Mother Nature is such a tease.

Folks in our area awoke last Friday to sunny skies and balmy temperatures. People doffed winter coats and heavy socks for T-shirts and sandals as they left the house opening windows as they went to see the tender green shoots of daffodils and crocuses and take a look-see at the lawn mower.This morning, those verdant harbingers of spring were cowering under a thick crust of snow and ice. Lawn mowers were pushed to the back of the priority list this morning as drivers, many muttering words unfit for publication, pulled on winter gloves and chipped away at a thick layer of ice covering car windows.The weather started turning Sunday night, with snow, sifting down about four inches deep, followed by sleet and rain, making for a slick and slushy first-day-of-spring mess in time for the Monday morning commute. The mess caused several crashes, including one that forced Mahoning Township police to close Mansion House Hill from about 4 to 8 a.m.Temperatures warmed Monday, renewing hopes for spring weather.Hope springs eternal, but Mother Nature is a fickle lass.Snow began again in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, into Wednesday. Carbon County schools canceled classes and Tamaqua Area School District delayed the start of classes for two hours.As the day wore on, the snow changed to rain, then to sleet, then to rain again, in evening hours, accompanied by thunder and lightning. The precipitation continued throughout the night, leaving a few inches of wet, heavy snow for the drive to work.This morning, most roadways were wet, splotched with patches of icy slush. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesman Ron Young said no state roads were closed due to the weather.The National Weather Service forecast periods of light drizzle this morning, which would likely freeze on some road surfaces.The heavy, wet snow and ice resulted in some power outages. As of 8:30 a.m. two PPL customers were out of power in Monroe County and 11 in Luzerne County.But take heart: The sun is supposed to break through the clouds, and temperatures today are expected to reach the upper 30s, according to the National Weather Service. Be prepared for the mercury to plunge into the high teens tonight, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the high 30s on Friday and Saturday. There will be a slight chance of snow Saturday night and Sunday, with temperatures in the high teens and mid-30s, respectively, according to the National Weather Service.