Let it snow

Probably one of the best Christmas gifts we could get this season is several feet of the frozen stuff.
Yes, I said it. We here in the Blue Ridge Mountains need copious amounts of snow this winter — just like we have for the last several very mild winters — so we don't start a new cycle of drought when spring rolls around.
It's pretty common for people a bit longer in the tooth to flat deny that Hillsville or Galax suffers during the cold weather season these days.
Just the other day, a friend said we haven't even had snow, relatively speaking, here since 1993, and that was nothing compared to the blizzards that blanketed the area decades ago.
He recalled the snow that completely submerged his father's pickup and getting around by walking on top of the drifts.
While it wouldn't prove beneficial for all the snow to come at once, some wintry weather could help in surprising ways.
The children's chant that goes "rain, rain, go away/come again some other day," seems to have worked a little too well this summer, as Carroll County challenged deserts for the records for low precipitation.
We went for about 30 days with a "trace" of rain.
Some of the creeks seemed to fall to about six inches in depth.
While we've recovered some with rain since, after what could have been a touch-and-go fall fire season, people continue to talk of dry wells.
Winter's the best time for the water table to recharge.
Trees and plants are dormant, and less evaporation takes place.
Rain mostly runs off and doesn't soak in. In fact, it 99 percent of all rain water will runoff.
The best hydration would come from layers of snow on the ground that slowly melt and seep down into the soil.
And in a time when people are worried about the high cost of heating oil, snow could act as an excellent added insulator to your home.
Why do you think they call it a blanket?
The Web site of the Canadian Weather Network explains, complete with their odd spellings:
"This is because dry fluffy snow is about 95 percent air. With all the air spaces, snow prevents heat loss just like fibreglass insulation."
Snow can trap heat in the ground and ward off freezing from subzero temperatures, the Web site, located at http://www.theweathernetwork.com/inter/help/weatherphysics.htm says.
"Without the protection of snow, the ground would freeze solid and vegetation in some parts of Canada would not survive the winter."
Similarly, mammals who live in colder climates keep their extremities warm by burrowing into the snow. This blanket slows their rate of heat loss, as compared to them remaining in the open air.
"In the same way, a covering of snow provides an insulating blanket on your flowerbeds and on your roof, holding heat in when the air temperature drops well below freezing."
So don't complain when it snows. It's not all bad.
And, we need it.