snow!

back in Detroit they call it an Alberta Clipper. its not a hair style or stylist. its a cold and dry blast of air coming out of the Canadian arctic that tends to drop temperatures significantly and frequently dump snow. the snow up north comes from the great lakes, which at this time of year are warmer than the air, so that this dry air picks up moisture, then cools again over land and the moisture falls as snow.

that little science lesson explains the chill here in the mid-atlantic. Canada is exporting its cold air to us. the snow flurries in the air that have us all excited, im not sure where that moisture came from. perhaps leftovers from the snow that fell in Detroit and Cleveland. anyway, for a boy missing the midwest the chill and flurries are a bit heart warming. reminds me of the homeland.

its times like this i start looking at the farmers almanac to see if perhaps its in the tea leaves for a good ski season. i hope so. it would be nice to get out on the slopes without having to get on a plane. im crossing my fingers for a snowy winter. at home, that means a bit warmer than normal as warmer air can bing more moisture and snow. here, that may mean a colder winter, but im from Detroit, i grew up with snow as a normality, life goes on. and if the roads are covered in a foot of snow, then its time to go sledding. who's with me?