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Brian Lehrer: That was definitely on me as we took that important conversation long. We've got just a few more minutes for the little fun thing that we want to do at the end of the show going into the weekend today. With this big snowstorm headed our way, we thought we would invite you to call in and share one favorite snow-related story. Do you need much more prompting than that? Do you have a quick favorite snow-related story from your life? 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Have you been pleasantly surprised by a stranger helping you get your car up a snowy hill?

Maybe you have a favorite snowy day memory from growing up or maybe you just like the first snowfall in the city because it blankets the not-so-pleasant parts of city life for a few days. Garbage, dead rats. Do you have a favorite snow-related story? 212-433-WNYC 212-433-9692. If you can do it in 280 characters tweet it @BrianLehrer. I'll just tell you, mine in a line or two. I lived in Albany for a few years and I lived in Norfolk, Virginia for a few years. I grew up in Queens. I was delighted to come back after I had a few radio jobs around the country first. In Albany, it snowed all the time, another six inches, another eight inches. You'd clear off the windshield.

People would help each other up the hill, like that example, I just gave and life went on. In my three years in Norfolk, it snowed one time that there was any accumulation and the city was absolutely crippled. I'm not criticizing for them for it. It's something you're used to versus something you're not used to. It was so funny after being used to people just trudging through, put on the higher boots, the extra gloves, go in Albany. There was a foot of snow in Norfolk, Virginia, and people were absolutely paralyzed and everything closed for a week. You tell me a snow story. Barbara in Fort Lee, you're on WNYC. Hi, Barbara.

Barbara: Good morning. I'm glad to be on. In 1996, there was a big snowstorm and I was living in Westfield at the time. Luckily I had the day off but I couldn't get the front door or the back door open because the snow had drifted up. I had a patio with windows. I opened the window, crawled out the window and got to the trunk where the shovel was, and shoveled myself out. Then I decided I was going to go into town to if there was anything open. There was one restaurant, a fast-food restaurant open with three people in line. That's my story.

Brian Lehrer: Barbara, thank you. I love you escaping from your house out the window. Anybody else had that experience? Sarah in Bushwick, you're on WNYC. Hi, Sarah.

Sarah: Hi. My story is about growing up in Kansas City, Missouri. We had really really a lot of snow in the '60s, the '50s, the '70s. My father was an electrical engineer and he loved to make all kinds of wonderful little gadgets around the house but he hated to shovel snow. He put heating coils underneath the driveway, the sidewalk, and the little area leading up to the front steps. Then when it started snowing, he would just turn on the heating coils and the snow would melt as it touched the asphalt or cement or whatever.

He always tried to not gloat when he went out and got the newspaper and waved to the neighbors but I know he was rather proud of himself. I thought it was really cute.

Brian Lehrer: The heating system built into the steps, very cute. Rosemary in Bernardsville, you're on WNYC. Hi, Rosemary.

Rosemary: Hi there, Brian. I'm so excited to get through. I was telling a story this is back in 1996. It was probably a snowstorm close to when the previous caller was describing, but I was eight months pregnant with my second child, and the movie Balto about the dog that brought the diphtheria with initiators. I had a three-year-old and I told my husband we're going to see Balto and it was on the same day as the serious snowstorm was coming through. The movie theater was like 40 minutes north of where we were and I said, "I don't care. We're going to see this movie." We made it there in probably a reasonable amount of time.

Of course, two hours later, by the time the movie was over, there was a massive amount of--

Brian Lehrer: You were in labor.

Rosemary: Well, no, I wasn't in labor. I did end up having the baby on the bathroom floor, but that's another story a couple of weeks later. Anyway, [inaudible 00:05:20] my mother had me at Mary Immaculate Hospital in [unintelligible 00:05:26] Queens. I remember there was a blizzard, and having to walk home through the snow like 5 feet tall on either side of the sidewalk.

Brian Lehrer: Rosemary, thank you for those. Steve on the Upper West Side, you're on WNYC. Hi, Steve.

Steve: Hi, Brian. I'm a Coney Island polar bear member. Every day when there is snowfall accumulated on the beach we will meet at 12:00 noon to go swimming at Stillwell Avenue and it's invigorating-

Brian Lehrer: You don't.

Steve: -and beautiful thing. Yes, we do.

Brian Lehrer: When it snows, you mobilize and you go swimming at noon?

Steve: Yes, we do. It's called a snow day and it's a wonderful thing cleansing for the body and the mind.

Brian Lehrer: We go on a mile.

Steve: Yes, for sure if I can get there. I'm not sure I'll be able to make it. I'm preparing and I hope to make it.

Brian Lehrer: Steve, thank you. Good luck. Stay warm somehow. Rocky in the Bronx I think is going to get our last couple of seconds here. Hi, Rocky.

Steve: Hi, Brian. My snow day story was a couple of years ago, the last bomb cyclone we had. I'm an opera singer and I was coming back from an audition and I had some other opera singers staying at my house. I called Pete the baritone and said you have to go get my kids at daycare. He drove to get my kids at daycare. He carried them over the snowbank to the car and he was forever known as Pete the hero in our family.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, that's so nice. You did that so efficiently that I think Bonnie in Queens has time for her 15-second story. Hi, Bonnie, you're on WNYC.

Bonnie: Hi Brian. I was living on the Lower East Side with my son who was probably about six at the time. Big snowstorm. We go outside for a walk. There's a group of 20 somethings standing on the corner and my son and I decided to throw snowballs at them and they stopped. They were a little surprised. They started throwing snowballs back at us. Then another group of people came along and just this massive snowball fight just ensued on the corner of Stanton and Eldridge on the Lower Eastside.

Brian Lehrer: The spontaneous community snowball fight which ends the Brian Lehrer show today. Enjoy if you can enjoy the storm.

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