Warwgn posted some photos of the desert snowstorm we had recently. Here's a link to see more pictures:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/louwags/album?.dir=6a2escd
When we moved here in July, this is the last thing we were expecting. This IS the desert, after all! For those of you who live in snow country, this is probably no big deal. But for a desert town like Albuquerque and the surrounding area, it's highly abnormal.
Last summer, we got a lot of rain, probably four or five times more than usual and at that time, it was commented that it could be a portent for a winter of heavy snow. Whoever it was who said that was right on target.
We got one snowfall about 4" deep right before Christmas but by the time the 25th rolled around, it was mostly melted off. We didn't take any pictures of that one. These photos here are of the snowfall we had a couple of days after Christmas. It snowed for 24 hours, sometimes heavy, other times tapering off a little but always, always snowing the whole time. We got 12 inches at our house but some areas closer to the base of the mountain got 22 inches. The airport recorded more snow than ever during all the time it has been keeping track.
It took me about six hours of shoveling time to shovel off my driveway and sidewalk and then help the neighbors with theirs. THAT will get you into shape! Four huge bags of salt is nearly mandatory for this mess. As pretty as snow is, it's a lot of work and it can be highly dangerous without the right equipment on your car. We weren't trapped by any means but we didn't want to get out any more than necessary, even with the four-wheel drive truck. Too many other cars to bump into!
The oddest thing about it so far, however, is how long it's staying on the ground. There is still a couple of inches of ice on the streets in our neighborhood and everywhere else, it's taking its sweet time melting off. The days are warming back up, though, so we should see it disappear, assuming it stays warm. The weatherman keeps threatening us with another storm and four more inches of snow in the next day or two but it seems to be getting pushed back more and more.
At any rate, enjoy the pictures!
Lou
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/louwags/album?.dir=6a2escd
When we moved here in July, this is the last thing we were expecting. This IS the desert, after all! For those of you who live in snow country, this is probably no big deal. But for a desert town like Albuquerque and the surrounding area, it's highly abnormal.
Last summer, we got a lot of rain, probably four or five times more than usual and at that time, it was commented that it could be a portent for a winter of heavy snow. Whoever it was who said that was right on target.
We got one snowfall about 4" deep right before Christmas but by the time the 25th rolled around, it was mostly melted off. We didn't take any pictures of that one. These photos here are of the snowfall we had a couple of days after Christmas. It snowed for 24 hours, sometimes heavy, other times tapering off a little but always, always snowing the whole time. We got 12 inches at our house but some areas closer to the base of the mountain got 22 inches. The airport recorded more snow than ever during all the time it has been keeping track.
It took me about six hours of shoveling time to shovel off my driveway and sidewalk and then help the neighbors with theirs. THAT will get you into shape! Four huge bags of salt is nearly mandatory for this mess. As pretty as snow is, it's a lot of work and it can be highly dangerous without the right equipment on your car. We weren't trapped by any means but we didn't want to get out any more than necessary, even with the four-wheel drive truck. Too many other cars to bump into!
The oddest thing about it so far, however, is how long it's staying on the ground. There is still a couple of inches of ice on the streets in our neighborhood and everywhere else, it's taking its sweet time melting off. The days are warming back up, though, so we should see it disappear, assuming it stays warm. The weatherman keeps threatening us with another storm and four more inches of snow in the next day or two but it seems to be getting pushed back more and more.
At any rate, enjoy the pictures!
Lou
