Hillsboro and Marion County got its first real taste of winter last week when snow and bitter-cold temperatures swept into the region. Hillsboro received 3 to 4 inches of snow. On Thursday morning, the thermometer at Emprise Bank (inset) was recording below-zero temperatures. On the bright side, the snow made for a classic "White Christmas" scene in downtown Hillsboro as well as in surrounding communites. A warming trend that began late in the week all but melted the snow by Monday morning.