view from our front porch in Nederland
Woke up this morning to sparkling, glistening snow as far as the eye could see. Large, fluffy snowflakes pelted my head as I cleared the car. Just getting out of the driveway was a bit of a dicey proposition, as the berm was a couple of feet high. Clearing the snow off the car wasn’t the easiest either, as over a foot of snow had covered it. I drove into Nederland to do some work at the museum, and it was a bit of a ghost town, with just a few people here and there walking the dogs. All the result of the biggest snow storm of the season. And it’s not done yet.
I’ve always liked weather, and found that snow is particularly magical. I’m also the rare bird who never gets sick of snow falling from the sky no matter the month. Snow in April or May is just as exciting as snow in December of January, and in this part of the Rocky Mountains, it is entirely more likely to see snow in spring than in mid-winter.
Being married to a real live meteorologist as only heightened my interest, and help me understand the science behind the weather. It’s amazing to think of a snowstorm lasting 3-4 days, but that’s what’s going on right now. The snow started yesterday afternoon and continues in earnest as I type this.
If you were to look at the radar the National Weather Service features on its home page, you would see a massive blob of green spinning counter-clockwise, seemingly stationary. I’m told by my expert of a husband that this stationary storm is courtesy of something called the Omega Block. Meaning our Colorado snowstorm is sitting there, not moving because of a blocking ridge to our west and to our east, thus forming what looks like the Greek letter Omega.
Regardless of science, it’s magical to see the trees decked in snow, and feel like I’m in the middle of my own personal Christmas card. And the hushed sound when I walk the dogs provides a sense of peace and solace as I gaze around me.
Right after Bryon and I got married, we would wax on about finding a place to live where it snows A LOT. I wanted to have a place where I could see snow-capped mountains from my back windows. He just wanted to have numerous big snow storms to get excited about. Seems we’ve finally found that perfect spot to provide winter weather in abundance.
