Snow's gone

Only a week ago we had a good 40-50cm of snow here after the Sunday blizzard. Then the temperature rose above zero and it started to rain and now the snow is mostly melted away. The sidewalks are treacherously slippery with all that wet ice and it feels like spring.

Snowy but less freezing

The temperature has risen some 15 degrees and is closing in on 0C. It's still a couple degrees below, so whatever rain comes down (and today is seriously does) is still snow. Almost perfect snowman snow, but we don't have any snowman makers in the household anymore. Teens couldn't care less.

Yesterday was a nice day for a little bit longer walk outside. Not so cold anymore, only slight wind, no snowfall and the world still pretty with the snow heavy on tree branches. So out we went, to a dog park where the dogs had a jolly good time running and playing around and getting their snouts all snowy and icy, while I was shooting some photos of them and snow and icycles hanging from the house next to the park. 

Winter wonderland

The Siberian winter hit Fnland. Temperature dipped to -25C even here in Helsinki, and a whole lot lower up north. Our world froze and then it started to snow. Now it's "only" -13C - which felt almost warm after the -25! - and snow has been fluttering down in a slow but steady pace. We have a winter wonderland here now.

Frozen

We still have no snow, but we have a lot of frost and ice. The air has been humid for a long time and now that it froze, the moisture froze into ice art on grass and the roofs of cars and everywhere.

First snow

It was wet. Then it froze. Then it started to snow. First real snow of the winter.

First icycle

Yesterday we had the first real freeze of the autumn, and some icycles were hanging from the edges of drains.

Sunset and pink clouds

Sun sets real early now. I was out with the dogs right when the sun dipped below the horizon, making the clouds and horizon pink and gold.

Aronia (chokeberry)

Aronia (chokeberry) is really beautiful and colorful right now. Sun is setting earlier and earlier each day.

Oak

The cool of the autumn still hasn't gotten all of the trees to drop their leaves. Like this oak here, mostly green still.

Then again, most of the maples have dropped all of their leaves already.

Frosty morning

This morning was the first one with a frost bite. Yesterday was already cold, but today the temperature was below zero and the ground was white with frost. The sun is shining brightly, making the air clear and crispy.