Winter weather weakens weary wanderer

This winter has been a good one ... so far.

Every year seems to be the same -- we get through summer and have a pleasant fall, only to seemingly plunge deep into an inhospitable arctic wasteland once the holidays are finally over.

This year, however, we've been a little spoiled -- and I love it.

In theory, snow is nice; it's pretty, it decorates the landscape without myself having to lift a finger and it gives us a once or twice-a-year excuse to not go see our in-laws or other "loved ones" because there may be a tenth of an inch of snow falling.

However, there are some real drawbacks that I'd like to share with all of you would-be snow lovers out there -- some drawbacks that may make one wonder, "Why did I ever like it in the first place?"

From broken utility poles and power lines to a few fender-benders and power outages, winter is not without its flaws.

Personally, my least favorite parts include the canceling of plans, leaving three hours early for events, stocking up at the store (only to see little snowfall) and shoveling my apparently never-ending sidewalk -- but there is some startling, concrete evidence taking shape that may be a little more unsettling.

From December of 2013 through March of 2014, Indiana's Department of Transportation (INDOT) spent more than 50 million tax-dollars in snow-removal efforts, compared to a previous five-year average of $34 million.

During the same period, salt use roughly doubled from the previous year to 66,000 tons, and snow-plow drivers put in an incredible 526,000 man-hours (or 44,000, 12-hours shifts) to help get us through the season. Snow-plow drivers also logged an astounding 8.8 million miles on the road.

Some amusing statistics to put this into perspective: 8.8 million miles is approximately same as making a trip around the earth 353 times or 18 round trips to the moon.

According to icyroadsafety.com, there has been an average of 467 road ice-related fatalities per year in United States since the 2008-2009 winter season. January takes the prize as the most heavily-concentrated month for collisions, averaging 18,828 accidents in Indiana alone.

Now, granted, the winter of 2014 was one of the worst we've seen in recent memory, but consider the effects of spending millions of extra dollars in one season can have on a city's budget -- especially in a small town such as Greencastle.

I've been to a myriad of city council meetings and I know how much trouble this can cause. While everyone is pretty much in favor of spending whatever amount is necessary, we all do so with a knowledge of what could have been.

Well, this year, I believe we finally experienced what could have been.

When snow first fell in November, I thought to myself "here we go." To me, it was the start of about six months of nightmarish traveling and frustration, but that's when temperatures really began to soar.

The month of December in 2015 was officially the third warmest in Indiana since records began in 1871. Indianapolis tied a record high of 64 degrees on Dec. 23, matching the old daily record from 1933.

For myself, this was a great time in my life. I began dating a wonderful girl at the end of November, so the lack of snow was much appreciated as she lives in another city; "Star Wars: Episode 7" finally emerged after nearly a year of anticipation; I began taking on more responsibility at work; and the McRib finally made its annual appearance.

I have warm temperatures, I think, to thank for not only aiding the aforementioned but the enabling my ease of travel to and from my hometown of Crawfordsville via U.S. 231 (which some of you may know is an oasis for run-offs) and for keeping me happy throughout the end of 2015, sending me into the new year with a hopeful mentality.

But now, as the snow lingers and cold temperatures "soar," I long for the month of April when the ground begins to thaw and the birds begin to chirp.

Spring, hopefully, isn't that far away.