Mother Nature must have a playful side

[hikerduane]

I was driving south on 395 heading toward Reno and Carson City a little after midday today and as I crossed the state border I couldn't help but notice all of these large snowballs out on the lake bed that is dry part of the year, east of the highway. There were hundreds if not a thousand or two of these large snowballs all over the surface of the lake bed which is in the Cold Springs area along 395. What was really noticeable and the reason they caught my eye was there size. They ranged in size I would say from under a foot in diameter to around 18" in diameter at least. Like snowman body parts waiting to be assembled. The wind hits this area pretty good, what with being on the east side of the Sierra and all. I guess the wind starting blowing the wet snow around, which formed snowballs and blew them until they were too large to move I guess. I've seen a couple instances in western Nevada where a large rock has left a skid mark out across the ground from being moved by the wind I guess. Nevada's version of Area 51? Just wish I had a camera to take a picture of all those snowballs out on the lakebed.

[SteveB]

It's the North Valleys... Weird stuff happens out there. Not as weird as here in town by the River, but weird, all the same.

[copeg]

Very cool story. Wierd stuff indeed.

[hikerduane]

One of the ladies at work mentioned maybe tumbleweeds may have blown out there and were the nucleus of the snowballs. Maybe. I don't know. I was tempted on Sunday night to call the TV stations and see what they come up with, but they are too busy covering the closed roads and such.