Surprise snowstorm

Who could'a thunk it? asked singer-songwriter Greg Brown. He wasn't, of course, talking about winter, but that immortal line is pretty apt when it comes to this winter-extending-into-spring. Last night, the "wintry mix" changed to snow and, for about four hours or so, it snowed like there was no tomorrow. In that time, and, for a bit later, the white stuff really piled up, and when all was said and done, we measured about four inches of new snow. It made for great skiing last night, and this morning, I got up early to hike and take pictures of what the weather had wrought. There was a white coating on everything, and, because it was very cold for this time of year—upper teens, which is close to a low temperature record for the date—icy conditions prevailed on the roads and bridges. The only color, on this largely black and white morning, was the one side of a local house that had been painted. I found it a cheery contrast. I suspect a lot of beleaguered people around here could use some cheer.