Snow Words

How is the snow?

Sposhy? 

Or did you just get a skift of snow?

Sposhy is defined by being sloshy and splashy. Skift is just a tiny bit of snow, a light dusting.

I like Sposhy. We get that a lot in the spring. I like Snud too as a descriptive term. Snud is one we made up when I lived in the flat lands. Snow would drift across the flat croplands and then the winds would blow hard and the top soil would turn the snow black and brown. Snow - Mud. 

Snirt, may have been a better descriptive. Snow-Dirt.

No matter. We have had three days of snow and overcast skies. Yesterday, the snow on the grass melted by the time I did evening chores. 

The NOAA now has added Snow Squall to their terminology and warnings. A Snow Squall is an extremely intense and heavy snow fall [event] that lasts 30-60 minutes. I recall getting several alerts on that last winter. It was a term we used often as a general description, but when the weather service issued it the first time, so many people were confused.

When I lived near Kenosha and Racine, we often got Lake Effect snow. Thunder Snow was not something I experienced until I lived here in the boonies. Thunder Snow is truly spectacular if you've never experienced it. Thunder, lightening, and heavy snow all at once!

My husband often says that Snow is a 4 letter word. Yep, he is meaning it is a cuss word.

Though, I don't think I would want to live in an area where we never had snow. I like the changes of the seasons and the fun terms we have for the weather we get.

Quite a few years ago, I was out riding my mule, Badger, and I had to seek shelter from a sudden thunder, lightening, and heavy rain fall. The neighbor waved me into her large shed where she'd pulled her hay wagon in.

She informed me that we'd just had a Chicken Squall. When I looked confused she informed me that a Chicken Squall was a quick heavy downpour with sometimes lightening and thunder. It usually was enough of a rain to make Chicken mad and run for cover. Thus, the name Chicken Squall.

We are on our third day of dreary skies and snowfall though it hasn't amounted to a lot as the ground is still warm in places.

Thankfully, I got a verbal agreement for a fellow neighbor who plows to do our driveway this winter as our hill drive is rather intimidating during a heavy snow fall.

Last year's photo during a heavy snowfall:

Enjoy the weather if you can. 

One of the things I've learned is that if you have nothing else to talk about...weather is always a sure bet.