Cold and Messy

 

The Christmas Storm of 16 brought alternating rain, sleet, and snow leaving a slight snow coat here trapped in ice.  The main roads are thawing out and getting more cleared, but lesser roads continue to be covered in icy snow.  One can get around just fine, but it is slippery in spots.

The area was sort of lucky in that it fell into holes in the storm several times.  This meant no big ice build and no big snow build.  Clearing the drive fools you a first as it seems the snow is thick, but you can only push a small layer on the top.

The ice warning required full storm preparedness from many.  Making sure the  heat would stay on was the big thing.  We did have a pretty good wind, but nothing like to the west and north, sop no blizzard warning.  North Dakota really got the brunt of that.

Warmth Comes

 

Today warmed to 32F.  A really nice day with bright sun melting snow on the roads all day.  Big storm looms in the off stage for Sunday.  No one knows our true fate.

Cold Snap!

 

The warm start of winter came to a crushing close over the weekend as temperatures dropped to –33.1 degrees F with a –44 degrees F wind chill.  It became much harder top work outside, but little was even attempted.

Light Snow

 

The winter continues to build with more light snow falling most of the day.  The bigger shift has been to below zero temperatures.  Winter is here.

Snow Comes and Goes, Comes Again

 

The yard is again covered with snow.  A wet snow has been falling into air just above freezing for a day or so now.  This is wild weather for November.  The temperatures certainly are nice, but the precipitation type just is confusing.  The squirrels are still getting to the cleaned off feeders.  The food taken  seems low now.

Melting Some

The snow is slowly coming down the roof, but has been slowed by forecast failure again.  We were promise some sun and a few more degrees.  Nope!  Cloudy and misty all day.  Some dripage has begun, but with only two hours of light left, not much off the roof today.

With rain and snow in the forecast for next week, the snow blower has been repaired and awaits them finding time to deliver it home.  A rock got behind the impeler and looking and looking one just did not see the clear cut path to getting in there and getting it out.  For lucky, there were more expensive alternative in the way of things to be wrong.

Snow Cleanup

The 13 inches of snow is cleaning up fine.  It was very water logged and is taking more time than most normal snowfalls.  The piles from the road are about gone.  The sun is heating the blacktop surface and evaporating the remnants.  The squirrel food and bird seed area will emerge this afternoon. Business has slow there.  One squirrel yesterday tried a lot, but seemed to get stuck under the snow.

Trees 32 and 33 are out of the way in piles, but will await the Spring for clearance.  Everything is winterized and put away for dealing with them.  I am not sure the road to the wood pile at the transfer station is very winter passable, either.