Fall to Winter

The Autumnal Equinox
The word equinox comes from the Latin words for "equal night." The fall and spring equinoxes are the only days of the year in which the Sun crosses the celestial equator.  From here on out, the temperatures begin to drop and the days start to get shorter than the nights

Sept 22 to Dec 21 2013

First snow fall of the seasons, Sept 24 2013 Sunrise, Mt Rainier

Every year as the temps drop in late September and the air begins to get crisp I start thinking about ice.  Not water fall ice mind you but alpine ice.  In the NW there is a lot of easily accessible alpine ice if the moon and stars align and the conditions get and then stay favorable.

Which means a big storm or two rolls through, and the snow stays up high.  Then the sun needs to come out and the roads stay open.  Big ifs.

Not this year.  September left 2 feet and more at 6000' just last night.  At least for the moment winter is here for the Cascades.