Thank God for Snow

One of my New Years Resolutions for 2016 is to spend more time feeling gratitude.
To this end, I will be writing a series of blog posts dedicated to highlighting things I am thankful for. This is the first of those posts.

Thank God for Snow

Thank God for Snow!

Snow comes at the time of year when we receive the least warmth and light from the sun. Covering the ground, its whiteness reflects the sunlight back up at us from all directions, brightening our day and spirits. Its crystalline facets glisten in the sunlight, giving us the impression of walking through a world blanketed with diamonds. What beauty!

Snow also comes at the coldest time of the year. Forming snow from the water in clouds is an exothermic process, releasing heat into the air, and keeping our winters from being quite as cold as they might otherwise be.

Snow serves as a natural insulator. Snow on your roof helps to keep the heat in your house from escaping into the sub-freezing outdoor temperatures. The layer of snow and ice on a lake protects the hibernating aquatic creatures beneath from the worst winter temperatures. When temperatures drop low enough, people and animals will fare far better in a snow cave, or in "robes beneath the snow" than they would exposed directly to the elements.

At high elevations, snow becomes a natural reservoir. As temperatures rise, it automatically releases water to the lower lands during the spring and summer months when it is most needed. This is particularly poignant to people like me, living in a desert valley at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, but it affects everyone downstream, all the way to the coast--not to mention those who buy food that was grown using that water.

Thank you for taking some time out of your day to read some of my reasons to be thankful. Why are you thankful for snow? Share your thoughts in the comments area below.