As seen from Wickenburg.

Wickenburg is in the northern Sonoran desert, at an elevation of around 2000-2400 feet. It’s cooler here than in Phoenix, but not nearly as cold as it is in higher elevations.

Once in a while, in the winter, a wet cold front will come through. It’ll be cloudy, with low clouds that make the distant mountains impossible to see. It might rain on us or maybe even snow a tiny bit. But it’s rarely cold enough for any snow to accumulate or even stick.

What’s magic, though, is when the clouds lift or clear and the mountains to the north are covered with snow.

That’s what this photo, which was taken from Wickenburg Airport, shows. The snow-covered mountains are the Weaver Mountains, about 15 miles north. Although I can’t remember exactly when I took this photo, I do remember that the snow remained up there for us to see for a few days. Mike and I even drove up to Yarnell, in the mountains there, to see it close hand. It had been plowed to the middle of the road — an odd thing they do in Arizona small towns. Mike made a snowball and threw it at the truck.

I miss snow — but only a tiny bit. I’m looking forward to seeing it firsthand this winter at our Howard Mesa camp. But I’ll rest easy with the thought that all it takes is a drive back down to Wickenburg to return to mild winters.