Spring Has Sprung (Well, Sort Of)

2021’s month of February has been a roller coaster, to put it very lightly. Cooler temperatures (a given since southern winter doesn’t start in earnest until well into January) gave way to the biggest snow storm we’ve seen in decades. If your phone number starts with a 479, 501, or 870, you need no further explanation, but for anyone reading outside state lines, I’ll make it brief: Arkansas had more total snowfall this month than any on record. Since 1874. To clarify, in 147 years of tracking monthly snowfall, our February holds the title position. 

In addition to the snowfall, Arkansas set a new record low temperature on Tuesday, February 16, at -1℉. Needless to say, this kind of weather doesn’t come around often and it certainly never stays long enough to create a power shortage. The south is known for a lot of wonderful things, but winter weather response and preparedness is not one of them. To be fair, this should be expected since we get far less snow than say, tornadoes, for which we have numerous systems, shelters, and procedures in place. But with sporadic, accumulating snowfall and subzero temperatures, the blizzard-like conditions quickly resulted in frozen pipes and overworked heating systems. Arkansans all over the state were experiencing down electricity, iced-over wells, and obviously, driving conditions that were bottom of the barrel, at best.

One thing people in Arkansas tend to do quite well, however, is find all of the ways to have a good time, with no regard for the forecast. With “stay put” as the order of the week, you didn’t have to look far to see a track from some homemade sled, a clumsy yet charming snowman, or someone’s boots on their front porch, still caked with snow. Between the sharing of family recipes long-forgotten and the pictures of finished desserts that were equally decadent and rustic, social media became, both metaphorically and literally, sweeter. Turns out, when you must be still, boredom cracks open the door for creativity, and very quickly, you’ll find yourself making memories that last a lifetime. Some of the most sacred traditions were born out of the most inconvenient conditions.

This week, it seems that spring has sprung and we have lots of amazing things on the horizon at Heritage! We’ll share more in the coming weeks, but in the meantime we hope you are soaking up the sunshine. This week, take a little time and go for a walk, a hike, a ride, find a place to eat dinner outside, break out the grill, or play a game. Whatever you do, just be sure to make it memorable. That’s Heritage living.