"Sleigh bells ring. Are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening …" go the lyrics of "Winter Wonderland." It's hard to adequately describe glistening snow. I call it diamond dust. Staring out at a snowy landscape and seeing hundreds of points of light — a new constellation of stars set against a universe of white. See what all your Florida friends are missing?

I wouldn't have thought it possible back in early December, but we've just had two consecutive weeks of nearly perfect snow conditions. Subfreezing. Light winds. Bright sunlight. Snow lovers are euphoric.

Minor melting is expected this week, with a couple of days above freezing. It may be mild enough today for icy rain to mix with flurries. Another big storm sails well south of Minnesota this week — no new snow here anytime soon. In fact the pattern looks remarkably quiet into mid-January.

Models suggest an Arctic cold wave after Jan. 15 or so. The latter half of this month may be a rude reminder that January often brings subzero slaps.