We had about 18 inches of snow over about 36 hours with winds gusting to near hurricane force.  Snow drifts several feet tall blocked most roads and completely overwhelmed regular snow plowing resources. Many side roads went days before being cleared because the main roads were so bad. It was a brutal storm but we have experienced those before. Then came more snow, some rain, a freeze, the ice, then more snow and so it went for the rest of January, February, and well into March. Snow remained on the ground on Cape Cod for more than 8 straight weeks with continuous cold that did not allow for much melting. A winter to remember for sure.

     We had planned a winter vacation and as the date to leave approached we carefully watched the weather forecasts. Our plan was to leave the Cape on February 15 and drive to Florida for the first phase of the vacation. As Valentines Day (February 14) approached, yet another blizzard was predicted. We quickly rearranged our schedule and at 05:00 hours on Feb 14th we left the Cape and temperatures registering at - 5 degrees. We drove without any delays the first day arriving at our planned first night destination just outside of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Just 15 minutes after arriving, it began to SNOW AGAIN! They did not have any snow on the ground prior to that day but by the following morning there were several inches on the ground and a bitter cold set in.

     After a two night visit in PA we headed south, without having paid much attention to the weather forecast. We had a few photo plans along the way, including some fire boats in the Washington DC area of Maryland and Virginia. A stop for lunch, with a TV and weather channel on led to a sudden awareness that we were going to be driving through another snow storm as we went through Virginia. It was a crazy drive with dozens of cars and trucks off the road on snowy I-95 in VA. Fortunately we made it safely to a night stop in rainy Fayetteville, North Carolina.

     The next morning, as we pulled open the shades, we discovered we had not driven far enough south!  The cold air from the north was chasing us south and everything in Fayetteville and beyond was coated in about 1/2 inch of ice, including the car.

     Our journey south was safe and despite the fact that it didn't reach 50 degrees until Jacksonville Florida and on our first morning in FL it was 37 degrees, it eventually did indeed warm up!

     We visited family and of course sought out some fire apparatus, fire boats, and other things to photograph. Part of the plan included a flight out of Ft Lauderdale to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for a week, followed by a return to Florida to see some Spring Training games, visit more friends, and of course find some more apparatus and fireboats to photograph. Punta Cana was amazing and just what we were looking for having escaped the continuous series of snow storms back home.

     Our departure from Florida and gradual return home was inevitable, and as expected we soon reencountered the colder air and put the shorts and T-shirts away in favor of winter clothing. Almost on cue, as we approached Cape Cod yet another snow squall began and visibility going over the Bourse Bridge was down to a few car lengths.... we came back too early!

     So here are some of the photos from our month long getaway in the Winter of 2015.  Enjoy!

Page 1 = The Winter We Left Behind
Page 2 = A Structure Fire in Delaware County, PA
Page 3 = MD-VA-NC including a couple fireboats
Page 4 = Daytona to Canaveral FL
Page 5 = Jupiter/Palm Beach FL area FDs
Page 6 = Broward County, Miami, Miami-Dade, including Fireboat
Page 7 = Trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Page 8 = Punta Cana Fire Apparatus
Page 9 = Spring Training Baseball in FL
Page 10 = South West FL Naples area Fire Depts
Page 11 = Tampa Fire Dept and Fireboat
Page 12 = Jacksonville Fireboats
Page 13 = Travel home up the east coast