Fifty words for snow

Apparently, so everyone will tell you, Eskimos have fifty words for snow.

Researching this I have come to discover that this isn't strictly accurate, and is in fact just an arbitrary number that someone came up with since it sounded impressive. The reality isn't that interesting, and another nice idea goes down the drain.

I am not one of these people that await the arrival of the first flakes with giddy anticipation. I am not an avid skier, snowboarder, nordic skier or snowmobiler. I'll snowshoe from time to time, but only because I like to hike and it's easier that way.

In all its gleaming sunlit virgin glory, snow can be a wonderful sight. Unfortunately, it often doesn't take that form and can be an enormous pain in the rear.

Today's minor snowfall (the Weather Service keeps changing the forecast from 5-7 inches this morning, to less than one inch at 6pm, and now 1-2 inches) is one such weather event. It's slushy. It's wet. It's annoying to clean off of things. So, in my mind it shouldn't occupy the same word. This is more like 'frozen accumulating precipitation'. Catchy, huh ?

So, we need more than one word in the English language to describe snow. If any of the people who decide these things are reading, I'd like you to consider this and make the appropriate changes. Let me know when you're done.

Thank you.