Thomas woke to a sound that wasn't a sound—a heavy, muffling hush. He ran to the window. The world had vanished. In its place was a landscape of pure white. The driveway, the car, the messy garden hose—all gone, smoothed over by a thick, pristine sheet of white.

Many plants become dormant, and some animals hibernate or migrate to survive the cold and lack of food.

He walked to the oak tree. Under the snow, the roots were sleeping. Inside the rough bark, the sap was moving slowly, lazily, barely keeping the heart of the tree alive. It wasn't a death; it was a recovery.

Winter is defined by various forms of frozen precipitation and unique atmospheric events: What's the winter solstice? | National Geographic Kids

"In the summer," she began, "the trees are busy. They are shouting with color, drinking the rain, reaching for the sun. It is a party. It is loud. But look at them now."

The word "winter" comes from an old Germanic word meaning "time of water," referring to the heavy rain and snow typical of the season. Post-Winter (Spring Transition)

She gestured to the sky outside. "It’s also a lesson in patience. The sun moves away, leaving us in the gray. We are forced to look inward. We stop running through fields and start sitting by fires. We stop shouting and start whispering."