The Twilight Zone

This might be the strangest thing I've ever seen.

The trees in State College and the surrounding environs are the same beautiful shades of gold, orange and yellow that we see every year in mid-October. But a special effect has been added this year -- snow. The contrast in the colors is unbelievable and breathtaking, but a little weird.

On the drive from Philadelphia to State College yesterday, rain changed to snow at the top of the Seven Mountains stretch of Route 322 and remained snow into the night and this morning in town. In all, about six inches of snow has fallen in town, accumulating on grassy surfaces but not so much on the roads.

The grass parking lots at Beaver Stadium are closed, strangely vacant on a game day. Writing this one hour before kickoff of the game between Penn State and Minnesota, intermittent drizzle is falling but the field is clear of snow. It's different in the stands, where most of the exposed bleachers have snow on them or under them.

I had to chuckle reading this from the Centre Daily Times this morning: "The university tried without success to use inmates from the Centre County Correctional Institution to clear the stadium. But the 10 to 15 inmates who might have done such work were already booked Friday."

Must have been Bingo night.

Talk to you after the game.