After all the fluff has settled, here's where we're at

 Hm.  For some reason, Blogger's flipping my picture sideways.

As to my scientific methodology: I grabbed my four foot ruler, walked out to the nearest undisturbed spot in the yard (to my front door) and pushed the ruler down into the snow as far as I could.  I didn't sample more spots.

So there.

The computer thermometer tells me it's 14ºF out.  Warming up a bit.

[My character map calls the degree sign a "masculine ordinal indicator."  What the hell?]