2.19.2008

Pittsburgh Winters

Pittsburgh winters are not pretty. From a photographic perspective it is only gray skies and sunrises to grayer sunsets. All the famous winter time photos of a maple tree standing isolated in a field with the sun beaming through the background were not taken in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh winter mornings are not without their glory. Waking up to clean white blankets of snow do bring about a silence and a heartbeat of my youth. Waiting to see if the day will even get a chance to start; covered rooftops, lined tree branches and warmth from inside your home. This all brings about grandeur for the season.

The reality of Pittsburgh winter is this: extra long lines of traffic, slushy charcoal colored streets, wet shoes and that ever-vexing “I can’t remember where I put my gloves” feeling of desperation. Mix that in with the person driving in front of you that does not have the ability to drive in the snow. A sentiment that all Pittsburghers can agree on is this; the person in front of you cannot drive in the snow. It begs the question of what the person behind you is thinking about on the roadway, but we all collectively agree not to think about that person.