Snow Day!

I set out this morning with hopes of some snowy photography opportunities.  It started snowing at about 7am and was coming down lightly.  The wind stopped gusting and the temperature was perfect for a hike.

The highway to Elk Island had some snow on it and there were icy patches.  Most drivers were paying attention to the conditions and driving slower.  The odd impatient one would speed by; making me wonder which ditch they would end up in.

I got to the park and headed north to the snowshoe trail.  The further north I got, the harder it was snowing.  Huge fluffy flakes were creating a white carpet on the highway, making it difficult to tell where the road ended and the ditch began.

I turned around and started for home.  It was a good thing that there was no wind.  The snow made for a very picturesque drive.  The bison looked like big snowballs along the roadside.  They were foraging for food in the storm.

The highway conditions were deteriorating quickly.  In the 15 minutes that it took me to turn around and get back to the park gate, a tractor pulling two tankers and a mini van hit the ditch.  

It was not snowing as hard close to home but it did continue snowing throughout the day.  There was one short period of time that it let up but then started again, harder than before.

Since I was house-bound for the day, I was entertained by the bird activity at the feeders.  The chickadees were hiding in the branches of the spruce trees in the back yard.  In 10 minutes I saw blue jays, nuthatches, chickadees, magpies, redpolls and downy woodpeckers visiting the tray feeder.  A pileated woodpecker flew through the yard but did not stop by for a visit.

I checked the updated weather forecast and it has been revised from a 10cm snowfall to a 20-30cm snowfall.  From the looks of things the storm is not ready to let up.  I'll just have to wait it out.  Good thing I stocked up on coffee and refilled the wood box.  It's going to be a relaxing night.