Snowstorm in Arches National Park
November 22, 2003

Photographing red rocks after a snow storm can be a real challenge in southeastern Utah. Often when the forecast calls for snow we simply don't get any. It always seems to bypass us and just hit the mountains. When we do get snow, you have to head out early in the morning because the snow is usually gone by early afternoon. We rarely have snow that stays on the ground for a full day. The best bet for getting some snow is when there is a huge state-wide snow storm. During the morning hours of November 22, 2003, just such a storm moved into southeastern Utah. Not only did it dump several inches of snow, but the temperatures were nice and cold (teens) so it stuck around for a while. Rhonda and I were in Arches National Park during the peak of the storm, as the first few photos below illustrate. We also grabbed some photos later in the day when the clouds parted. It was a lot of fun but some hot soup sure tasted good after we returned home!