I think our winter is over (for now)

[thewayne]

The roof is almost completely clear of ice, the snow pack on the back deck (north side of the house) is shrinking daily. Our front "yard" (for want of a better term, perhaps grove would be more accurate) is now almost entirely back to normal forest floor colors. The ice/snow lining the driveway is on an almost daily retreat: we have a HUGE block of snow fall off the covered parking and actually block the normal path to the front door, I've carved out a chunk and the warm temperatures (mid 50's during the day) have melted the ice underneath. Still, I make it a practice to stomp on any ice remaining as I walk by in hopes of breaking it and making it more vulnerable to the sun.

The driveway was a bit of a problem. We had a big snowfall (our last snowfall, sadly) about four or five weeks ago. Our next-door neighbor has a snow blower and carved out our driveway, but basically only one car wide. We have two cars. So it took a little navigation to get out of the driveway. Today I carved up the side behind Russet's car so that theoretically, in a couple of days, she'll be able to back straight up onto the street.


The problem with this is that the snow melt is TOO DAMN SOON! We're already at a high fire danger level, I've heard that's because of underbrush growth. But shouldn't winter be continuing past March when you're up at 8600'? We might get another storm or two, in fact we have what might be a rain storm system hovering in the area right now, but I don't know that it will really help significantly.

We got HUGE amounts of snow this winter compared to last, which was nigh unto non-existant. I wonder how this year compares to any norms?

Comments

[quasar273.livejournal.com]

Well, there have been multiple years with no precip February through June. I don't think that's going to happen this year, so we're ahead a little. Spring is a dry time here, and Spring starting in March is not at all unusual. But we might still get a little something -- don't give up hope yet. Snow in May is also well-known here.

[deborak]

We got no snow this winter, but lots of rain so I don't think we'll have any drought/fire issues in this neck of the woods (except for idiots burning their houses down from the inside, which there has been a rash of lately).

Yesterday cable guys were laying new fiber through our backyard which required digging a series of holes less than three feet deep each. They hit water every time, making it a miserable job for them.

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

Ouch! 3' and water, man, that would make the job miserable!

That's a little known survival tip out at White Sands. There are underground rivers beneath it, and you only need to dig a couple of feet down to hit them. It'll be brackish, and you should filter the grit out of it, but it's water.

I was shooting out there yesterday afternoon: started coming down a dune and sank up past my knee in some soft sand! That was a little exciting with my cameras around my neck and my tripod in hand!