Mountains in Alaska?  No, my icy sidewalk.

Yesterday more than three inches of wet snow fell across Pittsburgh.  Sometimes it changed to rain.  Overnight it froze.

Expecting dangerous footing, I put on my ice cleats and went out to see.

Under light snow on the sidewalk … Viola, a glacier!

That’s not all.  Last night I noticed that my car, parked on the street, was standing in three inches of water because ice dams prevented the water from draining.  In the dark I heaved snow and water to the storm drain, hoping to prevent my tires from being locked in ice this morning.  What do you think? Am I stuck?

I spread salt and came indoors, feeling a little smug that my ice cleats worked so well.

But the ice has one more trick up its sleeve.

Heads up!

(all photos by Kate St. John, except the ice warning sign in Montreal is by Paul Joseph via Wikimedia Commons. Click on the sign to see its original)