How much snow will we get by morning?

(Updated content at bottom.)

The snow coming down has intensified and the air has warmed up a bit, resulting in heavier flakes.

I went out again on the bicycle this afternoon. Getting into town wasn't too much of a problem. But then I (foolishly, perhaps) decided to go UP all the way to the Post Office. I also decided to take the trails rather than the roads, thinking the risk from deeper snow was less than risk of vehicles on a main road. With the temps above freezing, what that meant was that snow just stuck and packed, on the bike, on the tires, and the path turned slick and wet as I rolled through. Level and downhill was fine, but uphill was a real bear. When I got stopped for whatever reason, it was impossible to get started again. I ended up walking most of the uphills, even the slight inclines. I was thoroughly exhausted by the time I returned home. I don't think I had exerted myself quite like that since I was in Oregon. I don't think the 40 miles I did earlier this year on the forest roads was quite that strenuous. It felt a bit like I was going up a steep slope nearly the entire way. Because the wheels sometimes start to slip out sideways in unexpected ways, the upper body also gets a bit of workout trying to stay balanced. The problem is that then I get tense when the proper thing to do is relax and let the natural balancing instincts keep me upright. So I kept trying to tell myself to just relax.

With the snow continuing, I had to shovel out the driveway. There was a good 4 inches or so that had accumulated. Twenty-five feet doesn't seem that long (I think that's about the length of our driveway), but there is a lot of snow that ends up covering it, even at just 4-5 inches deep. The little 4-wheeler ATVs with plow attachments sure looks tempting right now.

What I'm a bit concerned about is how much snow will end up by morning. If there is too much, cars won't be able to come into the church parking lot. I might hike over there earlier in the morning to guage the situation and if it's too deep, we may just cancel services tomorrow.

Elise and Amy are sitting in the hot tub. I was told that Amy did a belly flop, on the snow, in her swimsuit, and then got back in the tub. She might be ready for a polar bear dip... Hmm...