Sucky Winter

About 6 weeks ago I posted about how we'd passed the coldest average temps period and things would be warming up. I did mention that February could be nasty here though, and it was.

I got a couple nights backpacking in, but those were a squeeze between vicious cold spells. This weekend we had got about 1/8" of ice, then it sleeted about 1/5", then it snowed about 5" on top of that. It starts warming up towards the end of the week, and rain is in the forecast, so that will melt the snow off, but things will be really gooshy for a bit after.

My neighbors and I followed a creek that we day hiked to a week or so before to its end and just a bit past where we were the first time the creek opened up and was just filled bank to bank with Witch hazel in full bloom for about 1/2 a mile. The scent of it is just dreamy and it makes you feel so good.

When I got home I realized I'd been cooped up for so long that I hadn't even checked the Witch Hazel I planted in our front yard a few years ago to see if it had bloomed so the next day I did, and it was blooming good. It's just been so cold the scent of it never really got going. You have to be right next to it to catch a whiff in this cold and the flowers aren't very noticeable either.

So it's been a tough season so far. I'm hoping that March, which has started with a smack upside the head, will settle down and be nice for a bit. If the weather held out for even just a week it'd be great because I need the time out bad. Cabin Fever has got to me.

Even I've noticed I've been getting a little teeny, tiny, itsy, bit grumpy and my wife made it clear she's about sick of that and she's going to strangle me if I don't get out of here soon. And it won't be in my sleep either. She'll make darn sure I know she's doing it.

Our winter has sucked as well, but for opposite reasons. It has been too warm with hardly any snow. It is either going to be a very long spring, or a very long summer.

Agreed. I live in North Central Michigan and we have had knee deep + snow and sub 15 degree temps for months. I'm a winter lover, but this is wearing me thin. I don't winter pack, so Im REALLY chomping at the bit. I need miles under my feet and weight on my back soon!

I want to thank all of you in the lower 48 for the most wonderful winter in years up here in Alaska!

Our general weather tends to be opposite of yours, so I'm usually very happy to hear from my family in Michigan complaining about a cold, dry winter - though mostly this year they have been complaining about a cold, snowy winter.

Hahahahaha Heather! It really has been the most bizarre winter. I've enjoyed the facebook posts asking AK to please take their weather back.

You're welcome, Heather! My husband spends a lot of time in Alaska for work and this winter it's been warmer there than at home in Indiana. It's pretty sad when I'm jealous of the "heat wave" he's experiencing in Alaska! Winter just needs to let go.

Bill,
I have pretty much given up on any idea of an early start to things here in New England. The cold continues relentlessly. Best we can hope for is no more snow accumulation.

I am now looking into the possibilities of human hibernation for next winter.

jimmyb

Funny, I'm sort of right between alaska and michigan - our winter has been more or less average. Still cold, (we had a -40C overnighter on the weekend)

We haven't seen any -40(in this rare case doesn't really matter if C or F) since DECEMBER! and it was only a couple of days. This morning it was 2F at my place. I'm thinking we might have an early breakup - which will make up for last years weirdness (cold and snowy until the end of May then went from below 32F to high 70's in less than 2 weeks! - May 18 high of 35F, May 25 high of 77F.)

That weirdness is normal here. Last Monday the high was 23F, next Monday it's predicted to be 68F, but it might be 23F soon after again. That's one of the reasons it's hard to take a longer trip here. The weather changes severely and quickly. But when it's nice, it's really nice

jimmyb, I would've made plans to hibernate this year if I had a clue we'd have this many cold days.

The Farmer's Almanac said parts of the country would be nasty cold, NC and NE if I recall correctly, but we were once again in the iffy column. I can say now that it was decidedly cold.

Gee, we had several days in January in the low 90's. My biggest problem with our winters is that half the population of the upper Midwest comes here to escape the snow. They go home again around Easter. We have a saying here "If you can't handle the summers then you don't deserve the winters". Most of the snowbirds don't see that as funny.

This "winter" was one for the books. We flirted with 90 earlier this year and today I cycled to work without a jacket. These things don't happen, until they do.

Read today there's some indication an El Nino will form later this year. If so, and if it's a strong one, that will usher in dramatic changes in weather patterns, both in the States and worldwide.

Cheers,

It's been pretty nice the past few days, which I had to work of course.

It was 68º today but we're getting at least one more kick in the rear starting tonight with a storm that's predicted to dump up to 2" of rain, then 2" of sleet/snow tomorrow with the temps dropping from a low of 45º tonight to around 30º by tomorrow afternoon and 19º tomorrow night. YUCK!!

On the plus side it's predicted to be pretty warm on Monday and pretty nice all next week, and while I have plenty of work I could do, I'm heading out as soon as I can, which should be Tuesday at the latest.

Spent the weekend birding with my son-in-law and daughter in the Klamath Basin (Oregon and California). (I also was able to give their dog back after 1 1/2 months.) Sunday the temp was in the upper 50's, although windy, and we were hiking in shirtsleeves (although we did bundle up on our sidetrip to Crater Lake.) Late Sunday night a cold front came in, and we were fighting a strong and very chilly north wind. Frost last night, but it has was in the mid-50's when I got home at 5:15 pm.

OM, I'd sure love to declare winter's over here but this year's been special so I won't take that chance.

However, I will post a little trip report because I did get out for a few days...

Yep, sucky in Calif too....they already closed Badger Pass ski area...no snow! Our average rainfall in my town is 31 and we have had 9 inches of rain this year!:(

http://www.wmur.com/weather/stormwatch/potential-snow-bomb-may-hit-nh-this-week/25113846?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=wmur%2Bfacebook

And to think I was just starting to get giddy over seeing patches of grass.

Just heard from my eldest son in SW Ohio--still not much evidence of spring there.

Although late this year, March is busting out all over in western Oregon and Washington--daffodils, forsythia, the early flowering trees. Wild plum in Boeing Creek Park in Shoreline (which has some great hiking trails really close to my youngest son's place). All of this is several weeks behind, though.

He's right - I'm watching a snow flurry out my window right now.

Which means we'll probably need the AC tomorrow afternoon.

Smokies got 5 inches of snow starting at 3,500 feet or so. Old man winter isn't giving up.

“ It has been too warm with hardly any snow. “

Thank you UT! That did make it nice for a backpacking excursion into Arches March 28!
Looking down onto campsite:
Far left is daughter using GG Squall Classic, brother using Tarptent Virga II, me next to my Hexamid, and original Tarptent Virga used by daughter’s boyfriend.



It did get down to 25F in the mornings and 65F in the afternoon.

-Barry

Yogi's right. It ain't over til it's over.

Tomorrow's forecast: