Dust Bowl

Yesterday we had a storm move through our area.

It rained, it snowed, it hailed and the wind blew like crazy!

When the wind blows here, it stirs up all kinds of dust!

The Black Rock desert is located to the west of us and when the wind blows they playa dust will head our way and hang in the air.

We also have sand dunes all around us...need I say more!

 

Yesterday on the drive home, as I dropped into the valley, I noticed the sun was obscured by all of the dirt in the air.

 I grabbed the camera and snapped some shots thinking they wouldn't really be much of anything.

But after reviewing the photos today, I decided I rather liked them.

They capture the "dust bowl" feel that we encounter every time the wind kicks up and blows a gale!

 

 The windmill in the photo below was whirring round like crazy!



Still Under

A Winter Storm Watch and now a blanket of snow!

The photo below is of our little Volcano fire pit that sits just off our patio!

It is slowly disappearing under the blowing, horizontal snow!

When I got up this morning, I knew it had been snowing even before I looked out the window. It was quiet! The kind of quiet that only a snowfall can bring.

I started to get ready for work, but I really wasn't sure what I should do....drive in or stay home? My drive one way is around 30 miles...mostly gravel road out of our valley and then on a two-lane hwy into town.

We had discussed the storm at work yesterday and my boss told me to use my best judgement if the storm looked bad. So I planned ahead and brought home work to do just in case.

I called into the office to find out what the weather was doing in town. I was told it was snowing hard, the roads were very slick and the wind was picking up.

I received an update on the hwy and it was snow packed and slick.

I chose to stay home and not make the drive in.

I'm glad I did! It has continued to snow all morning, the wind picked up which is causing the snow to blow horizontally and drift!

It is supposed to continue to get worse as the afternoon progresses with winds expected to hit 45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph!