I’ve loved the autumn here, but we got our first taste of winter yesterday. I was making dinner, looked out the kitchen window, and I thought I saw snow. A moment later, it was snowing so hard that I couldn’t see the houses a block away. It only lasted about five minutes and it was still above freezing, so we only got a light dusting and it didn’t stick for long.

The term they used on the TV weather report was “flurry squall,” which is apparently what you get when it snows hard enough to create limited visibility, but it’s for a very short time. It’s like a mini blizzard. To be a true blizzard, it has to snow long enough for there to be accumulation on the ground. If you’re caught in one of these while driving, it can be dangerous, but you’ll be out of it very quickly. If you’re not driving, it’s just pretty to look at for a few minutes.

We’re supposed to get more of those this afternoon. I already have bread rising to bake because it’s definitely the kind of day for that sort of thing. I hope to get some good writing done, if I’m not spending all day looking out the window for snow. My inner child definitely comes out the first moment I see a flake in the sky. From what I understand from people who’ve lived here a long time, they do get snow here, but it doesn’t stay around all winter. Most winter days it gets above freezing during the daytime, aside from occasional cold spells, so anything that falls only lasts a day or two. I’ll need to get a snow shovel to clear off my walk and dig out my car if I need to go anywhere, but I should be able to stock up on supplies based on the forecast and wait it out or else walk to get anything I need. I’ll have to see if I need to get snow boots or if my waterproof hiking boots will suffice. So far, I haven’t needed a heavier winter coat. I haven’t even used my existing winter coats, just lighter lined jackets or sweatshirts. It seems to feel warmer here than I’d expect based on the thermometer. I’ve walked downtown to go to church in just a light sweater with a lined suit coat over it when it was 39 degrees. I went out to look at the snow yesterday while wearing a sweater over a sweatshirt.

It’s supposed to warm up tomorrow and be windy enough that anything that falls today will be gone by tomorrow night. Which is good because I’m heading out for my Thanksgiving travel on Sunday. I’ll be heading over several rivers, through a lot of woods and over a couple of mountain ranges. I won’t be posting my blog next week, as I will be enjoying time with my family. I might post updates on social media, if you follow me on Facebook or BlueSky.