Hey Ralph!
-12F this morning at daylight when I fed the birds.
I went skiing at the golf course about 1:30 and it was 17F and gorgeous. I know s**t all about snow, but so far I like temps between 15-20F for skiing.
Snow was freshly groomed and fast, and hardly any people.
I know what you mean about wind packed snow. My work mate and I had to clean the snow off the roof of one of the joints not long ago.
The roof is about 35x60 and the snow was 12-18 inches deep across the entire roof...and "packed". Took 3 hours with him on his lil electric blower and me shoveling.
Here's looking out my den window just now. Looks due north. Big Mountain and the ski hill is 6miles behind those aspens center frame in the pano view below.
My neighbor had to dig that trench to get to his truck parked there
My sunflower seed feeder and suet feeders have been very popular the last couple weeks since most "natural" food sources are buried in snow.
Even had a pair of mallard ducks eating sunflower seeds on the ground a couple days!
The undisturbed snow under and to the right of the feeder is a
settled 28inches. Barely enough to cover the grass around Christmas.