A Snowy October Day

Yes, winter made an early appearance here in Minnesota with up to 4 inches of snow falling overnight and throughout most of today.

I had a number of errands to do this morning – and actually quite enjoyed being out and about in the snow. After all, not only was it quite beautiful, but it was not particularly cold.



Above and right: I took these photos (and the opening photo) while waiting for the 21 bus on Marshall Ave. in St. Paul. Thankfully, where I wait is under a big tree – which today (and in the past) has helped keep snow and rain off me!





Above and below: These images are of my garden. I took them later in the day, around 3:00 o’clock. It had stopped snowing by then but, as you can see, still looked rather wintry. In the sixteen years I’ve lived in the Twin Cities this is the earliest I can remember it snowing.

Interestingly, almost a year ago to the day, I was out taking photos of my garden. Last year, however, it was a rainy October afternoon.







Above and below: Snow on hostas yet to die back from the cold just isn’t right!




Following is how the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on today’s snowy conditions.

An early October snowfall brought enough precipitation to cover the ground white in much of southern and central Minnesota today, including the Twin Cities where some of the heaviest amounts have been recorded.

As of 11 a.m., more than 4 inches of snow had been reported at the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus and 3.5 inches in Maplewood.

A winter weather advisory was in effect until early afternoon when snow was set to taper off, the Weather Service said.

Much of the snow that fell on sidewalks and streets melted, but bridge decks could still become slick as temperatures this afternoon were hovering right around the freezing mark. However, the combination of snow and low clouds is creating visibility problems leading to flight delays at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
A Taste of Winter
September Garden
A Wild Afternoon in Minneapolis
Winter Garden (February 2009)
Rainy October Afternoon (2008)
A Snowy December - with an Aussie Connection
Northwoods
This Time Last Year