A week like no other through the lens of our readers

We asked for photos documenting your week of snow, and you answered by the 100s.

πŸ“· Caro Ibarra Esquivel

Last week, East Texas’ pine and lake-dotted landscape transformed into an icy, sub-freezing tundra. The Tyler Loop asked readers to contribute photos of the rare week, and they responded with images as abundant as the drifts of snow. To read about the reasons for burst pipes and how the City of Tyler coped, check out The Tyler Loop’s “Ready or not: How did Tyler face tundra-like temperatures?” by Sarah A. Miller.

The following photos are thanks to our generous contributors who shared their snow experience with us: from scenes of wonder and beauty to images of danger destruction.

People caring for people

Water dropoff in north Tyler. πŸ“· Dalila Reynoso
Neighbors drop off dinner as another snowy night descends in north Tyler. πŸ“· Dalila Reynoso
Green Acres Baptist Church water delivery to Whitehouse with water bottles provided by Brookshires.πŸ“· Chance Riehl.
Volunteers helping unsheltered people at Super 8 by Wyndham as night falls and temperatures plummet.
A church-made-warming-center welcomes neighbors with cots, chairs and warmth. πŸ“· Bethel Hope Church
Neighbors bring supplies to Bethel Hope’s warming center. πŸ“· Bethel Hope Church
Dayspring United Methodist Church becomes a south Tyler warming center. πŸ“· courtesy Baylie Tuley
A hospitable setup awaits south Tyler neighbors at Dayspring UMC warming center. πŸ“· courtesy Baylie Tuley
Robert Jones helps push a stuck car, one of 10 similar vehicles Jones helped prod throughout the day. 

Precarious road conditions

Gentry Parkway. πŸ“· Paulina Pedroza
Intersection of Grande Boulevard and Broadway Avenue. πŸ“· Cody Grace
Grande Boulevard. πŸ“· Cody Grace
Intersection at Robert E. Lee Drive and Broadway Avenue. πŸ“· Amanda Nail
An ice-covered Grande Boulevard and New Copeland Rd. πŸ“· Delmer Romero
πŸ“· Dalila Reynoso
Broadway Avenue near Bergfeld Center. Bergfeld Center. πŸ“· Anabel Magallanes
Loop 323 and Old Jacksonville Highway. πŸ“· Christopher Joseph

Scenic

πŸ“· Sandra Villarreal
Scene from window in Ben Wheeler, Texas. πŸ“· Christina Loving
πŸ“· Kimberly Fajardo Carrillo
πŸ“· Mary McBride Andrews
πŸ“· Jim Noble
πŸ“· Tanya Michael Showen
πŸ“· Amiee Shivvers Peek
πŸ“· Mohamed Ibrahim
πŸ“· Melissa Moore
πŸ“· Kelly Brown
Birds leave winged impressions in the snow. πŸ“· Sarah Wells
πŸ“· Khaled El Masry
πŸ“· Chris French
πŸ“· Chris French
πŸ“· C Stec Williams
πŸ“·Amanda Zimmerman
πŸ“· Armetta LaShun
πŸ“· Schi-Lee A. Smith
πŸ“· Diana Carmona
πŸ“· Kelly Brown
Hideaway Lake. πŸ“· Rebecca Lincoln
πŸ“· Alma Rodriguez

Pets in snow

Master Dick Greyson playing in the snow. πŸ“· Jennyfer Brooklyn Keohane
πŸ“· Jewel Rena’e Kirkendoll
πŸ“· Susan Collins
πŸ“· Paula Cristobal Cruz
πŸ“· Paulina Pedroza
Hens Goldie and Penny spend a night in the bathroom cupboard. πŸ“· Sarah Wells
πŸ“· Sarah Wells
Ayotunde, far from his home climate, muses at a world turned white and cold. πŸ“· Amanda Massau

Kids and grown-ups at play

πŸ“· Kilton O McCracken, Sr.
πŸ“· Kilton O McCracken, Sr.
πŸ“· Diana Carmona
πŸ“· Diana Carmona
Cross country skiing in Arp, Texas. πŸ“· Paul Haygood
A sports field in Arp receives an aerial view-sized heart made of ski tracks. πŸ“· Paul Haygood
Laundry baskets double as sleds during a week with no school. πŸ“· Amanda Nail
Lindale children hide out in an igloo. πŸ“· Paulina Pedroza
Sisters in snow. πŸ“· Jen Katz
πŸ“· Emanuel Flores
Sand toys turned snow tools. πŸ“· AnaDaniela Alanis
T-Rex makes an appearance. πŸ“· Sara McCaslin
πŸ“· Lupita Mares
πŸ“· Kimberley Chigger Hitchcock
πŸ“· Dalton Lee McCoy
πŸ“· Cynthia Ibarra

Icicles

πŸ“· Zach Correa
πŸ“· Jim Noble
One last shot before the weekend thaw on Glenrose Street. πŸ“· Jeffrey Olver
πŸ“· Paul Nolan
πŸ“· Cynthia Ibarra
πŸ“· Susan Slaughter McInturff
πŸ“· Susan Slaughter McInturff
πŸ“· Tavo TΓ©llez

About town

Residents seeking supplies line up at Super 1 Foods. πŸ“· Alma Rodriguez
Dixie Elementary School. πŸ“· Esther Gutierrez
Tyler Junior College. πŸ“· Esther Gutierrez
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Broadway Avenue and Front Street. πŸ“· Mita Artisan Shoppe
Workers open a hydrant at Moore Middle School to relieve pressure and repair a main. πŸ“· Jeff Wallace

Challenges at home

Sarah Cumming said, “The tarp was our attempt to catch clean snow. We called it the snow farm.” πŸ“· Sarah Cumming
“This is my ONLY door to my house, so now we are crawling out windows WITH dogs,” posted Jewel Kirkendoll. πŸ“· Jewel Rena’e Kirkendoll
πŸ“· Schi-Lee A. Smith
πŸ“· Tina Cunningham
Jessica Richardson’s house shows telltale signs of pipe and roof damage. Of her house Richardson said, “She’s a tough ol’ gal for the most part. I hope I can say the same when I’m 101!” πŸ“· Jessica Richardson
“Boiling snow (thanking God for power) this am for water,” posted Sarah Cumming after the City of Tyler’s boil water notice. She added, “Gonna overkill on the boiling. Not adding giardia to what’s on my plate.”

Parting shots

Snow at night on East Erwin Street. πŸ“· Jamie Whitley

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Jane Neal is the executive director of The Tyler Loop and storytelling director of Out of the Loop: True Stories about Tyler and East Texas. In addition to the Loop, she works at the Literacy Council of Tyler and attends Sam Houston State University remotely, where she studies sociology. Jane is a certified interfaith spiritual guide. She is a member of Leadership Tyler Class 33 and a former teacher of French at Robert E. Lee High School, where she ran a storytelling program called Senior Stories. Jane and her husband Don have four children.
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