Gimme a Smile: Springtime in the snow

Published 4:30 am Saturday, March 28, 2026

We’re number one! We’re number one! We’ve set the record for the snowiest season ever in Juneau. As a consequence, I have learned some things about snow this winter.

—Snow doesn’t understand the calendar. It is not impressed by the arrival of the spring equinox. It either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that spring is officially here. Spring means that the daffodils and skunk cabbage are coming up, we’re shedding our winter coats for trendy spring attire, and breakfast on the deck is finally a reality. Spring does not include two feet of snow on the ground that has been there ever since New Year’s Day. There’s an existential disconnect going on here. Blame it on the snow.

—Snow is not concerned about how it shows up on social media. It has no awareness or embarrassment about all of the outrageous pictures that have been posted this winter. It’s made no effort to curate the photos or show its best side to the doomscrollers. It’s less of an influencer and more of a content creator when it comes to its internet presence. I think we can all agree that we could use less snow content, at least for now.

—Snow has an outsized opinion of its own importance, showing a sense of entitlement. It has taken up more than its share of media attention. It doesn’t realize that I only write twelve Juneau Empire essays a year, and snow should feature in no more than one of them. This is my third essay of the year, and the second one about snow. Something is out of balance.

—Snow is very competitive. It has been out to break the record ever since it dumped over four feet of snow on our rooftops in one four-day snowstorm. Well, it succeeded. We’ve broken the all-time record of snowfall in Juneau, topping out at 201.2 inches for the season. So far. It’s still March, after all.

—Snow is hard to see through when it’s piled so high that it covers up your windows. This can pose a major problem. You can’t see if it’s still snowing out there. You have to take it on faith that the snow is either falling or not falling yet. Philosophers might ask, “If you can’t see it falling, does snow pile up on the ground?” Good question.

—Snow is not religious. It doesn’t respond to the many prayerful pleas on social media asking it to stop, already. Entreaties from the pulpit have no effect on a relentless snowfall. Clearly, snow has no conscience or understanding of love or care for other living beings.

—Snow on the ground is slippery. If you’re feeling unsteady on your feet, ski poles are the way to go. They make you look cool and athletic, not old and shaky. Or, if you really are cool and athletic, snow is pretty awesome.

—Snow on the roof is bad. It may make your house look cozy, like that glowing house in those Christmas cards you forgot to send out to all your friends. The problem comes when enough of those seemingly weightless snowflakes pile up on your roof and cause a cave-in. But snow does respond to raking, of all things. Who would have thought that you could rake your leaves in the fall and your snow in the winter? Just make sure you have the proper kind of rake for the job. I never even knew a roof rake was a thing.

The real question is, does snow have a sense of humor? April 1st is only a few days away. Will we have another snowstorm, dumping another couple of feet onto the piles that have lingered in our yards since the new year? Will we hear mischievous chuckles in the wind as fat snowflakes fall on April Fool’s Day?

I’m just hoping that the snow will be gone in time for the Fourth of July parade. I don’t want to see float after float depicting the Snowpocalypse we have gone through this season, complete with real piles of the white stuff. Give me a reason to hunt out my sunglasses, and I’ll be happy.

Peggy McKee Barnhill is a wife, mother, and author who writes cozy mysteries under the pen name “Greta McKennan.” She likes to look at the bright side of life.