Back Roads Drive: Winter Snowfall (Original Photography)

Howdy,

Southern Minnesota has been getting its fair share of winter weather this month! The meteorologists had forseen a warm, snowy winter. We did have absurdly warm weather in January, but February has been another story altogether. At least they got the snowy part right!

^{Getting the Drift}

This was the view on Thursday evening. We received another significant snowfall, accumulating to about four inches (10cm) and then the winds picked up. The visibility quickly dropped. Naturally, I went out to get some photos.

^{Snowy Blur}

Depending on the area, visibility varied quite a bit. Here, the blowing snow obscures the horizon, but was less turbulent by the road I took the photo from. It almost appears to be a fog except that, where fog seems to mute and desaturate colors, the tiny ice crystals that make up snow seem to reflect, refract, and amplify them. These pastel blues, oranges, and reds are the natural color of the scene.

^{Drifting Snow}

Here's a view of the road I was on. It had been plowed, but the drifting snow made it hard to see where the road was. There were a couple vehicles in the ditch. One, a pickup truck, was at such an angle that the rear wheels were about a foot off the ground. I was a bit more cautious.

The majority of the weekend was clear and sunny, but we received another six inches of fresh snow today.

Thank you for taking a look! If you enjoy my work, please click the upvote button. Comments are also greatly appreciated.