Winter Passing Through

Snow Day, 2010

Winter finally arrived the other night. It’s been flirting with us since fall. But just when you'd think it was getting into full swing there'd instead be a week of t-shirt weather. Go figure.

But when winter finally showed up for real this past Saturday afternoon it made sure it's appearance would not go unnoticed. Great gusts of wind came up. There were deep, percussive booms of thunder. What had been a day of occasional drizzle became sleet and then snow and then a swirling blizzard.

We were out at dinner with friends when the storm hit its peak. The restaurant was full of people arriving for reservations running up against people who didn't want to surrender their tables just yet lest they have to go out into the storm.

But it didn't last long. Snow rarely does here. In my youth it would snow in the morning, turn to slush by early afternoon and wash away by evening.

And that's pretty much how it was Saturday night. The snow was falling and the wind was swirling when we went into the restaurant. But by the time we left water was flowing across the parking lot and the maître d was pronouncing the onset of the spring thaw.