Category Archives: weather

by | February 19, 2014 · 10:13 am

A tease before the freeze

Winter still has the Twin Cities in a frozen grip, but Spring is sneaking in a cameo appearance. Yesterday was the warmest day since the end of November and today is forecast as warmer than normal. Heavy snow, with amounts ranging from 3 – 12 inches, and strong winds tomorrow give way to steadily falling temperatures. Some of the forecasts are hinting at another prolonged cold snap, albeit not as severe as the previous one, but with a few more below zero lows. March 20th will not arrive quickly enough, although we all know Mother Nature does not read calendars very well.

People in this area know how to make the most of these brief breaks from Arctic domination. Perhaps it is a throwback to the agrarian history of the Midwest, but “making hay while the sun shines” is appropriate. Street crews actually tried removing snow from curb to curb rather than leaving the usual two feet or more unplowed. Highway crews attempted fixing the most serious potholes, but the snowplows will destroy those patches removing Thursday’s slop. Car washes had their usual long lines, and the melting snow running across the streets immediately gave those freshly scrubbed cars a mottled gray and brown appearance. The local ski sites and hiking trails stayed filled with people enjoying actual sunlight and fresh air, and ice fishing seemed very popular. Snow forts and snowmen appeared breaking up the boring landscape. The only down side was many places quickly sold out of windshield washer fluid.

Perhaps some of the activities seemed futile, but perhaps the extended harshness of this winter has people jaded and cynical. It takes several days of driving in slush to cover a car in gray grime. Widening the streets is important for allowing emergency vehicles adequate room for maneuvering and for on street parking. Even temporarily fixing the potholes prevents flat tires or accidents which in turn keeps the traffic flow moving better; public works departments have to justify those tax increases somehow. A sunny warm day definitely improves people’s moods. I saw a marked decrease in drivers using rude gestures, and people were willing to have conversations rather than exchanging grunts and muttering. I am going to miss the nice weather. It was nice having a couple of days where the snow thrower could remain unused, the furnace was not running frequently, and I didn’t need analgesics and heating pads to relieve muscle strain.

Live Life Happy has the best quote times like this:

This too, shall pass.
When things are bad, remember: It won’t always be this way. Take one day at a time.
When things are good, remember: It won’t always be this way. Enjoy every great moment.

Enjoy a great moment by giving your special someone a meaningful hug. Since great moments are fleeting, go ahead and enjoy a second one, too. Spend time with a friend and see how it brightens the day for both of you. If you’ll excuse me, I’m getting outside to enjoy this wonderful break from winter before the Arctic sends another frigid blast my way. Now where are my sunglasses?

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Filed under rebuilding, weather

by | February 11, 2014 · 7:42 pm

Forty days and forty nights

Forty days and forty nights can seem an eternity. Many religious works have a number of “forty days and forty nights” events, with few of them pleasant; many centered on sacrifice, suffering, and destruction. The Twin Cities has endured slightly over forty days and forty nights of below zero (Fahrenheit) weather this winter, but we have not cracked the top ten for years with the most sub-zero temperatures. Today was day 43 and it is hopefully our last for at least the next ten days.

As a gardener, my worry is the severity and duration of our unseasonable weather will result in serious winter kill in the gardens. For all intents and purposes, my area went from USDA Growing Zone 4 to USDA Growing Zone 2. I have mulch in all the gardens and we had sufficient rainfall before the ground froze. That should help, but will it be enough?

As a homeowner, I worry that the frost line will get deep enough to cause frozen pipes. That is happening in other places, and I have a friend who mentioned on Facebook that the going rate to thaw pipes in her town is $200.00 per hour. I have been in my house for fifteen years, and I do not remember a winter with this many below zero days. A natural gas shortage is causing problems for some homeowners in rural parts of the Midwest even if they can afford the nearly 400% price increase. The National Weather Service tells us this is the coldest we have seen for over thirty years. We heard that the weather and climate have been steadily growing warmer for decades or centuries depending on which study one reads, so perhaps we got complacent. Maybe we solved Anthropogenic Catastrophic Climate Change and the earth is back to normal?

After our eighteen consecutive days of going below zero, we may finally start seeing temperatures approaching normal. When the temperature starts rising, people will emerge from their homes much like a creature emerging from its winter shelter, blinking because of the sunlight, smelling the fresh air rather than the mostly recirculated air in a sealed house, and shuffling off to forage and frolic. I hope these folks do not act like a bear in the woods.Valentine’s Day is Friday. It used to be known as St. Valentine’s Day, but the religious reference faded a number of years ago. Lucy’s ancestors came from Finland, where Valentine’s Day was known as “Ystävänpäivä”, or “Day of Friendship”. Lucy was my best and closest friend, so it made perfect sense. I’m fortunate to have some wonderful friends for my Day of Friendship.

If you are buying flowers for Valentine’s Day or Day of Friendship, buy them from a local florist rather than an online service. On top of getting  a superior product, you are supporting your community, and it shows you took the time to get the right bouquet. Take a moment to be thankful for your friends, whether they are near, distant, or departed. Friends help friends through forty day and forty night challenges, and can brighten even the darkest and stormiest of nights. As always, give your special someone a meaningful hug. Here’s hoping we get forty days and forty nights of warmer weather!

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Filed under friends, gardening, rebuilding, weather

by | February 5, 2014 · 6:45 pm

Happy birthday, Lucy 2014

Please take a moment to remember Lucy on her birthday.

