Caught between high pressure over the Northern Plains and low pressure over the Texas Panhandle, we are getting our Christmas snow here in Missouri. The low is sweeping Gulf moisture in from the south while flow around the high is bringing colder air down from the north; the latter will hang around for several days, assuring us of a White Christmas.
The snow began overnight and has already dropped a few inches of wet snow on the frozen ground; by tomorrow morning, we may have half a foot or more and it will look very much like the Christmas Day that most Americans hope to experience. Snug in our heated homes, we can look out on the winter scene with no sense of alarm and, of course, children will enjoy romping through or sledding over nature's blanket.
Though challenged by the snow cover, wildlife are well equipped to survive its presence; the feeder sites will be especially busy but our winter birds would manage just fine without the handouts. Some mammals will den up until conditions improve while predators may actually benefit from the snowfall, their prey more conspicuous against a background of white. Whether challenged by the storm or not, it is safe to say that wild creatures do not share our sentimental view of a White Christmas; they will carry on with their life-long struggle, surviving one day at a time.
