Tag Archives: snow

welcome october, let the ‘ber months begin.

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the united states of snowfall
when will your state see its first snowfall in 2026?
this map shows when to expect it.


the cold-weather snow key
(looks like mine will be november, the next ‘ber month)

Each year, Farmers’ Almanac releases a snowfall map that shows when your region will receive snow, based on previous years’ weather patterns.

Along with a map, is a key to show which regions will see snow months before others, if at all. Each color represents a timeframe when snow usually falls in a certain area. Purple indicates the earliest snowfall, while light blue depicts late or no snowfall.

And here we find ourselves, when snow might be on the horizon, depending on where you live. Some of us can’t wait for snow, reminiscing about hot cocoa, warm blankets, fireplaces, ice skating, cozy films, snow days off school (the kids) and watching the flakes fall from the window. Others wince at the mere thought of snow and last year’s frozen streets, power outages, shoveling, snow days off school (parents), and chilly temperatures.

Still, some people really love (and depend on) the snow and the winter holidays and cold-weather activities that come with it.

Whether the possibility of snow is exciting or unwelcome, the map is not a snow guarantee, but an estimate based on yearly averages. Some states might see snow earlier than expected; others might go the entire year without any.

Here we go!

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‘one thing I love about Detroit is that in the wintertime, they have a great device for removing snow. it’s called july.’

-soupy sales, american comedian, actor, radio-tv personality, and jazz aficionado

(i grew up watching soupy here in detroit)

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source credits: logan deloye, mental floss, farmer’s almanac, getty images

the ducks in winter.

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‘where do the ducks go in the winter?’

-j.d. salinger (holden caulfield), ‘the catcher in the rye’

                                                             

 

 

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some of them are here in a park in ann arbor

stepping on fresh snow.

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‘Stepping on fresh snow’,  embroidery by Japanese artist, Narumi 

‘stepping on fresh snow’  found in park near my house

-human and dog artists unknown

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‘there’s just something beautiful about walking on snow that nobody else has walked on.’

-carol rifka brunt

sled chickens.

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two more winter storms coming this weekend

i wish i had a pet snow chicken

no need for it to pull me on a sled

instead

we could fly downhill on a toboggan together. 

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‘snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood.’

-andy goldsworthy, artist, naturist

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image credit: sled chickens of the north, from the far side,  by Gary Larson

freeze frame.

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Previous winners from hair-freezing competition at Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs / SWNS

Hot springs enthusiasts are hoping for Arctic temperatures in Canada so an annual hair-freezing contest can go forth later this winter. The yearly competition began in 2012, launched by a spa in the Yukon territory that has since produced some  hilarious pictures.

In the town of Whitehorse, a 10-hour drive from Juneau, Alaska, bathers dip into the naturally warmed waters at Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs. If the outdoor temps are cold enough, people can make their hair freeze into wacky shapes.

Contest categories include best female and male, best group, best facial hair, and a people’s choice award, and every category winner receives a $2000 cash prize.

“We kick off the Hair Freezing contest as soon as the temperature drops to -20°C or lower,” said Satyam Jain, a spokesperson for The Hot Springs.

“We usually keep an eye on the forecast to see how long the cold temp will last and start the contest anytime between December and March.”

Their website includes instructions on how to freeze hair:

  1. Dip your head in the hot springs and wet your hair completely. Don’t worry- freezing your hair won’t damage it.
  2. Allow the cold air to slowly freeze your hair. Keep your ears warm by periodically dipping them into the hot water. Be patient–all wet hair will eventually freeze, this includes eyebrows and even eyelashes.
  3. Once your hair has become pure white with lots of frost and ice buildup, ring the bell near the pool entrance and have our staff come out to take your photo!

 


Everyone is hoping for a cold winter so the spa can continue their long run of contests and for more fun to be enjoyed by the visiting bathers.

 

 

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“a lot of people like snow. i find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.’

-carl reiner, american comedian/writer

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source credit: nice news

snow very happy.

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“well, I know now.  know a little more how much a simple thing like a snowfall can mean to a person”
― sylvia plath

 

 

snowflake.

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2500 hours across 5 years – “The Snowflake,”

featuring more than 400 snowflakes, all in relative size to one another.

photography by *don komarechka

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*Don Komarechka is a nature & landscape photographer located in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario, Don is no stranger to cold winters. From auroras to pollen, insects to infrared, much of Don’s photographic adventures reveal a deeper understanding of how the universe works. Snowflakes are no exception.

Don began studying the science of snowflakes the same day he first photographed them, nearly four years prior to the publication of this book. Since then, snowflakes have been a non-stop passion.

Each one of Don’s snowflake images is photographed on an old black mitten at his home. Barrie, Ontario is known for higher levels of winter precipitation, making it a great location to capture hundreds of beautiful specimens.

Always science-minded but never formally trained, Don uses photography as a way to explore and understand the world around him. Photographing something unusual or unknown is the perfect excuse to learn something new.

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“nature is full of genius, full of the divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand.”
-henry david thoreau

cccccccccold.

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very cold scene from ‘the shining.’ (warner brothers)

does anyone else watch movies set in the snow and became freezing just watching them?

it all starts out well enough

 suddenly dawning on me

the characters

have spent much of the movie in the freezing snow.

 once i realize this, there is no  going back,

it begins to feel so very cold.

consider this a warning or cautionary tale.

below are some i’ve sen over the years,

any to add to the list?

white fang

frozen

fargo

dr. zhivago

on her majesty’s secret service

white out

groundhog day

the revanent

jeremiah johnson

home alone

the snow walker

shackleton

snow day

the thing

vertical limit

society of the snow

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“life is cold. people stay warm through the intimacy of a story.”

-james altucher

 

the beginning.

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 here comes the snow, tiptoeing in –

the beginning of a very long season ahead

 

 

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“the beginning is always today.”

-mary shelly, author of frankenstein

*yoopers.

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It took a month to make some of the incredible snow sculptures that were part of the annual Michigan Technological University Winter Carnival. Phi Kappa Tau extended its winning streak to five years with a huge rendition of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. (Photo: Daniel Staelgraeve | Michigan Technological University)
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what you do in the winter (and sometimes in may),
when you go to college in the upper peninsula of michigan
* yooper – a native or inhabitant of the upper peninsula of michigan
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 “i wrote, and sometimes, when i was stuck, i hit the road.
i ate pasties in the upper peninsula and hush puppies in cairo.
i did my best not to write about any place i had not been.”
– neil gaiman