Worst Fears Realized ... A Hefty Dose of Snow and Ice in March

Frosted hyacinth are a normal sight after a mild winter, early spring and a late-winter storm.

This storm is to be the biggest of the 2011-2012 winter season. The high spots in the state will receive up to a couple of feet of snow; our more northern, but lower-elevation, spot will certainly get its share of wind and weather.

Yesterday dawned brilliantly with clear skies, warmish temperatures and calm air.  

But our complacency was short-lived. By mid-morning yesterday, wind-blown dust and dirt found every crevice and fold in our clothes, hair and skin. This morning, venturing out was for the sturdy souls among us. Dirt and dust continued to obscure the horizon, with colder temperatures and a spattering of rain on the windshield.

Do the little apricot blossoms stand a chance?

This is why apricots seldom produce fruits in our area. The fragile, hopeful blossoms are all too often slapped asunder by cruel, late-winter storms.

The grape hyacinth don't mind at all, however, and will be springing back to life after shaking off this small irritation. Of course, their reproductive cycle does not include producing edible fruits.

The regular hyacinth, too, will be just fine.

The snow level in Northern Arizona will drop to elevations of 3,000 feet tonight; already elevations of 7,000 feet have a couple of feet of snow. Northern Arizona University canceled classes for tomorrow, and we here in the extreme north-eastern corner of the state, at a mile high in elevation, will hunker down and continue to wait for spring.

The garden bench offers little invitation today.

Fresh green iris and grape hyacinth foliage offer a tantalizing suggestion of hope through an otherwise completely dreary front window view.