Vanishing snow brings hint of springtime

"If you don't like the weather, just stick around; it'll change." That little aphorism has been around for a long time in a lot of different places, but seldom has it been more apropos than around here the past few days. Just two days after a day in which the temperature never rose above freezing, it's warm and spring-like again. At 1 p.m., it's 62 degrees with a high predicted at 65.

Earlier this week Wilson had its second measurable snowfall of the year. That in itself is unusual. The last two years, if I remember correctly, we had no measurable snowfall. Even when we have snow in eastern North Carolina, it's frequently gone in a day or two as temperatures return to winter "normal," which means well above freezing. But a moderate day turned suddenly chilly late Tuesday, and snow began falling in some areas of the state about sunset. Temperatures stayed low enough to keep snow on the ground here until the weekend. Even now, on a day that feels like spring, some patches of snow remain in the deep shadows.

Our earlier snow two weeks ago also stuck around for more than the typical day of whiteness. Cold temperatures lingered, and a lush, beautiful snow stayed pretty for a good while.

Having seen two decent snowfalls and having worn gloves and heavy coats more than I wanted to, I'm about ready for some springtime. Unfortunately, the calendar says it's still early February, and the vernal equinox is more than a month away. We might even see a third good snow in 2009. We could also see warm days that coax the daffodils out of the ground.

I vividly recall a year when I was in college (that was way back before Al Gore discovered global warming or invented the Internet), sun-bathing on the dormitory lawn before my March 2 birthday. I also remember that same year the heavy snow that fell at the beginning of spring break a few weeks later.

If you don't like the weather ...