Like me, I’m sure most of you keep a calendar in your house. I write everything on mine — appointments, anniversaries, events, birthdays. I even keep track of my dog’s birthdays, as well as their death dates. So, when I looked at the calendar on Jan. 29, I couldn’t believe that 11 years had passed since we said goodbye to our beloved New Guinea singing dog, Solo. As I reflected on the difficult time, I remembered another significant event that happened simultaneously — an event that just may have been a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence — the arrival of the snow rollers.
Eleven years ago, winters in northeast Ohio were severe (albeit this one has been quite brutal). It was early morning on Jan. 27, 2014, and I had just trudged through 8 inches of snow to my chicken coop. A strong wind hampered my progress. I made sure my birds had food, water and their morning treat. As I turned around to head back to the barn, something caught my eye just feet away that hadn’t been there a few minutes prior.
At first, it looked like a large snowball, but upon closer inspection, I was amazed to observe that it was snow that had rolled up into what looked like a big cinnamon roll on its side. I stooped to examine it for several minutes, then stood up. All around me, these same structures were forming. They started small and were pushed by the strong wind, growing before my eyes. Our once smooth, unbroken, snow-covered pastures had been converted into a chaotic scene. I was mesmerized. I ran back to the house to alert my husband of the miracle unfolding, but by the time he got outside, the event had ended. Rolls of snow of various sizes punctuated the property. I jumped in my truck to cruise the neighborhood. Nope, it wasn’t just at our farm, it was all over the immediate area and beyond.
Turns out, snow rollers, as they are called, are an incredibly rare meteorological phenomenon that can only occur when several conditions, specifically temperature, snow, moisture and wind, come together at a precise moment in time. First, the temperature needs to be between 37-39 degrees F. Next, there must be a fresh layer of wet, loose snow that does not adhere to the substrate beneath. For this to happen, the existing snowpack must be old and crusty. Lastly, there must be a strong wind of around 30 mph.
As the wind blows across the fresh snow, it loosens this top layer and begins to push it along. In much the same way we build a snowman, the rolling snow adds layers as it travels along the ground. If the wind is too strong, it will blow the roll apart. Yet in perfect conditions, the wind will blow out the center of the roller where the snow is weakest, creating a snow donut. These spiral cylinders can end up as small as a tennis ball or as large as a car. The snow roller event in our area produced structures of all sizes that dotted the fields like snowy bales of hay. Luckily, the weather remained cold, and the snow rollers persisted for weeks, slowly eroding into a memory.
Two days after this magical event occurred, our little dog of 14 years let us know that it was time to let her go. Our wonderful vet came to the house and gently relieved her of her suffering. We buried her among the snow rollers. Sent to move her along in her journey? I’d certainly like to think so.