Getting to her resting place was a bit challenging. They plowed the cemetery driveway, of course, but in the process of plowing, but they accidentally filled in the two foot wide path I shoveled with a five foot tall by five foot deep pile of hardened snow. Today was much colder than normal with a slight breeze. Of course, even a gentle breeze in single digit temperatures creates double-digit below zero wind chill.

Thank you for the love and support you gave to Lucy during her cancer battle. Thank you for remembering her and keeping her memory alive. Give your special someone a meaningful hug and cherish the time you have with that person.

Heart for Lucy

I wired the heart to Lucy’s Christmas wreath today.

Digging through a 5 foot drift

The cemetery plowed the driveway, but clogged the path I had shoveled. It was piled about five feet high and about five feet deep.

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by | January 28, 2014 · 4:18 pm

Howlin’ mad

WHAT-CHEER! CHEER! CHEER! CHEER! WHAT-CHEER! CHEER! CHEER! CHEER!

Today’s 4:45 a.m. wake up music was courtesy of a male northern cardinal. Northern cardinals are the opera singers of the bird world. They are rather small birds and look like the first barely noticeable breeze would blow them away much like a discarded fast food napkin. I have mentioned before how their songs can carry. Listening to one is similar to watching a reality singing show on television. One slightly built contestant comes out looking like she or he is barely capable of speaking louder than a whisper and then performs a song with unexpected power and ease. No matter how many times one experiences that performance, it is still amazing. A cardinal will put everything into its song, bobbing up and down with each tone, ensuring that song carries distantly.

Contrast today’s happy song with the sound the Twins Cities heard most of Sunday afternoon into Monday morning. Another round of unseasonably cold weather began its assault early in the afternoon after we enjoyed a comparatively balmy Friday and Saturday. Winter winds are not unusual, but Sunday’s blast was quite different. The wind started out with a low, guttural growl warning us that something unpleasant was imminent. The growl soon became a mad howl, and the wind-driven snow stung when striking exposed skin. It was punishment for enjoying a break from the cold, like a child having a major temper tantrum in a quiet public place; how dare anyone find relief from winter’s clutches!

The cardinal’s song was a defiant symbol of hope, that winter’s grip would soon release, and that the foot of snow on the ground will soon melt transforming the vista from white to green. It was -17°F (-27°C) this morning when I noticed the sound, and I had to chuckle. People have ventured out only when necessary this month, but today we hear “CHEER! CHEER! CHEER!” from a small creature sitting high atop a denuded tree and fully exposed to the biting cold. Today was not nearly as windy as Sunday and the sun shone brightly. At my latitude, we are gaining about 2½ minutes of daylight per day as the calendar progresses to spring. In the United States, Daylight Saving Time begins in less than five weeks, and the halfway point of winter is Sunday. Hope springs eternal and we hope spring arrives on time or, better yet, early.

We all go through rough stretches where it seems like the Universe behaves like Sunday’s wind. Seemingly unrelated events provide the growl, and misfortunes become the howling mad wind threatening to destroy our hopes and sting us with despair. Our situations do eventually get better. Pay close attention, and like the cardinal’s song from this morning, you will find a sign. Family and friends are a wonderful source of comfort and strength during adverse times. Perhaps you are the one who helps someone regain hope and rebuild the strength needed to persevere.

For those of you with a special someone close by, give that person a warm and meaningful hug. If he or she is having a bright and sunny day, your hug will improve it even more. Like the cardinal tells us, spread some “CHEER! CHEER! CHEER!” to your friends and family even if they might be howling mad at the world. The smiles you receive in return will warm you even on the coldest day. Unlike the flu, your compassion is something worth going viral!

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Filed under nature, rebuilding, weather

by | January 21, 2014 · 2:44 pm

Bird brains

It is the middle of January, the dead of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere. When the cloud cover allows moonlight through, the snow-covered landscape takes on a grayish hue. On a still night, breathing creates a lingering fog, softening the view until the mist dissipates. Sounds carry farther because the air is denser. Many of the smaller mammals are holed up or hibernating, trying to retain precious body heat. Yet there are creatures stirring.

My neighborhood has had at least one barred owl claiming it as hunting territory since 2009. Starting in January through early March, Lucy and I would sometimes hear the local owl hooting to a distant owl, and it was worth losing 30 minutes of sleep to listen in awe. The hooting would last about 30 seconds with a several minute pause before starting again. Last night was probably the first night of a 4:15 a.m. solo. It was at least -10°F at the start of the hooting, but owls know how to stay warm. Owls are also smarter than we humans believe. On the other hand, some humans are bird brains and exhibit the intelligence of a rock with unintentionally hilarious results.

One person in the neighborhood took umbrage with the vocalizations and shouted at the owl to shut up, rather profanely I might add. Rather than the expected result of the owl either quieting down or flying away, the hooting continued after the usual several minute pause. This triggered a slightly longer epithet-laden response from over the fence. The next round of hoots was punctuated with a slamming door but no further response from the bird-brained human. By 4:45 a.m. the owls were done catching up, and now it was time for the cardinals, blue jays, and crows to start their days. Bird songs eventually gave way to opening garage doors and running engines as the sun timidly peeked over the horizon.

“Son of Polar Vortex” is engulfing the Upper Midwestern United States for the next several days. Like most sequels, this one does not seem to be living up to the original. One would be hard-pressed to find anyone complaining, however. Nearly five inches of snow fell before the onset of the deep freeze, which helped cover much of the dirty snow. Friday should see another quick warm up before temperatures plunge again, although not as sharply as before. Here’s hoping spring shows up early this year. Some of the bird brains are getting a bad case of cabin fever.

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Filed under nature, rebuilding, weather