Our Hapa Home: Recording breaking snow!

We had a huge snow here this past weekend. Record breaking -- 11.3 inches at the airport, where official records are kept, but totals around town varied widely. We had more than a foot of snow on the West Mesa when it was over; 14.5 inches in Rio Rancho; more than 2 feet at Sandra Dodd's house in the far NE Heights (at 6,500+ elevation). The airport snow total exceeded all past snowfall records in one day. I've heard from someone else in the area, that already this winter (with only two snowfalls) we've exceeded the record snowfall for an entire winter in Albuquerque. Keeping in mind that it's crazy to count snowfall totals at the airport, as it seldom snows there as often or as heavily as in other parts of town. I remember more than a few snowfalls of several inches as a child -- I grew up not far from where Sandra lives -- when no snow fell at the airport, so nothing counted!

It was a surprise to most of us -- the weather man on Thursday had said we could expect a total of 2 inches from this storm by Friday morning, then it would clear out. In the category of famous last words... we had 4 inches by nightfall Friday, having had beautiful snow all day. Went to bed with snow falling softly, thinking maybe we'd see a dusting more by morning. We woke to find 6+ inches of new snow! It was everywhere, and I had to get to work somehow! After much changing in plans -- surely they didn't really expect me today.... okay so they did and would send someone in a 4-wheel drive..... okay, that wasn't going to work, she was too busy, I should get a cab and she'd pay for it........ if I even got there!.....Finally decided that if I was going to put my life in the hands of a professional driver, it should be Gary! As it happened, cabs weren't running anyway so it was a moot point. A co-worker showed up 3 hrs late, after spending about three hours digging her car out (with a variety of implements until a neighbor took pity and shared her snow shovel, all the while taking pictures of the 'cute kids' stuck in the snow. (well, she is a cute little 19yo thing -- I told her she'd benefited from the Mom sentiment in the neighbor. She also netted some Dad sentiment when Gary cleared the snow behind her car so she could leave work later.)

By this time, he'd cleared the driveway and hiked out to the end of the block and determined that the main road had been cleared somewhat -- it was a go! I made it, only 1-1/2 hours late. Even made it home later, while it was still snowing thru the day.

I like this picture -- the way the snow piled up, then draped over without falling. It did this everywhere -- on power lines and fences, the edge of our trampoline.