Except for a few little spats, Winter has been gentle so far this year, with many unseasonably mild days and little snow. On Thursday, he decided it was time to get tough, and our first real storm of the season settled in. Freezing rain began to fall in the wee hours of the morning, and by mid-day, everything had a coating of ice.
Over the course of the afternoon, the freezing rain turned to snow. I kept the feeders filled and the blue jays and chickadees took full advantage of the handout. Birds would just as soon do their own foraging, and with the mild winter weather we’ve had to date, business has been slow at the feeders, but with a storm underway, the birds were anxious to stock up.
Even Little Red dropped by, once those pesky blue jays cleared out.
The snow continued through Friday, far exceeding the 4 inches predicted by the weatherman. By Saturday morning, the ground had a blanket of more than a foot of snow. The storm had moved on, and Saturday was sunny and clear. Wow! What a winter wonderland! Everywhere you looked, the world was postcard perfect. It sure felt like winter too, with the temperature plunging. On Sunday, another beautiful day, we woke to the mercury crouching low in the thermometer, -30°. A gardener is grateful for a good blanket of snow when the temperature dips so low.
When the snow slipped from branches, it exposed the initial layer of ice, sparkling in the sun.
As the sun set on Saturday evening, it bathed the snowy landscape in a warm glow, a beautiful ending to the day.
Willow House Chronicles 
so very pretty, all those branches with snow. freezing rain can be so damaging i’m glad it switched to snow. i’m holding my breath, this winter has been very mild!
and, happy new year!
Some great photos of your first big snow. We still have had just two dustings. Hope your ice does not cause problems. — barbara
Super shots of the snow. I found it interesting that bluejays were at the feeder. Here the bluejays don’t show up at the feeder until snow or ice drives them in. The exception being when I used to keep feed outside for the dogs all the time. The bluejays became regular robbers of the dog food.
How beautiful! We got all of maybe 3 or 4 inches, and yesterday it mostly melted away. This morning, temps still in the 40s, and we were enjoying POURING rain. Ugh. Needless to say, the snow is all gone now.
Enjoy yours while it lasts!
iMadeItSo, all the best for the new year to you and your family too! Yes, the ice can do a lot of damage. There are a few trees bent under the load of ice still, mostly evergreens.
Barbara, thanks, It is very beautiful and I like to see winter acting like winter.
Grampy, I used to put cat kibble out at our previous residence for a family of crows. The blue jays like it too. I’ll have to get some for them. Thanks for the reminder!
Ellen, winter rain, yuck! I’d much rather have snow, preferably a nice deep blanket laid down in December and then just a sprinkling now and then until spring. But I guess with climate change, we will have to get used to more unsettled weather and yoyoing temperatures.