There was a blizzard rolling into Cody. I happened to be driving towards Yellowstone catching the views before the scenery whites out. Just after the Buffalo Bill Dam on the Reservoir, I spotted a winter phenomenon that I'd only seen on roads. For the longest time, I've called these snow dragons. Usually seen on the highways when the wind is blowing. They spiral and slither across the road like a snake. Others have called them road blizzards or ground storms. They are a snowdrift in progress, but I still prefer calling them dragons. Not only do they look like a serpent creature, but it is also a cautionary hint that the roads are hazardous.

This was the first time I've ever seen them on a frozen lake. I watched them until my fingers were too cold to hold my phone. The snow seemed to take on a life of its own. It was a fluid motion that swept across the frozen ice sometimes slithering towards the dam, sometimes rushing the shoreline, and sometimes striking out further onto the reservoir.

The wind that pushed these streams of snow flowing across the lake were also bitting my fingers. I knew the storm was coming soon, so I packed up and headed down the mountain to the hotel. It was time for a warm meal and to cozy up to the fire with a good book. The snow dragons were better off alone on their icy reservoir.

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