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We rarely get more than a dusting of snow here in central North Carolina. When we do, we declare an unofficial holiday – Snow Daze! Excited kids play outside until dark. Parents shiver and watch. We head to bed early in exhausted delight after downing quarts of hot chocolate. And the snow melts the next day like it was never here.
Join me and see for yourself what a rare southern snow is like on this Snow Daze photo walk through my ‘hood. 
Drone Photo: Favorite Neighbor
1. Anticipation is keeping us waitin' ... 
Excitement builds days before.
Forecasts tease us with possible snowfall amounts and storm tracks. Most times, the wintry weather misses us. But once every year or so, the predictions come true. And just like that.... Snow Daze mania takes over!
Folks in northern climes, who are used to snow falling all winter, think we're nuts. We ignore their eye rolls and revel in our frenzy. It starts with a mad dash to Harris Teeter and Food Lion for milk, bread and toilet paper. (Yep, those items run out quick. Nope, we don't really need them, but they're our winter weather security blanket.)  Cat's Snow Daze stash
Then we dig out snow boots and that pair of warm mittens Grandma knitted for us last Christmas, hoping we remember where we stashed them.
Parents hunt for shovels and ice melt. Kids pull out sleds and cardboard boxes. Anything to whoosh them down a snow-covered hill. Me? I assemble my Snow Daze staples.
2. Twas the Night Before Snow Daze ....
Temperatures plunge.
Breath plumes silver in frigid air. There's an eerie nighttime sky, dark clouds ringing the moon. Oh yeah. We're sure now ..... snow is on the way! 
Snow moon over the 'hood
When snow creeps in, it's cold, dark, and past bedtime for most. but.... my social media feeds still explode! It's snowing in southern Wake County! First flakes in down town! We got an inch already on the deck! Anybody know if garbage pick up is cancelled for tomorrow? 
Photo by George Mike Wilson: Chatham Street in the snow, Cary, NC
3. Ready, Set, SNOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!
Snow brings out the inner kid in all of us. I'm so excited, I hardly sleep a wink. Can't wait for my first glimpse of the white stuff in daylight. I'm up at dawn, camera ready, to catch the best light. The storm has moved on, but in its wake.... a brilliant sunrise. 
Morning-after snow sky
Our Covid-weary, winter world is transformed and delicious, dusted in white like a cake drenched with powdered sugar. 
Hidden garden path
It's not long before we hear breakfasted, booted, and bundled kids giving the freshly fallen snow some lovin.' 
Snow Daze wonder - photo by Favorite Neighbor
Nothing short of a winter wonderland! Kids are ... sledding snow angel-ing building snow people EVERYWHERE!
Snow Daze joy; Photo by Favorite Neighbor
Me? I walk the hood, taking it all in before dashing inside to throw chili fixin's in the crockpot for tonight's meal. 
Crock Pot Chili
Later, I dig out my trusty shovel to attack the sidewalk and driveway. This is the first time we had to clear them in five winters! I don’t mind. Tackling this fuffly stuff is my favorite kind of winter cardio. A thin layer of ice adds enough resistance for strength training, too. Best, when I tire, Hub finishes the job.
Cat Michaels' winter exercises
So Long, Farewell, auf Wiedersehen, Good-bye Night falls. Temperature drops. Everyone reluctantly straggles inside to warm up with chili or hot soups by the fire.
Some Littles even stash bowls filled with snow
in their freezer to save for another day. Good thing they do. Next morning, the snow melts away. We hope we don't have to wait another five years for our next Snow Daze! 
Photo by George Mike Wilson: Arts Center, Cary, NC
Your Turn
Have you experienced a Snow Daze in your part of the world? What do enjoy most about it? If you don't live cold country, what would you like to do during a snowfall? Please share your thoughts in the comment section. 
14 Comments
1/31/2022 11:08:44 am
Great blog and photos as always, Cat.
Cat Michaels
1/31/2022 01:56:12 pm
Smiling here imagining your winter cookout and snow blast on its way. Good on you for making the most of this crazy weather, Rosie, and stocking up the freezer just in case. It's wonderful to see the excitement that snow brings when its something you don't often get! On the flip side, we live in Canada where we're often in a perpetual deep freeze during the winter. Here, the snow is piled so many feet high it becomes a danger and chore to dig out. We're expecting another big storm this week.
Cat Michaels
1/31/2022 02:03:36 pm
Hub loves scrolling Canada’s snow pix, especially old town Quebec City. Snow country is beautiful, Sara, but its alway-cold, sometimes-dangerous aspect takes stamina and patience. I lived in the northern US growing up and at uni….that was long enough to convince me to head south -:D. 1/31/2022 03:50:18 pm
Such a shared experience for people from the south...it's big doings when it snows. This post brought it all back and how we are all running to the store in anticipation to get chili fixings, how nobody knows how to drive in it, and how we take a million pictures of our yards covered in it. Thanks for making me smile today!
Cat Michaels
2/1/2022 08:48:44 am
Kate, you know what southern snows are like …”big doings” is exactly right. Once the mad dash to the store for bread and milk is over and the power stays on, we know how to enjoy the white stuff. Thanks for joining us! 2/1/2022 08:24:51 am
Wonderful post! Love that you got to enjoy some fresh snow. I find the morning after a snow storm so peaceful and usually so quiet. Enjoy the rest of your Winter.
Cat Michaels
2/1/2022 08:59:48 am
The morning after a first snowfall is THE best time, Brooke, and “peaceful” is just how I feel when I’m lucky enough to experience it. We likely won’t see more white stuff until next year, but we are already looking ahead a few weeks to spring -:D. 2/1/2022 10:25:13 pm
Hi Cat, I absolutely loved this! living 'Down Under' most people don't expect us to get snow. But we are lucky we live on the edge of the Snowy Mountains ranges, meaning we do manage a light dusting of snow once or twice most winters. Some years we have been lucky to get maybe 2 inches, just enough to toboggan down the slope of our paddock. The excitement is exactly the same as you describe, but it usually melts away well before the end of the day here.
Cat Michaels
2/3/2022 06:44:01 pm
Thanks so much for strolling through my ‘hood, Sandra. Like your part of the world, it’s a treat to experience some snow once in a while. How fun you are are near hills for tobogganing. Smiling here at your mention of the Snowy Mountains …. It makes me think of one of my favorite Australian films, “The Man from Snowy River.” 2/2/2022 08:19:27 pm
Living in the desert right now, obviously no snow ever! But we do have nearby mountains within an hour to visit if we miss the white stuff. Loved your blog which made me feel like a kid experiencing the excitement of something that doesn't come often! In the past, I have lived in Washington state and Idyllwild in the nearby mountains and remember well the beauty of snow falling. I miss it sometimes.
Cat Michaels
2/3/2022 06:48:43 pm
TeeHee…no snow in your desert but how cool to see snowfall nearby without the hassle of shoveling out your home! There’s absolutely something about the beauty and excitement of a first snow. Who knows…you may end up in cold country in your next move! 2/3/2022 03:48:54 pm
Update on our snow. It didn't hit here as hard as expected. Still closed down schools in our area, though.
Cat Michaels
2/3/2022 06:51:42 pm
Whew, Rosie! Thanks for the update on your snow. The storm images on my newsfeed look brutal, expecially that ice! What a relief that it was not as bad as predicted for you. Still stressful as we wait for it, not knowing what to expect. Stay cozy and safe! Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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