It's official!! We have had our first real snow fall. The locals are happy! I've learned over the 15 years of living here, that if it doesn't snow before Christmas the locals get pretty cranky!Well, they are happy and not cranky, but that sure doesn't stop them from complaining :0) ; but again, that's what makes them Happy! It's all a part of the culture.
Watch and listen to the awe and joy in their voices when describing how they navigated over the roads and through the white outs the the lake effect snow created.
Now there are two new phenomons of living in snow country I had to learn -- lake effect and white outs. White outs are pretty self explanatory, but until you are in one on a sunny day with no precepition falling from the sky, you realllly don't understand it. But because of the lake effect snow -- which is light and fluffy and not wet and heavy it is carried real easy on the wind.
So now to what is "lake effect"?. Not being a meteorlogist I probably won't explain it too scientifictly but it sure can pile up high and fast. The cold and wind conditions get 'just right' over the lakes and it creates a 'snow machine' ... that is lake effect snow!
Coming originially from a part of the country that got snow because of storms, getting used to lake effect took some time. EVERY day when it is cold you wake up in the morning and have to brush (sometimes you can just blow it) off your car. It keeps the ground white from December to March and sometimes into April! But as all things you adjust!
Gotta love upstate New York!!!
