Snowscapes

Posted byLisa at Micro of the MacroPosted inBeauty of Nature, Holidays/SeasonsTags:, , ,
Oak Creek Canyon, between Flagstaff and Sedona

Before moving to the Southwest, I remember hearing on national news about the havoc caused by large amount of snow deposited in northern Arizona in January of 2010, just four  months before my planned relocation.  A total of 56 inches fell that month; the majority in a single week.  As a result, roofs collapsed, there were power outages for days, food and supplies had to be flown in by the National Guard for remote residents, and the town of Flagstaff was isolated due to road and airport closures.  Upon hearing this, my mother asked incredulously, “And that’s where you want to live?!”

Yup, that’s the place, Mom!  I’ve had no regrets about the move, but I’m truly grateful we haven’t seen a repeat of that winter.  We always get lots of snow (this January we had 61 inches, more than the January noted above) but it is typically more widely distributed throughout the month.

Snow is a marvelous phenomenon.  It can transform landscapes to a degree that getting lost in an area you know well becomes a distinct possibility.  It blankets rocks and boulders, creating a surface smooth enough for sledding.  And the way in which it cloaks mountain peaks elicits in me a sense of awe.

Living in a place that sees so much snow, I find it fascinating that each and every snowflake is unique.  There are so many!  I’ve read that their differences are attributed to the way they form around dust particles (or other substances) and the water vapor they collect as they move through the air.  

I can’t say I’ve ever witnessed a blizzard (a snowstorm lasting 3 or more hours with sustained winds of at least 35 mph.)  There are times that I’ve claimed it’s blizzarding, due to horizontally-blowing snow, but it didn’t go on for hours.

The snowiest spots in the U.S. (that have weather stations) are Mt. Rainier in Washington state, with about 645 inches a year, and Mt. Hood in Oregon, where 550 inches fall annually.  Northern Arizona hits the list at 19th, with just over 100 inches, and if our local ski area had a weather station, it would show up at #8, with 260 inches.

As a small girl living in the South, snow was seldom seen.  You could bet if an inch or 2 fell, it would be accompanied by freezing rain and school would be out for the day.  Woohoo!  Snow days were the best days!

Here, a foot or 2 can fall overnight, and schools and some businesses will have a delayed start.  That gives road crews long enough to take care of major thoroughfares to provide safe passage for school buses and the rest of us.

Having snow as a frequent visitor every year is truly wondrous.  But my mother would disagree. She still insists I’m crazy for living here. 😊

Winter Blessings,

Lisa

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63 thoughts on “Snowscapes”

  1. It’s a fact that snow can create extra problems for daily life, but I must admit… I love snow as I can see in your pictures. The sad thing in Belgium is that we seldom have some snow here and if it fals, it disapears as fast as it has come 🙂

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  6. Hi. I’ve lived in northeast USA all my life, and have experienced several hundred snowfalls. I used to like snow much more than I do now. I remember a mammoth snowfall circa 1964 that shut down New York City. The then-mayor didn’t respond well to the situation, and lost his bid for re-election as a result.

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  11. I have only been to Arizona once. It was early September. On the first night, I saw my very first sandstorm. The next day, I travelled from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon where I we drove through hail and a thunderstorm. After returning to Phoenix, I experienced the biggest single-day rainfall in the history of the city. We were at the Biltmore and the roof leaked and the parking lots and walkways flooded. I remember thinking “What will happen tomorrow? SNOW?” It didn’t happen.

    I’m returning to Phoenix in a few weeks and I’m hoping for calmer weather this time.

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  12. I’m with you, Lisa. I love the snow. Unfortunately, I don’t see it in my part of Arizona. I meant to get up to Flag this year to see some but I don’t think that’s going to work out. However, I greatly enjoyed your photos and didn’t even have to wear my coat. 😉

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  13. I’ve never lived in a place with so much snow falling but I can imagine it would transform it to a winter wonderland. No wonder you love it there. Gorgeous pics Lisa. Have a wonderful weekend. 😊

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  14. Ohio is often covered in snow during the winter months but this year has been an exception. We have only had a couple of snows. Love to see the transformation into a magical world when the snow first comes down.

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  19. Thanks for painting a new look of the desert. My sister in Flagstaff frequently sends us snow photos from the desert. One photo shows over 5′ of fresh snow after a couple-day event. Like most, it’s hard to associate snow and desert in the same sentence.

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  22. 61 inches in one month is no joke! I can totally relate to the awe you feel towards snow-covered landscapes. It’s like stepping into a whole new world, all quiet and serene.

    Your mom’s got a point though, haha.

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  24. I have to say, I do like the “look” of snow and the visual changes it brings to the landscape having to spent all my life to this point in a frozen tundra of the Midwest. What I have waivered from is the “feel” part of it – harder for the body to shake off the cold nowadays and definitely getting harder to run in it for long periods of time. We just missed some of the Arizona snowfalls this January, Benson got hit hard just as we made our way to Tucson and then we headed up to Vegas before the rest of it hit. Love the bird house shot!

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  26. When I was working in Flagstaff, I got stuck there several times because of the snow. Part of the problem was that the town would just shut down. All the restaurants would close, and the snowplows were slow to plow the streets or Interstate 40. One year, I didn’t want to wait, and I followed the semi-truck tracks out of town. It was a risk, but I wanted to get out of there.

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