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Not only was it about six degrees this morning in Bend, but we woke up to blowing snow and snow drifts in our backyard and cul-de-sac. Fun! You can see the ground in some spots, others are buried in drifts up to six inches deep.

On the radio they claimed it was an Arctic front that has moved in. Stellar.

For anyone keeping track of these things, the snow they keep warning us about (last I heard, the advisory was from 3pm today until something like 5am tomorrow morning) has started in earnest at about 1:30pm, here in Downtown Bend.

Today was one of those days when you wake up, blink, and there's eight inches of snow on the ground.

That's pretty rare for Bend. (Lapine and Sunriver, not so much. But for Bend and points east and north, rare.)

It's still coming down. The snow advisory is still on, through at least seven o'clock this evening... eight to 14 inches total is the latest prediction, though since we're already at eight, that seems like a lame prediction.

So, I dug out the driveway this morning, and finally left for work about nine. The office is about half-staffed right now, I imagine people will be trickling away as the day goes on. My wife tried to take our youngest to preschool (our oldest is home, schools are closed) and got stuck in the snow—the main roads are plowed and sanded, but the neighborhoods and side roads are still unattended.

Surprisingly, I had more trouble driving to work the other day when it first snowed than today; I suppose it could be because there's less traffic on the roads, or that I left later.

It'll be an interesting day. Except for work, this would've been a nice day to hole up at home and watch the snow. And play in it.

Snow! It's coming down pretty good, as I'm sure all the Bendites know by now—though I think Rhys will be especially pleased. It's coming down pretty good; I'm downtown, and looking out the window I'm seeing an inch or so, I think. Driving is pretty awful right now; normally I go home for lunch but I may be staying in the office for lunch for the next few days. (I already went home today; that's how I know it's awful.)

And I know it's technically not the first snow of the season, but to my mind, it's the first significant snow of the season, and that counts more. :)