Rowdy weather

First it was warm, partly sunny, nearly 60 degrees. A storm front approached in the late afternoon and the sky grew thick and black. A loud crack of thunder, and lightning struck a hill nearby, popped our power for a few seconds. Ice pellets (graupel) rained down. Suddenly the wind picked up, blew the graupel and snow sideways. Blizzard. Whiteout. Dried leaves, garbage, tumbleweeds raced along the street with the snow and ice. 

After a half  hour, the wind calmed, the snow and ice stopped, and the sun popped out.  And when the sun blazed from the clouds, the sudden glare caught drivers on the business route off guard. Temporarily blinded (while driving too fast and too close), they careened into each other, chain reaction, causing two 20-car pileups, and two 3-car accidents. Fortunately no one seems to have serious injuries. (And, luckily, I was not in that part of town). 

Such rowdy weather we've all been having -- makes me wonder if the gods are competing in the "weather olympics"....