Igloo Snow in Southwest Virginia

One of the important tools for life that I had before I met my wife was a snow saw. We have been married for over thirty years, and she maintains that I have never used it even in our many years living in a snow belt in Canada.

Being a very practical lady she has never figured out why I needed a snow saw, but I am certain many fellow adventurers will agree with my decision to have a snow saw before moving to the Canadian wilderness for ten years. It might have been used as much as my felt lined boots, but one never knows when the right tool will be needed.

Perhaps my wife is exaggerating, but those of us who have been married over thirty years know better than to seriously challenge any of our wives' long held beliefs. Given the challenge to my credibility , this most recent snow offered an opportunity that I could not pass up.

Any readers living on the east coast north of North Carolina, probably would agree with my assessment that much of that area, especially Virginia, meets the definition of a winter wonderland. Snow is everywhere and has taken on qualities not often seen in these parts.

In describing the snow that has been on the ground in Roanoke, Virginia for the last several weeks, I have recently used the term igloo snow. I came to that description after a lot of moving snow which involved cutting blocks of snow and then shoveling it.

Yesterday my wife mentioned that my allegedly unused snow saw was downstairs if I needed it in my snow removal efforts. This morning I decided that the time had come to put to rest the unfounded rumors about my snow saw's work history.

Since snow is everywhere in Roanoke, all I had to do was open our deck door and cut a block of snow. I will admit to using a dustpan to extract it, but that perfectly sawed block of snow is still a fine block of snow which I am sure could be used as a first building block for an igloo.

If my granddaughter happened to be here for this adventure, I might head out into the front yard and start cutting blocks two through one hundred. I have no doubt that we have plenty of snow for the job.

So let it be recorded officially that on February 17, 2010, nearly forty years after its purchase, there is conclusive photographic evidence that my snow saw has cut a block of snow.

With this being a winter where snow is even being seen on North Carolina's Crystal Coast, I hope that these unusual conditions are not part of a global cooling trend. However, if that is the case, I have the right tool for the climate change. Be sure to click on the image for a better view of my snow saw.

Could this be winter?

On Tuesday we headed west from the Emerald Isle, NC area. About one hundred miles east as we crossed Interstate 95 we ran into some snow squalls.

They were short-lived but impressive. As we made our way farther into the heart of the state we could see more of the signature tall white clouds which seemed to merge into the ground.

We came back to the coast on Wednesday night. On Thursday we were over on Emerald Isle and heard that snow flurries had been sighted while we were gone. At the same time our neighbors in Roanoke, Va sent us pictures of the first snow of the season.

Today, I have seen several quick snow showers. It is over forty degrees so nothing is sticking, but I am impressed nonetheless. These are the first snow flurries that I have witnessed on the coast.

With temperatures running ten to twenty degrees below normal daytime highs for November and snow in the air, I must conclude that we are having an early winter.

At one time in my life I relished the first snows of winter. Once the snow came, there were certain things that were no longer possible on the farm. There was a period of shifting gears which actually offered some opportunity for relaxation. The first snows brought an end to the frenzied pace of fall. It was a time to put some things on hold and make up a new list of what had to be done.

The second winter, 1989, after we moved from Canada, we had just moved to Roanoke, Virginia, The snow came early that winter. Five or six inches of snow remained on the ground from before Thanksgiving until after Christmas. We thought we had moved back to Canada.

That was the only fall that the snow stayed on the ground in Roanoke.

Somehow, a cloudy even snowy early winter seems to suit the mood of the country. No one really knows how to fix our problems. Perhaps if we hibernate through winter, things will be better in the spring.

If it were just that easy, there would be no complaints coming from me even if it meant some snow on the ground here on the coast.