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Yes, it does snow here.


Byline: The Register-Guard

Thursday's snowfall was a lot of fun - unless your electric power went out. Or unless a tree fell on your house or car. Or unless you drive a tow truck, deliver newspapers, or work for a utility. Or unless you had to be someplace some·place  
adv. & n.
Somewhere: "I didn't care where I was from so long as it was someplace else" Garrison Keillor. See Usage Note at everyplace.
 you weren't.

For all those people, and there were a lot of them, the New Year's Day New Year's Day, among ancient peoples the first day of the year frequently corresponded to the vernal or autumnal equinox, or to the summer or winter solstice. In the Middle Ages it was celebrated among Christians usually on Mar. 25.  storm fell somewhere on a spectrum extending from mild nuisance to serious threat.

For everyone else, Thursday's snowstorm was a rarity to be enjoyed. How rare? It depends - snow depths in Lane County ranged from 5 inches to nearly a foot. A storm in 1996 dropped 5 inches of snow, but there hasn't been a snowfall of 12 inches or more since 1969. That year, about 3 feet of snow piled up over a three-day period, immobilizing im·mo·bi·lize  
tr.v. im·mo·bi·lized, im·mo·bi·liz·ing, im·mo·bi·liz·es
1. To render immobile.

2. To fix the position of (a joint or fractured limb), as with a splint or cast.

3.
 even St. Bernards and Minnesotans.

Whatever the amount, Thursday's snowfall was the first significant accumulation since - well, since Monday, when a couple of inches of snow gave the Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley (pronounced [wɪˈlæ.mɪt], with the accent on the second syllable) is the region in northwest Oregon in the United States that surrounds the Willamette River as it proceeds northward from its  a foretaste fore·taste  
n.
1. An advance token or warning.

2. A slight taste or sample in anticipation of something to come.

tr.v.
 of what was to come. But this winter's snows are the first real snowfalls in years. Seventh-graders in Eugene schools have never missed a day of classes because of snow. Many are feeling cheated by the fact that this storm arrived on a holiday.

These snow-day-deprived kids may get a chance to experience the excited anticipation that comes from listening to the radio, hoping to hear their school's name on the list of those closed because of snow. Cold, wet weather is expected to last through the weekend, perhaps beyond the end of winter break next Monday. And the Willamette Valley's snows typically come in January.

A heavy snowfall brings about several types of transformations. The landscape, of course, is utterly changed - corners are rounded and outlines softened in a monochromatic monochromatic /mono·chro·mat·ic/ (-kro-mat´ik)
1. existing in or having only one color.

2. pertaining to or affected by monochromatic vision.

3. staining with only one dye at a time.
 world. Equally profound is the silence: All sounds are muffled muf·fle 1  
tr.v. muf·fled, muf·fling, muf·fles
1. To wrap up, as in a blanket or shawl, for warmth, protection, or secrecy.

2.
a.
 and the ordinary urban roar is stilled, leaving a quiet punctuated only by snapping limbs, booming transformers, sledders' shouts and the occasional rattle of tire chains. A social transformation also occurs, in which friends and strangers alike all have one big thing in common.

That sense of camaraderie may be the best thing about a snowstorm. People take the trouble to watch for neighbors who may need help, or show appreciation for those trying to keep the roads open and the power on. Maybe that feeling that we're all in this together We're All In This Together can refer to:
  • "We're All in this Together", an OST from the High School Musical Soundtrack.
  • We're All In This Together (sketch), a Malaysian sketch about school life.
 can be preserved beyond the day when the last snowman has made his way to the river.
COPYRIGHT 2004 The Register Guard
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2004, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Title Annotation:Editorials; For some, a nuisance; for many, a delight
Publication:The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)
Article Type:Editorial
Date:Jan 3, 2004
Words:423
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