Winter in Minnesota Jan 8 2020

2019 Started with record snowfall crushing the old record. Most of it fell from 4 February~ 15 March 2019. Nacho and I walked a record setting low for any month. February walking 13 miles on 6 walks, time it took 6 hours that's 2.16 miles per hours! Nacho walked more mile's than I did. Because I had to lift my walker over mounds of plowed snow, 3 feet high and 4~6 feet wide in many places. This year I've gotten a compact shovel to knock down some of the hight of the mounds.

Was running out of room.

Nacho needed a path to run around.

Going for walks  came down to walking around the block 5 times.

                                We still had snow in the backyard until late May!!

                                                                            

A lot of snow that year.

Temperature on February 27 is -14 degrees feels like -26

Winter is hanging on here in Minnesota. With a snow pack in places of up to 4+ feet, it's not hard to understand, clear skies at night means there is nothing to holding the heat in. Last week it rained then it snowed, the roads are still iced over too cold for it to melt, even with all the Sunshine we get as the Sun makes the journey north. According to the forecast we are enjoying another Polar Vortex until next week Wednesday the high may make it to 20 degrees. The long term forecast has us below average until mid-March. Knowing the North pole is warmer, than we are isn't helping one bit!  

This was February 8  

February 22

Much of the snow we get in December, will still be here in March the April showers also come in the form of snow! May flowers . Rain on the other hand once the Sun goes down any water becomes Ice add in a polar vortex or two. There are many four letter words used at this time of year, replace the every day 4 letter words used all year long. A short list; Snow, Plow, Rain, Road, Roof, Rake, Cold, Wind, Sand last one Salt...! The amount of emotion behind these words no other 4 letter words are needed!

January 19 2014 

February 22 2014

There is an upside to all of this bone chilling cold.

The sky during the day is a bold shade of blue. 

Sunrise and sets are wonderful in soft pastel colors.

The night sky is my favorite.

The moonrise when it's full is so big and bright, casting shadows on the ground. 

Best of all is seeing so many stars even spotted the Milky Way a few times.

Reminding me of home living in Wisconsin.

When the sky was clear I would watch it for hours.

When a path starts looking more like a tunnel.

February 22 2014

     

April 19 2013

A winter wonder land that thankfully will not last LONG!

Are we going to play in that white stuff!?! I really love that white stuff you call SNOW! 

By the way! You're taking too long, you know what happens when,

I'M ANNOYED!   

All this snow will melt in less than a week, the faster it melts the warmer we get!

The roads are already starting to melt.

It should bounce back I hope. We had very wet snow, last night the temperature dropped below 29 degrees and when it's frozen even heavier.

Thought this crap was done!

Asked Nacho if he wanted to come back outside with me. Gave me this look and laid down guess not! Where I came back in he was sound asleep, Mr. Owen was asleep on the bed.

I'm waiting to put away my shovels until after I've cut the grass. We have had snow as late as May 17th. Last year I wasn't able to plant my garden until the first week of June. Whatever the weather brings, I'll work around it, living in Minnesota it's one of those things, we learn about at a very young age!

Can't say much about weather in Minnesota.

What a different a year makes, much easier to get around to do just about anything that doesn't include snow. Do I mind heck no, haven't used the snow-blower once, shoveled only 3 times. The day after Christmas we set a record high temperature of 52 degrees, considering the normal high is in the low twenty's, dewpoints are still in between the 30's and 40's, yes I've written about the weather a lot, it's kind of becoming a big deal all over the world. Now I'm not going to get into climate change debate, if folks want to keep on the rose colored glasses, there's not much I can do about that. 


When we don't get the snow in the end of fall and early winter we do tend to get more in January and February so it does even it's self out for the most part. When it's this dry and warm I water the trees that get the most sun or are young, so they don't get too stressed. Need as many carbon eater as we can get here in the city, it won't replace the rain forest but every little bit helps, well it can't hurt. 


It been nice getting out and about without having to deal with all that snow, shush and ice.  Having not to fight so hard to keep the cold out and the heat in. Knowing many of you are needing to fight the cold and snow for the first time in many years if ever. Your houses aren't build for this kind of cold or to bear the weight of the wet snow on your roof. Don't know many up here that don't know what the R factor rating is of the insulation in their walls the roofs is. The roofs on the houses up here are built to hold up to the weight of the snow and the freezing and thawing that's caused by the sun. Not saying all this to worry any one just information to hopefully help you get through this winter. Best of luck to all who are needing to deal with for the first time. 

A WARNING WINTER AND SNOW ARE!

Something I think everyone likes to look at, it covers the dirt and makes everything look clean and fresh. Except for the people who have to move it out of the way, while trying to stay warm the whole time your working on moving the snow out of the way. Meaning your going to sweat a lot so now your warm and wet, without all the stuff to keep you warm you'd be freezing after 3 minutes and get nothing done. The way I choose to look at is I don't need a gym membership in the winter. Because I stretch out before I start shoveling as I work and after I'm done shoveling, yes I know it may make me look silly, I don't worry about what anyone may think. Because anyone who's shoveled knows it's one hell of a workout and the last thing I need is a heart attack. Many people have had heart attacks after shoveling even very healthy people. Because after just sitting around they get up and shovel come back in and just sit right back down. Without allowing the body to recover and cool down after a mostly upper body workout that puts a strain on your heart. Knowing you would never do that after woking out at the gym, Right? Some of you may know this already, my question is do you treat as a workout or not?

SNOW ISN'T A BIG DEAL IN MINNESOTA MOST OF THE TIME!

     Now when it's the fifth largest snow fall on record. After about 9" fall in 4 or 5 hours all the cars that could get unstuck are gone, the unlucky ones that just couldn't get out, in a short time the car is just another mound of snow. It becomes very peaceful in the city, watching the birds at the bird feeders that I had to fill twice in less than 8 hours, I think they tell each other who still has food. Watching people cross-county skiing to the store down the street is no surprise because we know it's open because they can't go anywhere so they just stay open. I did my best to keep up with the falling snow, until the wind started blowing at 20 miles per hour with gusts up to 40 MPH. It was time to just let it blow knowing the battle with the snow is over for now.
     Watching the snow blowing everywhere from the comfort of the easy chair it's so peaceful with everything covered in a blanket of white. Later the wind began to lose it's power or maybe it's run out snow to blow. It's finally stops snowing, now the war against the snow will be won it's just a matter of time before my paths are walk ways again. With neighbor helping neighbor it seem like in no time at all everyone can get out. Even if in reality it took more than 5 hours to get it done. We normally don't get this much snow so early in the season. Winter hasn't even started yet Dec. 21 isn't far away so knowing there will be more snow I take a day off from moving snow. A bit more rested now it's time to make room for the snow that I know is yet to come. So moving the snow I already have, further back into the yard that is already at it's highest point 6 feet high and the lowest is 2 feet high and knowing it's not going to melt any time soon, if we're lucky maybe by April if not for sure sometime in  May. Living here if you don't have a sense of humor about winter it's going to be a very very long winter. Maybe that's why even when the worst of the snowstorm's hit, most of the bars are open and show a good profit!
     People call us "Minnesota nice" considering in the winter we tend to have the coldest high temperature in the lower 48 states of the U.S.A. and tend to stay below freezing for most of the winter that hasn't even started yet. What people don't understand is each person who lives here can tell at least one story of how someone helped them get through a snowstorm, flood, tornado I myself have many of each. By about February most of what you hear is people talking about moving to anywhere but here! Then when spring comes and the grass is green and all is in bloom Mother nature is forgiven.