A few days ago it snowed. Normally, that would not been an extraordinary statement for mid January in Michigan. But this year the sight of snow in the air or on the ground is a true rarity.

It started to snow early in the evening, and I rushed out in an exuberant attempt to get a few snow crystal shots. Unfortunately – it was too warm. The temperature was hovering around the freezing point and the snow crystals that I caught melted shortly after touching the glass plate that I use to capture the flakes for photographs.

I was about to throw in the towel, when the temperature suddenly dropped – just a few degrees, but it dropped quickly, in a few minutes. And suddenly the snow crystals weren’t melting as I caught them. For a few short minutes – maybe even half an hour – the snow fell in fairly clear and clean crystals.

I managed to get a few acceptable snow crystal shots in the brief window of time, but then the snow turned sleety, and then it stopped.

It may yet snow again tonight, and the forecast calls for it tomorrow, but for now that half hour was a small window of opportunity, and I’m glad I was able to peer though it.

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