Snow, March 2006

Palm Springs has an annual contest called "Guess when the first snowfall of the season will be". I believe we had snow before Halloween last year, but this year we haven't even had a dusting yet. By March of each year, our mountains occasionally get a heavy snowfall, usually from an Arctic storm. These pics were taken in March 2006 and you can see how much snow our mountains receive! This snow melts and goes into the underground aquifer, which helps to replenish our valley's water supply. I went on a field trip with my class once and learned it sometimes takes 8 years for the snowfall to percolate down into the ground and be ready to use! So, this snowfall will be available for us to drink in 2014. We haven't had any snow so far this year, and the contest is still going on! Guess I should submit a postcard with a date. If my date is correct, I get a dinner at the top of the Palm Springs tram! I worry about the horses being in this much snow as they are outside, in corrals, with no access to a barn. But, the mustangs grew up in Wyoming, and Beauty and Gigondas were in Washington's snow for several years. Sunni was from Michigan, so they've all been in snow. Besides, their "winter woolies" keep them warm! So, as we await our first snowfall of the season, we will head up to see "the herd" this morning and stop by the swap meet. It will be good to see them.