Podcast Summary: "Listeners, How Did You Spend Your Blizzard?"

Podcast: All Of It
Host: Alison Stewart, WNYC
Date: February 24, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively and community-driven episode, Alison Stewart and the All Of It team invite listeners to share their personal experiences during New York’s significant 2026 blizzard. The show weaves together audience stories—ranging from baking feats to tree mishaps—and staff anecdotes about braving the city during a snowstorm, all while exploring the culture and community spirit that binds New Yorkers together in extreme weather.

Key Discussion Points & Listener Stories

Introduction: Setting the Scene

• Blizzard Stats: 20 inches in Central Park, nearly 28 inches in Bergen County, and almost 30 inches in Suffolk County.
• Impact: Closures included libraries, museums, Broadway, and some schools (00:09).

"We want to know how did you spend the snowstorm of 2026? Did you bake, catch up on reading, binge some Netflix, or did you have to work from home while your kids still had all the energy?"
— Alison Stewart (00:14)

• Team All Of It: Despite the storm, Alison and engineer Juliana Fonda trekked to the station. Producer Luke Green captured a photo of a "snow snake" winding around a tree, shared on Instagram (00:54).

Studio Reflections and Producer Stories

Working from Home & Baking

• Kate Hines (Sr. Producer):
  • Enjoyed a low-key day working from home, with a cat for company.
  • Pre-baked a brownie cake and prepped apple cinnamon muffins—team favorites (02:08).
  • Volunteered at a food pantry after trekking through Central Park, describing the snow as "the consistency of what I can only imagine was an Olympic bobsledding run" (02:33).

"There were many near wipeouts walking through Central Park, but it was still beautiful and a lot of fun."
— Kate Hines (02:34)

Listener Calls & Messages

Gail in Randolph, NJ: Winter Walk in the Woods

• Family shoveled, then hiked for a mile, appreciating the snow-blanketed beauty and wildlife sounds (03:19).

"Hearing all the animals, seeing the animals and looking at the beauty, it was absolutely gorgeous."
— Gail (03:26)

Alex Kahn (Instagram): Book & Nap Day

"Reading and napping was how he spent the snow day."
— Alison Stewart, relaying Alex's message (03:40)

Casey from the Bronx: The School Conundrum

• Described confusion between the Riverdale (Bronx) and Manhattan campuses: one closed, one open—highlighting the patchwork of snow day decisions (04:20).
• Ongoing knitting projects, including a cowl finished during the Olympics and a hat promised for Casey's mother (05:02).

"I've been knitting to the point where I think I have like a repetitive injury in my thumb, but I promised my mother I would make her a hat."
— Casey (05:10)

Texts & Quick Stories

• Central Park Joy: Reports of children and families reveling in perfect snowman-making conditions (05:24).

"It was a delight to walk through Central Park and see the kids sledding. It is rare to see such concentrated joy."
— Kate Hines (05:45)

• Still Shoveling: A listener text lamenting the ongoing snow removal (05:54).

• Bourbon Pecan Pies & 'Lifer Pie': A listener baked six mini pies for birdwatching trips—'lifer pie' is a birder tradition celebrating new species sightings (05:59–06:23).

• Sad Snowstorm (Fallen Tree):

  • Another caller recounted losing a beloved redbud tree to the storm, with branches ominously crashing near their apartment (06:48–07:18).

• Movie Marathon: One listener soothed their snowed-in blues with a tearjerker movie lineup: "Loving Basketball," "Waking Ned Divine," and "Titanic" (07:32).

• Work-from-Home Challenges: Several texters described being "buried" by remote work rather than snow (07:50).

Working Through the Storm: Staff Anecdotes

• Alison and Kate reflect on the difficulties and distractions of remote work vs. the comfort (and nostalgia) of trudging into the studio, with boots and determination (08:25).

"Honestly, I can't work from home because it reminds me too much of COVID. I'd rather trudge through the snow, which I did yesterday morning, to get here."
— Alison Stewart (08:25)

More Listener Calls

Shashant in Berkeley: Family Snow Day

• Kids’ school day delayed; whole family helps shovel, with kids enjoying rare snow fun (09:12).

"All my kids ... they all had fun times, especially my son, who helped me in shoveling all these snow, cleaning the car."
— Shashant (09:36)

Organization Feats

• Listener in Rockland County: "While my son and husband shoveled, I spent the day cleaning out and reorganizing all my spices. Felt very accomplished."

— (09:48)

Extreme Weather Photos

• Luke Green’s Rhode Island parents buried under nearly 33 inches—he regrets not bringing snow boots back to the city (10:09).

"Guess who's sorry now?"
— Alison (10:28)

Notable NYC Moments

• The Gym That Never Closes:

  • Despite the blizzard, a West Village gym closed at 9pm only to reopen at 5:30am ("Only in New York") (10:39).

• Slippery Mishaps:

  • Listener recounts slipping and laughing with strangers while walking in the streets.

"Well, I slipped twice and messed up my wrist but laughed both times along with the others who were laughing at me."
— Listener text (10:57)

• Team Tales:
  • Simon discovered Brooklyn’s multitude of cross-country skiers.
  • Zach Goddard Cohen endured a day without heat, layered in sweaters and blankets while working remotely (11:09).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On NYC’s Collective Spirit:

"It is rare to see such concentrated joy. They were having so much fun."
— Kate Hines (05:45), on kids sledding in Central Park

• On Weather Preparedness:

"Thank you, L.L. Bean boots."
— Alison Stewart (08:34)

• On Working from Home:

"The lure of my bookshelf or the refrigerator is very great."
— Kate Hines (08:17)

• On Birding Traditions:

"Lifer pie is something that birders indulge in whenever they see a lifer bird or a bird they haven't seen before."
— Kate Hines (06:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:09 Blizzard overview, impact, show and caller prompt
• 02:04 Kate Hines on working from home and baking
• 03:13 Gail from NJ: snow walk
• 04:20 Casey from Bronx: school closures, knitting
• 05:24 Central Park joy; sledding
• 06:04 Listener: bourbon pecan pies for bird walks
• 06:48 Listener: tree down in Brooklyn
• 07:32 Movie marathon; work-from-home stories
• 08:25 Studio team: working vs. trudging in
• 09:12 Shashant in Berkeley: family shoveling
• 09:48 Listener: spice cabinet reorganization
• 10:09 Instagram photo stories, Rhode Island blizzard
• 10:39 NYC gym opens early despite storm
• 10:57 Slippery streets and communal laughter
• 11:09 Brooklyn cross-country skiers, no-heat woes
• 11:30 Allison wraps the segment

Tone & Community Vibe

Warm, interactive, and distinctly “New York”—the episode pulses with the city’s resilient spirit, humor, and creativity, even as the snow piles up.

For listeners who missed the show:
This episode paints a vivid, communal tapestry of a city snowed in, but never slowed down—filled with baking, laughter, mishaps, resilience, and a lot of cozy, relatable stories.