The first day of snow: Blog Action Day

First Flakes, New Mexico
Photograph: National Weather Station

I was in wonder when I realised that the wetness on the ground, falling from the sky, was not rain, but our first snow.

It is light, but persistent.

I had an afterthought. Today is Blog Action Day, a once a year event, and this year focused on Global Climate Change.

What better day to recount how this day, with snow, differs so palpably from the October, two years ago, when I moved to the Upper Delaware Valley.

That month, two years ago, the sun was shining. One of the first things done to improve the house was washing all the indoor porch windows. Even with 8 windows wide open, the house remained warm from the bright sun, and the drops of water from cleaning dried quickly.

The entire month was glorious. Preparing for the delivery of my household goods, too long in storage, were pleasant, soothing and productive. I had plans for a rain barrel garden, and wandered across the large property line admiring flowers, herbs and weeds.

I had no need to turn on the furnace. I had no reason to switch on the few overhead lights to read.

It was a perfect Autumn.

Two years later the house is cold, dark, somewhat dank, and while I keep the furnace set below 60 much of the time, today it seems I may have to raise the bar and move the dial up.

My second winter was hellacious. Several times I had to fight my way out from one of 4 exits with all my strength to topple the mounds of packed snow. On two occasions I had to send an SOS to a neighbour to get me out of blocked door(s) frozen by snow turned to ice. I learned that if I wanted out, I had to put on my boots, and get to the doors quickly and frequently shovel the accumulations or face more days of entrapment.

The Farmer's Almanack has declared that this Winter will be very bad.

I can barely image a Winter worse than I experienced last year.

Is this climate change?