This winter’s weather has been weird. That includes the first winter snow storm.
Past Snows
I’ve lived up in snow country, the Michigan Upper Peninsula, where snow lies waist deep for months. It’s beautiful and cold. Even the moisture in the air turns to tiny ice crystals sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight.
These were dry snows that fell when the temperatures were far below freezing. Many would pour from hand to ground like sugar pours from the bag.
Ozark Snows
Ozark winters rarely get that intense cold. Winter snow often falls when the temperature is thrity degrees. It’s a wet, cement snow great for snowballs and snowmen and deadly to shovel.
These snows rarely lasted more than a day or two before the temperatures rose, the sun came out and everything melted. Children may regret this. I don’t as doing chores in the snow is drudgery.
This Winter
It was raining as the thermometer stood at thirty-six degrees. This is too warm for snow or freezing rain.
Then the drops turned white. Clumps of snow flakes fell only to melt as soon as they hit the ground. This winter snow was falling when it was too warm to snow.
The snow was persistent and left a half inch of slush on the ground. Luckily the clouds were too thick and held the temperature above freezing all night. I’m not good at ice skating and too old to bounce well when I fall down.
What Happened?
The cold air bringing the snow didn’t shove the warm air on the ground away. That left the clouds cold enough to snow which they did.
The layer of warm air along the ground wasn’t thick enough to melt the snow before it got to the ground. That meant our first winter snow fell when the temperature was too warm.
Winter isn’t done with us. The next cold front is much bigger, colder and meaner than the last one. We may get a real snow in the next few days.
