Just a week ago I was lamenting the warm, dry weather and taking photos of wavy golden grasses. But Summit County was in the bullseye for snow during the recent wave of wintry weather. Some high-elevetation Snotel sites are now recording above-average snowpack — a big change from October 31 when there was a widespread snow deficit across the Rockies. And yes, there’s snow snow in the eastern part of the country, too, so social media is latching on to the #Snovember hashtag to share images from one of the earliest winter onsets in recent memory.
For my photography endeavors in Summit County, the big snow presents a chance to see things literally in a new light. Normally this time of year, I’m chasing down ice formations on the local creeks or composing sunset scenes around austere grasslands. But the combination of new snow and the pre-solstice November light is something new and unusual. I can only vaguely remember a few years when there was this much snow so early, and the way the sun slants through the canyons and trees creates a new winter magic for my lenses.
