The big patterns of weather are what create the seasons here in the valley as elsewhere, from summer heat to winter cold and snow. But after the past six days I've been thinking more about how the details of weather events day-by-day make a very big difference.
We're now in the middle of a big melt, with heavy rain forecast tonight, after two days last week of heavy snow. From 2 feet plus of light powder snow we've dropped to a few inches of heavy wet packing snow as the snow subsides in on itself. The driveway and the roads are now bare. And it's not going to snow again anytime soon.
But it's the sequence, in this case from cold to warm, that determines what we actually see and cope with out there - deep snow, sloppy slush, ice, or bare ground. The melt also means that the snow avalanches off our roof with a big 'whoosh', and forms a lumpy ridge where it falls.
If the warmer weather continues for a day or two, these snow ridges melt away, but if it turns cold again quickly, the snow ridges turn to virtual ice, and the snowblower is useless, just riding up over them. I need to get the steel shovel out and chop them into pieces!
Likewise the driveway. A day of melting leaves a thin coating of soft ice all across the drive. If it turns cold and freezes again at this point, we're in big trouble (our driveway goes up a gentle hill). I have to get out the 'pickled' sand (with salt added) and scatter a track for the car to get out on. But if it stays warm another day, the soft ice disappears entirely, and we're back to a gravel driveway.
So the sequence and timing of these specific weather events like heavy snowfalls and sudden thaws makes all the difference in our actual experience of the seasons around here. Luckily, today the melt is continuing so the drive is now back to gravel, and the snow ridges will melt - but I don't know about the big ridge where the snow crashed onto our deck. If it freezes it won't likely get moved all winter!
Not getting out to do much photography, so I've dug into the archives. These tree pix were taken a year ago today, at our neighbours across the road.
Even though it's been about 9 years I do remember those kinds of winter days well.
ReplyDeleteI like these shots!
ReplyDeleteGive me the winter weather any time!
I love looking up shots like these. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSnow I like but not ice. Hope it stays warm until it all melts and then you can start over with snow!!
Lovely, I have tried to get photos looking up, but not much luck, so yours are special.Take care in the snow/ice/slush/freeze/thaw/ more slush and more. Jean.
ReplyDeleteWe don't know what to wear when we go out the door this weekend. My daughter took an awful fall on slush (with sneakers on) earlier today. Kind of mirrored the whoopsy doodle I took a few weeks back when we had our FIRST dump of muck. It can hold off for awhile, we're still trying to cut winter wood!
ReplyDeleteStunning shots! I feel almost guilty saying that it's ridiculously mild in the UK at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThe weather has kept us guessing for a couple of years now. Someone forgot to tell the Weather Maker we live in the south.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures on this post and the one before.
Winter/fall weather is so fickle isn't it? And it makes for interesting situations as you have said. Our snow is all gone except for the odd pile from the snow of 2 weeks ago where it was ploughed up. We have rain and +13 for today, sun for tomorrow and Wednesday then snow after that. Fickle indeed. Maybe you can have someone remove that snow buildup on your deck for you before it freezes? I like your tree photos.
ReplyDeleteThe trees are bare and lovely, but that blue sky is simply beautiful. I'm glad the awful snowfall is over and things are getting back to normal in your part of the world. :-)
ReplyDeleteI like the photos of the bare limbs stretching into the blue sky.
ReplyDeleteYep, winter weather can sure be frustrating even though beautiful.
Well, yesterday everything was orange and wet. Today we are back to white!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful skies.
ReplyDelete