Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 Day3 11:00am

Snow continued to fall sporadically overnight after my last post.

My eyes popped open a few times to check the snow on the branches outside the window, and while I saw that more snow had fallen, it wasn't enough to warrant waking. The tuna tin rain gauge has been transformed into a tuna tin snow gauge, none the worse for wear. But isn't it interesting that no snow accumulated INSIDE the tin...

It was exactly 31 degrees per the part time window thermometer at 8:00am this morning. The local weather stations were reporting anywhere from 28-32 degrees, depending on the channel. MSN sidebar is telling me that it's 28 degrees now, at 11:00am. From the way the snow is reacting to the slight gusts of wind that began around 9:30am, I'll buy the 28 degrees. Rather than falling in mushy clumps, it is dusting off to create a short lived glittery blizzard wonderland. I find myself looking for a long while, trying to convince myself it is snowing again just like when I was a kid sitting home on a snow day. In those days I lived on the east coast, where such daydreams were common place for kids in winter. Not so much here in the pacific northwest. Snow falls overnight, and slushes to the ground by mid-morning. Only a few times in a couple decades have the conditions been right for dry glittery snow here in South Kitsap.

The time stamp of 10:30 on the car hood has nearly been filled in, and it was a nearly an inch at that point. It's very cold and blustery out, so I'm not going to re-stamp it just yet.

To my surprise I can hear a frog croaking outside the house! 4 or 5 neighborhood kids passed by about 20 minutes ago, plastic sleds in tow. I'm not sure if they were heading out, or heading in, but it sounded like they were having fun. I hope they don't try to sled down the hill at the end of the drive, it's a blind hill for the cars and very narrow with no should at all... a recipe for disaster.

The view out the front is wonderful, if this much fell here in this tree and hill protected area, I imagine it's even whiter around the county.

Here's a full shot of the table the tuna tin 'precipitation' gauge is set on. The large pot contains an African pansy, which appears quite delicate but has actually turned out to be almost weedlike in it's proliferation as well as being slug-proof and freeze proof. It sets small violet flowers heavily in early spring and then sporadically through fall. Larger clumps will survive intact through winter, and smaller plants will die back to the ground only to emerge again in spring. But I digress... next to the pot is a garden fairy sculpture holding a mirrored gazing ball. I guess I should bring that inside.

I couldn't leave out the Wooby! She is curious and excited about the snow, but hates to get her feet wet... what a dilemma! She finally got over it however...

As of 11:30am there are no signs of melting, the snow is clinging to the tree branches and occasionally being blown around by slight gusts of wind.