Author Topic: Winter 2012 (Read 15687 times)

Mimi · « **Reply #20 on:** November 30, 2012, 03:43:58 PM »

We'll take it, my brother! We had snow for only a few days in early November and have had nothing since then. We are parched! It will be welcomed if it makes it here. The weather "authorities" forecast a track well north of here.

Our winter is about 15^o above normal and it is expected to stay that way through the early part of 2013. Again, according to the "authorities." I have not used 1/3rd of the wood budgeted for November. That is good for December's cash flow but very bad for the possibilities of forest fires out here. We need cold and wet weather. It has been in the 50s and 60s. Unheard of. As Walter says, "Must be global warming!"

A recent study of our land shows fifty years ago there were 70 trees per acre. Today there are 1,500/acre. Our district forest service and fire-fighting teams say if a fire sweeps through this valley (and we only have 1 way out), they will not come to rescue people or animals, much less fight it. It's too dangerous for them. Only a handful of us have aggressively thinned our trees. The wacko environmentalists, (I'm sorry, wrong term) the tree huggers detest the mention of "remediation" of any kind on their land, so we have not made progress on a larger scale to thwart such a great threat of fire to human life. The trees and wildlife are to be respected and protected far above that of the Homo sapien. We actually have that in writing. No wonder homes are not selling in our area and no wonder insurance companies see red, literally, when our zip code is entered in their data banks. They will not take the risk either.

So, at the hint of a fire, we immediately leave and ask no questions. I will pray the Pineapple Express is touched by a divine hand and will move a little further south and shower us with very wet blessings!

Richard Myers · « **Reply #21 on:** November 30, 2012, 05:18:51 PM »

Here is what just passed over us, the bulls eye in red. It looks like the bottom could get you, but you are right, the forecast says no.

Mimi · « **Reply #22 on:** November 30, 2012, 05:48:47 PM »

Just misses us!

Mimi · « **Reply #23 on:** December 02, 2012, 04:44:42 PM »

Quote from: Richard Myers on November 30, 2012, 05:18:51 PM

Here is what just passed over us, the bulls eye in red. It looks like the bottom could get you, but you are right, the forecast says no.

It looks as though California is flooding. The national news says it is! How are the rivers and dams holding up?

Richard Myers · « **Reply #24 on:** December 02, 2012, 07:48:18 PM »

While the rainfall amounts have been high, much of Northern Cal is protected by dams on the large rivers. The lakes are still quite low so there is not a danger from these storms as there would be when they are near capacity later in the winter or spring. The flooding is mostly localized to rivers that have no flood control dams; the Russian and Napa Rivers which have allowed building and re-building in areas where there is often flood danger. Since there is little snow pack yet, there is not a lot of snow melt to add to the river flow.

Mimi · « **Reply #25 on:** December 08, 2012, 05:25:53 AM »

My friend scurried back to Arizona for the winter. Just look at the beauty there! What a blessing. This was taken Friday:

And speaking of blessings, we are to receive some snow tomorrow!

JimB · « **Reply #26 on:** December 08, 2012, 06:02:16 AM »

I'm glad someone is about to get some snow. There isn't any in the forecast here as of yet. I'm afraid it's going to be another very low snow year.

colporteur · « **Reply #27 on:** December 08, 2012, 07:01:30 AM »

Last night we got a half and inch of snow. Used to be that would not be mentioned but after last year we call that a blizzard !

Along with heavy fog and some ice it has caused us to abort our trip to church this morning rather than deal with this for a round trip of 3 hours of driving. I'm getting soft.

Mimi · « **Reply #28 on:** December 08, 2012, 08:05:09 AM »

It's understandable.

Wally · « **Reply #29 on:** December 21, 2012, 04:24:23 PM »

I feel like I live in Connecticut right now. We seem to be having a lot of their kind of weather lately. We've had only one day this week in which we didn't have snow, rain, sleet, or freezing rain. Some folks got 2' of snow this week (about 10" here). This morning it was 28° and snowing heavily (but we only got about 3"). Now, it's very windy with pouring rain and 44°. I'm not sure Maine has ever experienced a true drought. Wish I could send some of this precip to Iowa or somewhere where they really need it.

