Snow in the Arctic

Snow is a common thing found in Alta and Norway every winter season anew but not in all parts of the world alike. People who never experienced snow have a different perception than people who have it every year and are used to it. When I experienced snow this year, it first came a little bit, melted, then there came more and it finally stayed. Snow is the ultimate indicator that the summer and the short autumn are over. When the snow comes, it gets darker earlier already and the snow helps to light up the mørketid. I perceive snow thereby as something positive, since the lack of light is something I am not used to coming from Germany.

 

The air is drier in winter, everything moves slower and the falling snow takes away the smell from the trees and dampens down the sound so everything is quieter in winter, too. The snow is providing several winter activities like sledding with the dogs, skiing or winter hiking and fat biking for example. It covers up all the colors and makes for a monochrome visual experience. All the hard shapes in architecture and nature get rounded when covered with snow. The slippery surface of ice and snow can be used in winter sports but is also a danger for the pedestrian; especially in the transitional phase of the season, where snow melts and freezes again.

To sum up my impression of snow, I would say that I see snow as something I could not imagine Alta without. The snow lights up the dark times, it calms down noises, it makes for fun activities and is an impressive visual experience, too. It reflects the light of the Northern lights and is deeply connected to the view of the North in general.

It is a part of Norway, just like the midnight sun and reindeer.