Remember back in November when it seemed like the snow would never fall?
Now, after a month of storms, it seems like another era altogether. Then again, so does a winter that reminds us of a somewhat distant past, when snow fell early and often, and then kept falling well into what the calendar optimistically labelled spring.
To borrow from another bygone era – that of the classic spaghetti western – we might dub this the winter of the good, the bad and the ugly.
Good, of course, has fallen in spades, thanks to what meteorologists call an “atmospheric river,” a narrow corridor of concentrated moisture that has barreled out of the Pacific straight at the California coast. We know this pattern as the “Pineapple Express.”
It has been generous. If a mountain view does not convince you, check statistics. According to Accuweather, precipitation for the past week was reported at 1.21 inches, the last month to date at 2.22 inches, and month and year to date as 313 percent of normal.
This snowpack promises plenty to recharge aquifers, top off reservoirs, make for great spring river runs and irrigate fields come summer.
Too much of a good thing can be bad, of course, when the flakes fall faster than plow crews can clear them, and slides close mountain passes. Driving as an adrenaline sport is not everybody’s cup of tea.
Things can turn ugly, too, as in case of Costilla County, where 10-foot snowdrifts stranded residents and forced an emergency declaration. And worse, closer to home, where all of Dolores County was also under an emergency declaration, a propane leak is suspected in an explosion that destroyed a house in Rico and killed Lisa Salliby, 42.
That’s a grim reminder that while it is prime time for skis and riding, it is also time to dig out fire hydrants and propane tanks, check pipes and connections, clear snow from chimneys and vents, and make sure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are fully charged and working. Enjoy all the snow. But please do so safely.
