A Snow Day on March 17?

Here I am trying to get on with my blog about our Asian cruise and I have to break off to report a March snowstorm in Virginia.  What on earth is going on?  And why is it 24F (minus 4.4C) when the daffodils are just beginning to come out?

I woke up at 5.30 this morning (still a bit jet-lagged) and this is what I found on the deck.


I stuck a metal measuring tape in the snow on the table and got a reading of 8.5 inches.  In case you think I exaggerate (who would think that?), here is a photo of said tape showing a bit of snow at about the 8 inch mark.

The deck is quite sheltered so the snow has accumulated undisturbed.  I would say that the surrounding roads (unplowed, as always, in our little 'hood) have about 5 to 6 inches on them.  The official snowfall for our small area in Falls Church, Virginia, is 7-8 inches.  Not bad for March 17.

Snow at this time of the year is not unknown in the D.C. area but it is pretty rare.  I have been in the D.C. area for close on 30 years (April 1 will be my 30th anniversary) and I really don't remember seeing 8 inches of snow lying around.  The Federal Government has closed down, all schools are closed and Route 50 which runs close to our house has nary a soul on it at the moment.  Peace.

It is very beautiful out there but as one newscaster said this morning: "We have seen this movie before".  He also said that snow crews had been called out 23 times this winter to clear major roads in the Falls Church area.  But who's counting at this late stage?

Have a nice day--wherever you are.