Weather Report - Snow is coming!!

Pretty much everyone I talk to, and myself, are eagerly awaiting snow to fall in Niigata. Last year, snow didn't fall until 21st December, but the locals have been saying that last year's snow was late. How late I could never work out (different answers from different people) so ever since the autun colors dulled, I've been expecting snow.

We've had a couple of teasers. Two weekends ago, there was a lot of sleet for a couple of days and I also saw a few cars with snow on their roofs; so I guess snow was falling in higher regions. Last week I played a footsal tournament in Kawanishi and on the way up I could see the mountains nea Muikamachi. They were almost white! And on the way to Tokyo last weekend, the coach drove through Yazawa and I could see snow on mountains there and melted snow in the paddy fields and road gutters. So the snow is nearly here.

Last night we had hail and a massive thunderstorm. I though nothing of it until I set off for work this morning. I opened my door and saw snow falling!! I stood for a good few minutes smiling and daydreaming of snowboarding this weekend after the Japanese Test on Sunday. On the drive to Tsunan, the snow changed from snow to rain to snow to sleet back to snow. In Tsunan it is definately snow. I remembered what I was told last year; a big storm usually precedes the first snow of the season. I reckon teh thunder and lightning last night would qualify as a big storm! So this is it, the first big snow of the year!!

So we'll have this for a bit, then it'll stop for a week, then it'll snow for three months. Where did I put my board?