I usually find it banal to talk about the weather. But today, it’s all about the weather.

Yesterday the Twin Cities got 17 to 22 inches of snow. Today, in spite of a brilliant blue sky, the wind chills are hitting 30 below. (That’s MINUS 34.4 Celsius, for my European friends.)

It’s almost impossible to get around …

… and it’s painful to be outdoors for too long. And yet, yesterday’s gloom has lifted and I’ve had a wonderful day.

This morning I savored the beautiful, still silence that descends after a big snow. All I could hear was the crunching of the snow under my feet, the wind in the branches, and the tags on Tucker’s collar.

By this afternoon, the world had woken up. The neighbors’ shovel-scrapes and the distant “beep-beep-beep” of the snowplows provided a percussive background for the motorists’ spinning wheels. Ah, the sweet cacophony of an urban winter!

But by far the highlight was seeing my old neighborhood friends—and making some new ones. Whether trying to shovel our walks or get our cars out of the alley, we shared a wonderful camaraderie.

This evening, I’ve read the news reports with amazement: I can’t quite believe that the Metrodome roof has collapsed. I’m also dreading the commute to work tomorrow, which will likely plunge me back into my usual bah-humbug state.

But in the meantime, I’m doing my best to savor the unexpected bright spots of this winter wonderland—even if it is on steroids.