Having always lived in the northern tier of states in the US, snow days have been a part of my life since I was a child. After 53 years, I’ve come to recognize some of their unique qualities.
- To state the obvious, there must be freshly precipitated frozen water. Usually as snow, but sometimes as spectacularly glistening ice or thick, crunchy frost.
- There is always surprise upon waking as to the amount, quality, and distribution of the snow. It impacts what you’ll do, what kind of chore shoveling will be, whether there will be cancellations, etc.
- There a change in the sound. Fluffy snow acts like a blanket and absorbs sound. Sometimes, the wind howls and the air carries and audible bite. Sometimes, there’s the crackling of ice that sticks branches, or the tick-tick-ticking sound of ice pellets hitting trees, structures, cars, etc. My favorite is the muffling effect of soft snow, and that is what we have this morning.
- The air is clean. There’s no dust in the air after a snowfall, the snow has swept it clear out, and a deep breath of this cool clean stuff is like a bath in a Missouri spring on a sweltering day.
- Light! Especially if the ground was bare before or the snow has freshly clung to the trees. Everything is brighter with more reflected light bouncing around. When the sun shines, it can be dazzling.
- A sense of pause, or at least redirection. Whether the snow disrupts work or school, or causes one to halt your plans and head to the slopes, there is a redirection of inertia that is necessary on days where snow has been significantly impactful.
- Facing nature. Whether it’s shoveling or scraping, one needs to confront nature’s presence in our lives and its ability to force us to redirect our actions.
- The ground changes. Our connection with the Earth is literally through our feet. Will one need 18″ boots or crampons? This dynamic interface can cause some to be giddy, and it can be worrisome for others. In each case, it’s a significant change from plodding confidently on predictable ground.
Picture: Hoar frost on the mountain.