The flakes started falling Sunday as we turned off I-81 and onto Virginia Route 8 in Christiansburg.

Snow.

By the time we reached Riner the white stuff covered the shoulders and turned the roads slick. Ice formed on the edges of the windshield.

“I missed the weather forecast this morning,” Amy said. “Did it call for snow?”

No. It called for below-freezing temperatures with the possibility of flurries later in the week.

The Liberty slipped slightly as we crossed Little River but the snow abated somewhat as we approached Floyd. By the time we reached home it had pretty much stopped but the talking heads on the tube said we could expect flurries overnight.

The “flurries” dumped an inch or more on many parts of Southwestern Virginia — enough to delay school openings. Below-freezing temperatures and a sub-zero wind chill meant slick spots on many roads.

Guess it really is winter.