LindaRS · « **Reply #30 on:** December 21, 2012, 07:34:39 PM »

The storm that came through here Wednesday evening was bad. The tornado sirens went off for 15-20 minutes. Fortunately, we didn't have one. Yesterday when I went out to go to the store, I noticed that the car was covered by a layer of dried mud. Truly and not just my vehicle, but every vehicle that was parked there, and most I saw on the street. You could tell who parked in a garage and who didn't.

That dust storm they had in Texas must have mixed with the rain and left our vehicles very dirty. I had to clean all the windows and door handles before I could drive off. I noticed that some people in town hadn't bothered, though.

Mimi · « **Reply #31 on:** December 22, 2012, 05:13:43 AM »

My oh my! What an experience! My family had us living in west Texas in the 1950s and '60s. How well I recall the monster dust storms. Add a little water to them and it literally rains mud!

Wally · « **Reply #32 on:** January 23, 2013, 12:03:11 PM »

The deep-freeze has arrived. We haven't had weather like this for several years. A pity that Al Gore can't visit us now to remind us that this cold wave is a direct result of global warming.

-10° at my house thi morning. It was a balmy 2° on the bank thermometer when I was up town a little while ago. The breeze adds a nice touch.

Spring is only 57 days away.

JimB · « **Reply #33 on:** January 23, 2013, 02:48:03 PM »

Sounds like you're about a day and a half behind us. I woke up yesterday to -6. I had forgotten how cold sub zero temps actually were. I'm still hoping for some snow. I don't really like it but our farmers need it here.

Mimi · « **Reply #34 on:** January 25, 2013, 05:58:59 AM »

Quote from: Wally on January 23, 2013, 12:03:11 PM

-10° at my house this morning. It was a balmy 2° on the bank thermometer when I was up town a little while ago. The breeze adds a nice touch.

Yes, doesn't it though? Added to existing temperatures, it was -85 on Mt. Washington, NH this week. I just cannot comprehend how bitterly cold that is.

I stepped out to get kindling this morning and the smell of rain permeated the air. What a smell! The temp was 32 and it actually felt warm compared to what we have been experiencing.

55 days until spring? I want that eternal spring!

Wally · « **Reply #35 on:** January 25, 2013, 02:53:59 PM »

Quote from: Mimi on January 25, 2013, 05:58:59 AM

I want that eternal spring!

Amen!

Mt. Washington is a unique place. I used to live at a higher elevation than that (as you do now), and we never had weather like they do up there. It is almost always windy. I've only been up there one time, in early August. Temps were in the 50's (record high is around 70°) and there was virtually no wind--highly unusual. I much prefer the alpine zones of the western mountains--more flowers, more birds, more interesting.

Heat wave today: 18°. Back below 0 tonight. They claim 40° by Wednesday. I hope so. Wood pile is shrinking much too rapidly right now.

Mimi · « **Reply #36 on:** January 25, 2013, 05:39:47 PM »

Quote from: Wally on January 25, 2013, 02:53:59 PM

Wood pile is shrinking much too rapidly right now.

I know what you mean. We were blest to use only 1 cord for December and January. That has never happened but I did get a more efficient stove built well in 1922. What an improvement. We were stiffed on our last cord of wood. It was green, cut in the fall. Green pinon is super heavy, probably up to 10 pounds for a split 14" stick. The entire pile is worthless to burn this year, so I'll have to find a new supplier. That's not fun to do mid-winter.

Won Bae · « **Reply #37 on:** January 25, 2013, 07:30:48 PM »

You all talking about wintry stuff such as how cold it is or how much or less snow you got. Are we supposed to know where everyone lives? I certainly do know any of your resident state.

Won

Wally · « **Reply #38 on:** January 26, 2013, 03:46:41 AM »

Well, Won, it really doesn't matter, because one can find lousy winter weather just about anywhere in North America: New England, North Dakota, all of Canada, and even Arizona & California. In one place where I lived in California, we got much more snow than we ever get here in New England. Apparently we don't have any members from Florida, or they'd be chiming in on how nice it is down there. I could stand a trip to the Keys about now.

Wally · « **Reply #39 on:** February 07, 2013, 05:27:48 PM »

The first really big storm of the winter is forecast to hit us sometime tomorrow and last well into Sabbath morning. Methinks church will be cancelled. They're forecasting a foot or more of snow. They usually make these storms sound worse than they really are, as if we were in South Carolina and didn't have enough snow plows.

I just got some new Walter Veith DVD's, so it won't be too bad.