What Happened to Winter!

[John Bailey]

We've had a very mild winter here in Northern Michigan. It's rained for about 3 weeks, which I've never encountered in my 18 yrs. up here. Until yesterday, we could only backcountry ski twice all year. In January and February that's usually an everyday thing for us. The groomed trails can be used, but in the backcountry, where we ski, you have to have 3 to 4 ft. of snow to keep from snagging on all the underbrush. Yesterday and today we've had about 18" of snow, so things are getting back to normal. I knew it was a mild winter when it was just yesterday that I had to use a sled to haul our daily supply of wood for heat, instead of the wheelbarrow. The sled usually comes out sometime in December when the snow gets too deep and comes too fast for the wheelbarrow. I believe the jet stream has been hitting us from the Pacific this year. Usually we get, what we call, Alberta clippers that come down from the Artic. So, if what Jim says is correct, the jet stream will probably shift back to normal for us and we'll start getting our normal 2-3" of snow on a daily basis.

John

[Glenn Clabo]

Is it different in
the Northern states? Is it warmer than usual?

This has been THE mildest winter...with the least amount of snow I've ever witnessed in my life...including the 20 years in VA. I was standing out in the yard talking to the guy next door this weekend with a T-shirt on! We couldn't get off the subject of this "winter".

I convinced 2 guys in work to buy snowthrowers in the fall last year. They love me...

[Lou Morrissette]

This has been an unbelieveably warm winter here on the Cape and New England in general. Read in the paper that some farmers are already boiling maple sugar. That's 6 weeks earlier than normal. There was also a warning in the local paper that the deer ticks are already out.


Lou

[Mike Ramsey]

I convinced 2 guys in work to buy snowthrowers in the fall last year. They love me...

I don't care who you are.....that's funny!

[Dave Anderson NH]

Being born in New England and raised in Rochester NY, and having lived all of my life in the snow country of the Northeast, it's one of the warmest and most snow free I've seen. On southern NH we've had less than 2 1/2 feet of snow all winter and right now the ground is pretty bare and brown. Usually by now we've had at least 5 feet

Being used to the winters here I'm usually disappointed if there isn't some snow on the ground to brighten things up. This year though with heating oil prices hovering between $2.20 and $2.50 per gallon I'm actually glad it's been warmer than usual. January in NH, as measured officially at Concord our state capital was 8 degrees warmer than normal. We've only had one night belwo zero in the south of the state, and only a few in the single digits. Definately a far cry from 2 winters ago when the lowest temp was 28 below in the south and oaver 35 below up north.

[Andy Hoyt]

Glenn, Lou, & Dave - You know what they say. "It aint over til it's over."

Brown here as well. Last three storms we got at least 8" each time but I'm getting smart - No plowing, no blowing, no shoveling - just wait a day and it's all gone. Nuts.

[Rob Russell]

My wife commented that the crocuses are starting to come up in our front yard. That, and some of the trees starting to bud, could spell trouble for things later on. Like Dave, it's been nice to have the warmer temps keep the oil bill down (we burn wood as a major supplement anyway), but warm winters like this do mean a mess of mosquitos later and that's been causing problems with disease spreading up here. Towns have started fogging areas to kill the 'skeeters ...

[Jim Becker]

My wife commented that the crocuses are starting to come up in our front yard.

Daffodils are "rising" here...and a pair of bluebirds were putting sticks in the bluebird house in our front lawn. Sheesh! It's the beginning of February! The only redeeming benefit of this is that my electric/gas bills have stayed below $600 so far...with gas being 45% higher than the same time last year, the higher temps have been a blessing.

[Vaughn McMillan]

What is this "winter" thing all your easterners keep talking about?

It's definitely seemed milder here in SoCal this year, especially compared to last year's near-record rainfall. Of course, we have blooming flowers in the yard year-round, so it's kinda hard to tell when the seasons change, but still, it's been a warm one this year.

BTW, Lee, your OC fire is making my LA sun orange-colored.

- Vaughn

[Jerry Clark]

Yes it is warmer in So. Cal but the bad news is NO RAIN. Only 2.25 inches since July 1, 2005 and the fires are going to be bad this year. We usually only get about 9 inches a year-- and no snow except in the mountains-- they had to make snow this year. Most of the water for So. Cal is imported from Northern California and from the Colorado River.

[Lee DeRaud]

BTW, Lee, your OC fire is making my LA sun orange-colored.

No kidding...here's what it looked like from my place this morning:
DSC00078.JPGDSC00081.JPG
At least the wind has died down here now. Of course that means the smoke is just milling around here instead of blowing out to sea.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Showed up here this morning. 14 Degrees. High of 32. Supposed to be this way all week.

Makes the fact that we are leaving for Ft. Lauderdale Thursday and cruising starting Saturday for a week just that much better. I'll keep you all in mind while we're gone. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!

Sorry, if this was a hijack...................just couldn't resist.

Bruce

[Jesse Merino]

LOUDMOUTH!!! YEA, ya had to go an say something...

Now, ya spoiled it... ROTFLOL!!!

I was "enjoying" those 60+ degree weather!!!

Now, its back to the deep freeze...

See...ya had to go an say something, spoilin it fer the rest of us... There goes my heating bill...

If it wasnt for me being retired... I might be mad at having snow again... Now, I dont like the cold, so I'm a gonna stay in side and keep my toes warm... And to think, I gave up working so the wife can nag 24/7 because I aint doin sumtin...sheesh!!
BAAAAAABY ITS COOOOOOOLD OUT THERE!!!!! LOL!! ....Jesse

[Mike Ramsey]

At least the wind has died down here now. Of course that means the smoke is just milling around here instead of blowing out to sea.

Lee, any chance of that fire getting to your place??

[Lee DeRaud]

Lee, any chance of that fire getting to your place??

Nope. There's an intersection of two freeways about 2 miles southeast of me...the fire is south and east of there, and the winds are from NNE. (Not to mention there's a river between me and the east-west freeway...or at least what passes for a river in these parts. ) At the moment, there's almost no wind, and very little smoke visible from here, big change from this time yesterday.

The newscritters are making a much bigger deal of this fire than it really deserves: except for a few "spot fires" that got knocked down quickly, it's still all on the other side of a wide freeway from any homes. The reports I've been seeing with the "dramatic" pictures are mostly either night footage or air shots taken way out in the boonies. Unless we get some really big wind in the next day or two, the fire is more of a traffic issue: the north-south freeway that's acting as a fire-break is closed for the duration.