31 January 2012

A dusting

The "snowstorm" turned out to be a mere dusting in the Saint-Aignan area. Instead of 2 to 4 inches, we got what looks like less than an inch of the white stuff. As a friend from Buffalo described some of my pictures of Saint-Aignan snow a few years ago, it looks like a sprinkling of talcum powder.

The view out the kitchen window late yesterday afternoon

I haven't been out yet. Walt took Callie for her walk yesterday afternoon. It wasn't all that cold yesterday during the day. The temperature was just above freezing, and our thermometer shows 0.0ºC this morning — that's 32ºF. Its supposed to get a lot colder over the next few days.

Looking out the guest bedroom window
late yesterday

This snow shower was caused by cold air moving in from Russia in the east and a warm front moving down the coast from the North Atlantic and the British Isles. Obviously, the cold air got to Saint-Aignan first and kept the main part of the precipitation east of us. This morning's news reports are coming from Chinon, where it seems the snow was heavier.

The linden tree out back early this morning

P.S. It's after eight in the morning and there's enough light to see outside. The snow is pretty and more must have fallen overnight, making the neighborhood and woods into a winter wonderland.

From the terrace at about 8:20 a.m.

Isn't it true that the season's first snow always looks beautiful?

9 comments:

  1. We now have snow-capped mole hills.

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  2. We've got about the same although it all fell yesterday afternoon. It's now crispy crunchy frozen. We are off to Paris tomorrow - I hope the car battery survives the stay in the station carpark!

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  3. Does Bertie go out when it's cold and snowing? That should make a pretty picture: "Black cat in the snow" :)

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  4. Oh, my, yes, this snowfall looks lovely :) Especially the snow-capped mole hills :))

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  5. hahaha re the mole hills....a couple of my cats dont mind going out in the snow....seems like something they wouldn't want to do, esp since they tend to want to be near the heat source...we havent had anything near snow around here....and tomorrow its gonna be near 70 here in VA.....i like a little bit of snow & wish we would get some

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  6. I talked to a friend who said she took her dog out for a pee about midnight last night. There was a fine mist falling, she said. It was a kind of freezing fog. That explains why the trees were so frosted over this morning.

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  7. Oops looks like the ether ate my post .
    I like the last picture a lot - nice fresh first snow ( you are lucky Ken that they remain white as long as the temp. allows it ). Here i have a white backyard but a dirty grey from the traffic on the street in the front.

    We were surprised to see the mercury below minus 2 digits (celsius) in some parts of France,like -12 C in Toulouse.

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  8. That Linden is picture-perfect! What an advertisement that is for the tree shape - absolutely lovely!

    Mary in Oregon

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