Chris, I really enjoyed your article about snow. I tend to take things at face value, therefore missing how important something like snow is to us.
Your article made me stop and think about just how wonderful snow can be. We get very little of it here in the Willamette Valley, it is sure wonderful when we do get some.

I have quite a problem with things being heaved from the ground with the freezing and thawing cycle and no snow cover. In fact I was outdoors today repairing plants that had been heaved up from the ground. Thankfully it was the sempervivum and they are tough and seem to take it in stride.

Other than moving to a warmer climate there isn’t anything we can do about the snow.

Sometimes even that doesn't do it. These pictures of my house/yard in the Atlanta GA area were taken in January 2011. I have to admit, it's the prettiest my yard has *ever* looked in the winter And my irises that year were phenomenal!

I love the snow when it can be enjoyed for a weekend, and then I can go home to warmer clime. We have never lived in an area that had predictable snow. I think I'm too old to enjoy that now. It is beautiful, though, I must admit.
One year in December our daughter was at Illinois State playing volleyball. We had non-refundable tickets to St. Thomas for winter break. I drove up there from Austin to pick her up and take her home for our trip. Her team won in conference playoffs and had to leave for Calif. for playoffs. My ticket to follow her team to California, on short notice, would have been nearly what tickets for three were for St Thomas. I drove on to my MIL's in upper IL to wait until DD's team was eliminated by Calif. girls. It snowed like I've never seen (growing up in the South). I got up early the next morning seeing the light coming through the window. It was probably 6 am, the view out the upstairs windows was nearly totally white with absolutely no sound. Snow was hanging from the telephone lines, banked against my car in the driveway, still coming down, and then I spotted this lone, bundled figure shoop, shooping snow off our driveway and around my car. It was a neighbor, doing what neighbors do for elderly neighbors, I assume.
I don't know how long I sat on the floor in front of the window, but I can tell you there's something magical about the snow, especially for those of us who don't get to experience it, except on those rare occasions when the stars align and our kid almost makes us have to rethink Christmas vacation. Just writing this transports me back to that morning. Absolute silence, total white-out, and incredible peace. I'd almost forgotten. I thank you.

That's so beautiful, Sandi.
I was right there with you.

Chris very good article. I have to admit I miss the snow this year ( except for the shoveling ). Without it the plants are not protected from the winds and it is showing this year. Another important thing is the meltdown from snow in the spring fills reservoirs and without much snow this year they are already talking of water problems next summer if we don't get more.

Lynn, my sempervivums are heaving out of the ground more than usual this year too.

Wow Mary, that's a lot of snow for Atlanta! But it is very pretty.

Great story Sandi. There is incredible peace and quiet after a big snow that is an experience unlike any other. Awesome that you were able to enjoy it.

Bob, that's going to be a concern in our part of the country too, although we did get quite a bit of rain this fall. It's always very windy where I live and I'm concerned about damage from the cold winds with not much snow cover also. What we do have is melting fast so I hope to be able to take a peek in my gardens soon.

There is no other quiet like a snow quiet. Lovely pictures in this article, Chris. I never miss snow though. Too long in So. Cal, I guess.

Thanks Tee. I think I'd miss the snow if we didn't get any, but I'd like it a lot better if it didn't snow on the roads!

Chris: Loved your article with those beautiful photo's and information! Being a southern gal and living in the south my entire life, I'm not familiar with plants heaving from the ground and found that very interesting! Nature sure is amazing isn't it?

I remember a winter trip to Colorado years ago and I was enamored by the beauty of the snow covered landscape. My favorite time of day is sunrise, when it's quiet and peaceful ... just before the birds wake and begin their morning songs of a new day and I enjoyed the snowy sunrises in Colorado almost as much as I do sunrises on the beach here ... very serene and peaceful, a great time for reflection!

goldfinch4 said:Thanks Tee. I think I'd miss the snow if we didn't get any, but I'd like it a lot better if it didn't snow on the roads!

No snow on roads ... that would be very good. Yes, you'd miss the snow. When I moved to CA I missed having the four distinct seasons, and after being on the West Coast for several decades I missed the mild ambient temperatures year around. Here I could completely do without tornado season. There's always something.

goldfinch4 said:
Wow Mary, that's a lot of snow for Atlanta! But it is very pretty.
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I measured five inches in the level spots. I went to bed at 830 Sunday night to bare ground and no precip, and woke up at 515 Monday morning to 5 inches of snow. It was freezing rain that changed to snow that then changed back to freezing rain. The city was shut down for almost an entire week. Our greater metro area is 20 counties and 5million people. Atlanta has a grand total of FIFTEEN snow plows, and lots of overpasses on their highway system.

We also stayed below freezing that entire week, so the snow couldn't melt. I didn't need to go anywhere (I work from home, so I didn't even get to miss work), so I kept the bird feeders filled, scattered seed on top the snow for the ground feeders, and enjoyed the beauty. The good news is that it proved how well insulated my house is. I had no icicles hanging off my eaves, and the snow stayed on my roof until the temps got high enough to melt it. So no heat loss from my attic. (the original owners of my house were from Cleveland OH and they insulated it VERY well)

This year? I saw a few flurries one day back in Nov or Dec, and that's been it. We've had lots of rain this winter to go with our warmer weather.

Thanks Lin. Sunrises on the beach would be a real treat right now but I'm glad you also got to experience some snow.

I agree Tee, there's always something. We get tornadoes here too.

Mary, I'm sure that snow did shut everything down for a week! Bet that was a real shock when you got up in the morning. A house being well insulated is good in any climate, but even better that someone else did it for you!

Thanks Sharon, I think that's high praise coming from you and I appreciate it.
Chris, I'm so glad I read your tip!

Loved this article. I love snow which is in short supply here this winter.

My side yard taken on Christmas morning 2010

What a beautiful picture! We're having a really mild winter this year too. Luckily that should make for an early spring - I hope.

I love that photo Margaret.

valleylynn said:I love that photo Margaret.

Thanks Everyone. My husband takes all the snowy pictures. It's something he loves to take pictures of. I have others that I'm trying to find time to add to a database I have on Cubits but they are on his computer not mine.

Wonderful article Christine - thank you for all the great information and the lovely photo's!