Winter finally arrives

After a beginning to the winter that felt well nigh tropical, the last week has proven that Mother Nature still has all her teeth. The end of the balmy season arrived on a gust of wind on Wednesday in a weather event that lasted almost two days.

The high wind event occurred when a potent cold front swept through the region on the afternoon of January 13, bringing northwesterly winds behind it. The wind sustained overnight in much of the area at 35 to 50 mph, with gusts that reached up to 80 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

The high winds continued until Friday morning, causing d...