Snow!

The snow did stick on Sunday night, but Oxford only got a dusting, less than an inch. It made for some prety photographs, but with the reports of heavy snow in the Thames Valley, Kent, and London (12 inches!), I couldn't help feeling a bit left out. It melted by Monday afternoon.

But Thursday morning was Oxford’s turn. When I opened my curtains, the snow was 4 inches deep and falling fast. I was grateful for sturdy boots, fuzzy socks, and a warm scarf as I made my slippery way into town.

By the time I reached the High Street, the snow had stopped. I was headed for the Law Library, but decided on impulse to go to Magdalen instead. There was already a giant snowman on New Building's Lawn, and a group of revellers in pitched battle.

Just as I reached Addison’s Walk, it started snowing again -- giant, half-inch flakes that one usually sees only in films. It would have seemed perfectly appropriate for Mr. Tumnus to walk out of the woods at that moment.

I have never seen Oxford look more beautiful than it did that morning. The photos cannot do it justice.

I found myself laughing out loud and twirling round in the falling snow, even though there was no one else there to see or share it.

After my walk I repaired to the Queen’s Lane Coffee Shop and treated myself to hot chocolate and a croissant. Then off to the library for a very productive afternoon.

The snow has made the whole town irrationally happy. As a rule, Oxford can be a fairly dour place. People rush along, minding their own business, staring at the pavement and scowling. But now complete strangers are looking one another in the eye, smiling, and saying hello. It feels like a different city.

Friday morning brought the heaviest snowfall we've seen all week, taking everyone completely by surprise. As late as Thursday night, the BBC had been predicting sleet, but instead we woke up to a proper snowstorm. I begin to suspect that one purpose of the weather is to teach the human race humility. For tomorrow, the BBC is predicting sun, but Weather. com is predicting clouds with a 60% chance of snow. How is that possible?

"God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.' "

(Job 37:5-6)