrance remain open. With the loss of electricity, regardless of the season, the gates become inoperable. Persons arriving or departing are admittedly in a bind, for forcing the gates will only cause expensive damage. If you encounter this situation, please contact a Board member (phone numbers are listed in the password-protected directory under Resources). Your patience is appreciated.
A notification sent by I&M Power suggested power would be restored at 10:30 PM. Within a minute of the predicted fix, lights popped back on, digital devices beeped, and furnaces fired back up. Thanks go to the I&M Power crew who worked through the discomfort to restore power.
While meteorological winter began with the first day of December, astronomical winter begins with the December solstice on Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 4:19 AM. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) distinguishes the similar seasons:
"The astronomical seasons are based on the position of Earth in relation to the sun, whereas the meteorological seasons are based on the annual temperature cycle."
Either way you look at it, winter has announced its arrival. On the upside, beginning around the December solstice the days start getting longer.
