The world is covered in snow!
I think this may be my first ever snowy Christmas. Not my first snowy morning, mind you, but I think all my past Christmases (Christmæ?) were in the Bay Area, sans snow.
The road has clearly been driven on, leaving an appalling icy-slushy-refreezy surface (outside air temperature now 18°F). I wouldn't venture out on that without 4WD and really good tires and some pressing need. The locals seem to be taking the same approach; traffic is very sparse, and moving very cautiously. Also, as of 0800, the paper still wasn't here. Maybe the paperboy can't get to the tauntaun stable?
And those turning-around tire tracks at the bottom of our driveway? Might just be related to that stranded pickup truck across the road. (Guessing by the additional tracks, it appears that someone with better traction came along and rescued the driver.)
Update: Now there's a one-size-larger pickup truck come to the aid of the stranded one. Meanwhile, there's at least one more stranded vehicle in view, just on that little stretch of road... and I think there's another at the intersection, and maybe also one hidden behind a house.
Not a good day for being out on the road.
Update 2: A little before 1100, a snowplow went past! Well, a pickup truck with a snowplow attachment on the front and a lot of rocks in the bed. I didn't realize these roads got plowed; I assumed people mostly just waited a day for the snow to melt. (Um. Forecast for today is a high of 25°F; there may not be much melting happening. Supposed to get well above freezing the next few days, though.)
Update 3: Additional snow during the afternoon, fairly heavy at times. That hadn't been in the forecast! Around 1600ish, I stuck a probe in the fluffy powdery stuff on the back lawn: a bit over 8 inches. Yesterday's winter weather alert said there might be an inch or three of snow accumulating... so I guess this is kind of unexpected? Maybe Al Gore is in town?
Meanwhile in Nashville, it seems an RV blew up. My first thought was of course "propane leak", but there are apparently strong signs that this was intentional. Like, a computer-generated voice saying "I'm a thirty second bomb!" or something along those lines. Word is that a big AT&T facility was damaged, and this is affecting telecomm infrastructure over rather a large area. Like, possibly out to here. Hm. An attack on infrastructure, with a warning so as to avoid casualties. Someone been reading Edward Abbey?
Ah, well. The Sun doth set, outside air temperature is back down to 18°F, and dinner is in the oven.
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