Izzy’s snow brings fun, frustration
CRANBERRY TWP — While Winter Storm Izzy’s wrath forced closures, cancellations and hours of additional work throughout Butler County, others turned the snow into fun.
At North Boundary Park in Cranberry Township, scores congregated on hills to ride sleds, throw snowballs and watch dogs play in the more than 9 inches of accumulated snow. On Monday afternoon, the park’s western parking lot was stuffed to the gills with sledders and others dispersed throughout the snow.
With Seneca Valley School District already having no school Monday due to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, students were among those enjoying the frigid yet picturesque day.
Ethan Snyder, a Seneca student who was sledding with friends, said he looked forward to the day’s snowy fun, saying there are some great hills at the park.
Ethan and a friend, Mark Biddi, said they had sledded on hills at North Boundary in the past, including last year. The winter storm’s sudden dropping of nearly a foot of snow, they said, created a more scenic sledding opportunity than was available last year.
“There was a gradual (accumulation) of snow last year, but nothing like this,” Mark said.
Last year’s sledding wasn’t necessarily not fun, but Ethan said there were days on which the snow had turned brown or icy due to the fluctuating weather giving snow a chance to melt, meld with dirt or mud, and freeze.
The hills on Monday, though?
“This is perfect sledding weather,” Ethan said.
While some took to the hills with friends, whole families too joined in the festivities. Lori and Aaron Parker, for instance, brought their children and two dogs to the snowy knoll.
The kids sledded down the hills while both dogs tried — even as one was momentarily distracted by the scent from a nearby garbage can — to tag along.
Lori Parker said the snow gave the family an opportunity for fun, adding it’s something in which the family typically participates.
Although many Cranberry residents hit up the peaks, snow had others around the county feeling down.
Vincent Moore of Butler said Monday morning his shoveling became particularly difficult as more snow piled on throughout Sunday and Monday.
“It’s that back-breaker stuff. It’s heavy,” he said. “It’s going to be good for snowballs and snowmen.”
Moore said he felt a bit dismayed at the idea the snow will likely stick around because of low temperatures expected over the next few days.
He said he hopes road conditions will at least improve to allow children to go back to school.
Although he's not a fan of winter weather, he'd rather it happen now than later in the season or during the spring.
"It's better it hits now than in April. We don't want a late winter," Moore said. "It's January in Western Pennsylvania, and we still have February and March to get through."
Eagle staff writer Nathan Bottiger contributed to this report.
