A snow storm on December 27-28, 1892, set the record for the most snowfall in Norfolk as the city was buried under 18 inches of snow.

Although winter storm Helena barely scratched 5 inches in some areas, the crew aboard aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) felt her presence when she arrived Jan. 6-7.

The snow began pouring down Friday night and continued until Saturday afternoon around Hampton Roads. Sailors on duty aboard George Washington quickly began to clear paths for other Sailors expected to come to work the following days.

"It was very cold when we were first out there," said Electronics Technician 3rd Class Leslie Fann. "The wind cut right through everything I was wearing, and the snow was still falling the first time we went out there. Every time we cleared a path and turned around, the path was covered up again. It also did not help the wind was blowing the snow off the flight deck right onto the elevator we were clearing. I was tired, but I felt good knowing I directly contributed to the safety of my shipmates."

Sailors worked over the weekend to clear snow around the ship and form a safer walking path to the ship.

"We were pretty much out there all day on Saturday," said Logistic Specialist 3rd Class Ileana Marrero Rivera. "We started the cleaning around 8 a.m. and took a break to eat lunch. We ended up finishing close to 5 p.m. Everyone, including our senior leadership, helped out. I feel exhilarated that we could work together as a team to make sure everyone on the ship was safe."

Although Sailors valiantly shoveled the snow and provided a safe route to the ship, some streets around the city and onboard Naval Station Norfolk became too dangerous to navigate. This caused the base, and subsequently the ship, to shut down for two days following the storm and required only essential personnel to come to work.

"It took about an hour to finally get off of base due to traffic," said Fann, who left Sunday morning. "I grew up where we always got a lot of snow, so I learned how to drive in it early on. However, out here you have to always be on your toes because there are people from all over the United States who may have never driven in the snow. You have to drive slow and be patient so everyone can reach their destination safely."

Even though the snow may have caused havoc for some Sailors, others welcomed the sight of snow and enjoyed their time off work.

"It was the first time I felt a snowflake hit my hands in over five years," said Master-at-Arms Seaman Joseph Fernandez. "I'm from Arizona, and the only time I would see snow was when I traveled toward the Grand Canyon. I really missed seeing snow and this was a nice change of scenery."

"When I got back home, I shoveled out my driveway and spent time with my family," said Fann. "I took my two sons out to play in the snow for a while, and then we all drank hot chocolate and watched movies afterwards. As well as me having two days off work, my kids were also off from school. I got to spend quite a bit of quality time with them."

The full crew returned to work Wednesday, Jan. 11, continuing on with the mission of getting the ship prepared for refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) maintenance.

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