No question mark. We awoke to snow this morning. Our camera’s busted, so I refer you to Coco for a look. The staff empricist empiricist here at Inkstain reports 1-3/4 inch on the various flat bits in the backyard. The water equivalent at the airport is a tenth of an inch. Those of you living in more arduous climates will no doubt scoff at a storm of this magnitude qualifying as “storm of the winter,” but we’ll take it. It’s the first measurable precipitation here since Jan. 25.
Most importantly, according to the Snotel stations, we had up to an inch of snow water equivalent. Snow water equivalent is the water there is when the show’s melted, which is what matters for water supplies. Actual snow depth was more than 7 inches at Chamita and more than a foot of snow at the Grayback station in southern Colorado.
So I only speak a couple of languages and the New Mexican dialect of American English is apparently not one of them. Does the phrase “storm of the winter” emphasise a missing, implicit “first” at the front of the phrase, or is it drawing attention to an emphasised “the” (as in “it was THE storm of the winter; to top all others”)? I am assuming it is not just a normal definite article that is implied, since even in drought-parched eastern Australia we have more than one storm each winter.
Just prior to reading your entry, I saw that a few states to the east (in Ohio), they had a similar “fine day to inclement weather” change (although no snow). Compare the background in this photo — http://www.scalzi.com/whatever/004075.html — to this one –http://www.scalzi.com/whatever/004077.html . They were taken a day apart!
And then as soon as I post this, I notice you have two articles with the same title and the first one answered my question. Thankyou.. nothing to see here… going back into my hole now. *blush*
Yes, you’ve got it. The biggest storm of the winter.