I spoke with my mother and father about this topic recently. It was triggered by reading US Grant's autobiography. Grant recollected early on that during his yo

I spoke with my mother and father about this topic recently. It was triggered by reading US Grant's autobiography. Grant recollected early on that during his youth they would often ice skate on the ponds and lakes in southern Ohio. I grew up not far from Grant. On occasion, from ~85-92, the ponds would freeze with ice thick enough to skate. By the mid-90s, that was simply done. I remember sledding all of the time during the winter during that same period. I'll ask a friend who still lives next to the hill we used to sled on how often his own children sled. My parents are still there, so I know it's not often -- Not even every winter is there enough snow stuck on the ground to go sledding. The last blizzard that I recall living through was in the early 90s, as well. I left the area in 2001, but returned in 2006-2008. During 2006-2008, there were a few snows that I recall that were ~6"-8" but it was all melted inside of a week. My father was telling me recently that they're lucky to see 3" today and it doesn't stick for more than a few days. My parents grew up in southwestern PA. My mother grew up on a large farm (dairy and ~500 acres of planted crops) and often recollects about the 50s and 60s. They would often travel on the ag run-off canals and smaller creeks, streams, and rivers, to trade supplies with neighbors. They could travel miles on the ice. They didn't have roads in this section of PA until the late 60s and early 70s, when the coal company came in (and state routes were built to support their industry). They would butcher cattle during the winter and could store it in the back of the barn, in a small stone cellar that was only partially below ground. The meat would freeze overnight and remain frozen into the spring. These things are gone today and it's happened before my own eyes inside of 2 generations of my own family, at that.