Copenhagen is well known for its snowy days and very cold weather, so it should come as no surprise that its name is once again in the news. If you are thinking of the town in Denmark, then you are cold wrong.
A humble and tiny town in New York, also aptly named Copenhagen, has recently been making headlines as the snowiest place in America.
The town, with a population of only 801 residents, is situated between Lake Ontario and the Adirondacks. This winter season, the town's first snowfall arrived on Nov. 13, 2014, and a steady buildup of snow reaching as high as 20 feet has been continuing since Nov. 15.
From Jan. 30 to March 3, the temperature has also remained below zero.
The freezing weather has led to the accumulation of snow up to 21 feet high on the town's River Road, about eight feet high along the shoulder of roads, 15 feet high on school parking lots, and a layer 40 inches thick in some residents' backyards. There is now that never-ending chore of shoveling walkways.
"It's more than usual. It's not unusually large yet, though," said Bill Hanchek, the town's official federal snow measurer for 23 years.
Copenhagen made it on the list of the top 10 snowiest places in America, and the reactions of its residents vary, from exasperation over the endless shoveling to excitement over the town being in the spotlight.
"I've lived here 77 years, and it's one of the coldest and snowiest years we've had. I own nine buildings, and I've shoveled five days this past week. All I've done is shovel," said Fred Snyder, Copenhagen resident.
Of course, the unusual situation has drawn media attention.
"We love that we made the news. There have been years Buffalo got so much attention and nobody paid any notice of us, but we're just sitting here right in the bull's eye," Molly William said while working at the Dragon Salon.
Copenhagen Mayor Kenneth Clarke said it best when he summed up the challenges of keeping the town's streets and sidewalks clear of snow and safe from slippery accidents.
"It's been just crazy snow," he said.
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