A winter snow storm of impressive proportions blasted the Northeast last week, creating incredible sledding for snow lovers, but extremely tough conditions for travelers and for retailers, on what is usually the biggest shopping week right before Christmas.    It was one of those weekends that no one was truly ready for, and that I know our entire company will remember forever.  And while our memories will include the many cancellations of schools, holiday parties and events, the memory that will prevail most in my mind is the spirit of the Wawa team who worked through some very challenging circumstances to remain open and ready to serve their customers and our communities.

I was one of the many, who watched the weather reports in awe, as expected snow totals kept climbing and climbing. The massive snowstorm was burying cities from Washington to Boston under as much as 2 feet of snow, in the largest snowstorm to hit the region since February 2003. New York City saw totals of up to a foot. The governor of Virginia declared a state of emergency.  Washington, D.C., declared a snow emergency so that it could clear major streets and reduce mass transit service if necessary.
And at the end of the storm, the numbers were even more astounding!  December 19 became the snowiest December day on record in several Mid-Atlantic locations, including Philadelphia, PA with 22.5 inches, Baltimore, MD with 20.5 inches, and Washington, DC with 15.0 inches. Philadelphia (with 23.2 inches on December 19-20) experienced its second-highest single-storm total, behind 30.7 inches during a January 1996 event. http://www.cattlenetwork.com/National-Weather--Blizzard-Recovery--Record-Lows-In-The-West/2009-12-23/Article.aspx?oid=969910

With most of the stores in our five-state operating area encased in this winter wonderland, we had to jump into action as quickly as possible.  Our store teams plowed through to keep the coffee hot and the doors open for customers.  Only 12 of our 572 stores closed for a brief period of time.  How did they do it?  By following our Wawa values of doing things right, delighting customers, and having a passion for winning no matter what the circumstances may be.

So many efforts went into the great endeavor to keep our stores open.  It took planning from our weather crisis team to increase deliveries of vitals like bread, milk and rock salt in advance.   It took our supply chain carefully planning routes to keep stores in stock with both food and grocery products and gasoline.  It took field maintenance associates maintaining parking lots and keeping stores operating without a hitch.  It took our Call Center staff keeping everyone up-to-date on of all store statuses and helping solve everyone's problems.  And of course, it took our wonderful store associates who worked extra shifts and worked creative schedules to keep our store doors open, providing a welcome respite for customers, emergency workers, snow plow teams and others who worked hard to fight the conditions.

So when I think back on this December's snow event, while I'll remember our shock and surprise at a storm that caught the region by surprise before the calendar officially acknowledged the Winter season, what I'll remember most is the valiant efforts of our associates.  Thanks to them, we were able to provide vital service, a smile, and a warm cup of coffee, for people who count on us to be there for them.  I thank each and every one of them for creating a winter Wawaland even in the coldest and stormiest of days.

'Till next time...