Making your own weather

Heading out Saturday morning to get a block heater for the car. This will help me start the car when the oil turns to molasses at zero degrees. Fortunately it was only 13 degrees over night. Well apparently when it starts to snow here it doesn't stop till April. And that is if you are lucky. For winter driving I have been advised to have the following : A shovel, extra hat, gloves and coat and extra boots. This is so you can change clothes after your first set gets wet while you are digging your car out of the snow bank. Flares in the event that the digging doesn't work. Food for 2 days , not a week as in Montana you will be found in 48 hours where as in Alaska it could take a week. I also am stowing sand bags, water ( not in the trunk as it freezes ) an extra gallon of windshield washer as yours in the car may freeze and not come out in a timely fashion. Battery charger and a set of chains.  Dog food for the dogs of course . So all of this is not supposed to be in the trunk but in your back seat. Which begs the question about where to put the dogs ? Trunk? So if I set out in inclement weather I will be well provisioned.

Heading back to the Foothills it was overcast but not snowing in general . you can see a thick blanket of clouds on the top of the mountains making their own weather. Up at 6000 to 7000 feet I bet there is some deep snow . Down in the valley 17 degrees with a windchill of 3degrees. Snow adds such a gorgeous dimension to the mountains.