The Thrill of the First Snow

No other season comes so abruptly,

like a thief in the night,

as the first snow of winter.

We wake up,

glance out the window--

Absolutely astounding.

Exciting. Electrifying.

Every year.

Spring, summer, fall

come gradually,

slowly charming us.

Winter startles and dazzles us.

 It's so pure.

 Covering all the fallen leaves.

 Making our yard as tidy as everyone else's.

  Wondrous.

We didn't ride our trikes,

even though the snow didn't stick on the road,

because at mid-day it was 34 degrees.
Yesterday it was 71 degrees.

                Salt Lake City residents may have awoken to a skiff of snow on the ground this morning, but last night the city set two new heat records.

Though snow fell, the temperature in Salt Lake City never hit freezing, according to the National Weather Service. That makes this year's fall frost — whenever it comes — the latest on record. Previously, the latest known date Salt Lake City experienced its first frost of the season was Nov. 16, 1921.

Midnight last night also marked the longest known warm season in which Salt Lake City has gone without a frost. The city has been above freezing since March, 20, 2016, making this past frost-free period 242 days long. The previous record, 241 days, was set in 1915.

But while those records are being broken, so far this year Utah has not experienced record-breaking heat to the same extent as the rest of the United States, said Christine Kruse, a Salt Lake City-based meteorologist with the National Weather Service. While 2016 overall is on track to go down in history as the hottest year since the meteorological record began in the 19th century, temperatures in Utah are still lagging behind last year's records.

Thus far this year, Salt Lake City's average temperature is sitting at 59.5 degrees; last year at this time the average was 59.9. Further south, Cedar City is averaging 54.4 degrees. Cedar City's warmest year on record, 1981, had an average temperature of 55.8 degrees.

It's November's weather, which to date has been exceptionally warm, that made the new records possible, Kruse said. For the first half of the month, she said, most of Utah has been 10-13 degrees above normal.

The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction center expects Utah's warm winter to continue through much of the season, Thursday's abruptly wintry weather notwithstanding. Above-freezing temperatures and even rain are in the forecast for next week. SLTrib

                  Looks like when the snow melts,

                  we'll be picking broccoli and kale.