It’s true.
Of course, the winter will end, just not quite yet. Today, the biggest storm of the year is arriving. Twelve feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada’s! Who knows? We might get another 17″ here in our little dessert town. Nevada Energy and Spectrum are warning us that services may be interrupted.
The beginning months of winter hold anticipation of real fun. Thanksgiving. Black Friday. Hot chocolate. Presents under the tree. Candlelight Service. New Year’s Eve. The Super Bowl. Even in mid-February, Valentines bring us smiles. These events distract us from the bitter cold and dangerous driving conditions. This late in the game, it’s time for winter to pack up and leave the party. We won’t mind a bit. March 19th is just around the corner and can’t get here soon enough.
The only thing I miss about being a California native is that, for flat landers at least, winters weren’t severe. In the Central Valley of California, the weather went from extreme fog to extreme heat (100+ from May to October). Just two weather patterns over the 60 years I lived there. Consistently boring.
With the lack of four distinct seasons, there were somethings we missed out on. Puffy white spring clouds. Winds. Summer thunderstorms. A real show of fall colors. Crisp apples signaling the arrival of fall. Nope. We had none of these things.
We had two seasons.
Dense, Tule Fog.
113 degree heat.
Repeat.
Well, once in 1962 it snowed enough to cancel school which was a once-in-my-lifetime event. But, on a normal year, weather was pretty boring.
Here in the desert, we’re blessed with four true seasons. Although not equal in the number of days, they’re all recognizable as the seasons they are. At this point, I’m sick of winter. Enough already.
My little desert town has an immediate advantage when considering weather in the area. According to yearly averages, very little annual snowfall is the norm (5″ of precipitation). I don’t know if there are weather norms anymore. Last year, I realized snow shoveling isn’t on my list of favorite things to do. The new snow blower makes it just a little more enjoyable when 17″ of wet snow fall in five hours.
We’re stocking up this morning, as the store shelves may be a little bare this weekend. The storms have been so mild, the pass hasn’t closed this winter. The next few days will tell the tale. Desolate desert life takes patience and preparation. I’m lucky my little town is right off the interstate. For Hooterville residents (a real town to the northwest of here), winters can be brutal, making it necessary to prepare for days of isolation.
As the the greenhouse seedlings, the story is grim. Monday was the perfect day for them to soak up warmth and sunshine outside. I carefully closed the doors that night, hoping the greenhouse would keep them warm enough. Yesterday, scurrying out through the frigid cold to check on them, I found that eight of my beautiful lovelies froze during the night. There’s always another seed and another day. As for the rest of the seedlings, they’ll continue to grow within the walls of Winterpast.
Whatever you do today, check on someone that might be snow bound or struggling with seasonal depression. If you’re expecting high winds like us, be sure to secure items in your yard that might blow away. When the storms arrive, shovel some snow. It’s be good for what ails you! At least, that’s what we can tell ourselves.
More tomorrow.