Winter Arrived

      It isn't every year I can definitely see the first day of winter in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  But I did on November 13, 2014. 
     After several sunny, warm days here, that day was cloudy, sullen and damp, with high temperatures in the mid 40's F.  There was little wind.  The landscape and air had the look and feel, respectively, of winter.  I could tell that as of today there was no going back to the warm, invigorating days of autumn.  Winter arrived in Lancaster County! 
     Most deciduous leaves were off their trees and carpeting the ground and the woods were gray with the bark of bare trees and limbs.  Squirrels, eastern chipmunks and blue jays had been storing acorns in October and wood chucks and black bears are fat to sleep through much of winter.  Meanwhile, winter birds have been here for a few weeks, some of which are frequenting bird feeders.  Bird migrations are finished, or in full swing as with most duck species.  White-tailed deer are breeding and very few flowers are blooming anywhere in this area.  Most crops have been harvested, in preparation of the winter months, except some field corn and soybeans.
     Daylight is getting shorter each successive day, indicating the steady march to the winter solstice, which has the shortest amount of light of any day in the year, and to me is the middle of winter.  After that solstice on December 21, the amount of daylight per day increases each successive day.  
     Snow was reported to have fallen in the Great Lakes Area and other parts of the United States a few days prior to this one.  And by mid afternoon on November 13th, gentle showers fell on this county, but turned to light snow late in the afternoon.  I was not surprised to see the snow because all day the weather looked like it could produce a bit of snow.
     The weather reports indicate that cold weather will prevail in Lancaster County for the next several days.  For the most part, there is no going back to warmer days.  Winter is here!  But spring will arrive about the middle of February in this county, when days get noticeably longer, certain birds species migrate and a few kinds of flowers are already in bloom.