in Thoreau’s Journal:  

High wind and howling and driving snow- storm all night, now much drifted. There is a great drift in the front entry and at the crack of every door and on the window-sills. Great drifts on the south of walls….

Now, at 4.15, the blue shadows are very distinct on the snow-banks…

The exquisite purity of the snow & the gracefulness of its curves are remarkable… 

Around some houses there is not a single track– Neither man woman nor child–dog nor cat nor fowl has stirred out today.– There has been no meeting. Yet this afternoon since the storm it has not been very bad travelling.