Sierra cement
n.— «The only vehicles allowed were gravel trucks and graders working to remove what is known as “Sierra cement,” the type of thick, clumpy snow that can play havoc with tire treads and drivers’ nerves.» —“Many Without Power Amid California Storm” by Jesse McKinley in San Francisco, California New York Times Jan. 6, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Samantha Harvey’s novel Orbital is a sensuous, exhilarating meditation about the strangeness of life on a space station, with its mix of tedious tasks and jaw-dropping views. And: a musician who rode the rails in his youth shares the slang he...
Astronauts returning from space say they experience what’s called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe...