Freezing Rain in February

I awoke during the night from the sound of raindrops on my window pane. It was hard to get back to sleep what with worrying about all the problems it causes. The worst is the build-up of ice on the power lines, coupled with strong winds which pull down the lines . No power, no sump pumps, equals water flooding the basement.

Ice on the windshield a quarter of an inch thick gets the day off to a good start. Car door hard to open, windows frozen shut, roads like a skating rink.

But all that is minor when considering the effect freezing rain has on wildlife. With our two feet of snow, a frozen crust cuts the front legs of deer as they walk. Owls are unable to break through the crust to catch the mice they hear under the snow. Ruff Grouse can be sealed in their overnight shelter and starve to death.

I am not going to complain as I will not suffer any injuries or die of starvation.

Snow on the Ground and talk of Flooding.

Just returned from snowshoeing on the trail through our woods. It was -15F this morning, but had warmed up to zero when we hit the trail. The recent cold weather and cold winds dampened any enthusiasm for snow shoeing until today. We have had a number of snow storms so all the trails need packing down.

I measured the snow depth in the woods and it averaged eighteen to twenty inches.

On the edge of the woods the blizzard winds have made drifts three to four feet in depth.

We are hardly half way through this winter and talk has started on the subject of flooding in the Red River Valley. It can snow a lot in the next few months, so I believe flooding is a sure thing.

We sit about thirty miles east and 117 feet above the Red River, on an old sandy shoreline of  ancient Lake Agassi, so we are in no danger. That does not mean that we are not sympathetic to those people who's homes sit in the flood plain.

For the rest of the winter, every new snowfall is only going to make it worse, and a lot of snow can fall in February and March. Colder weather and more snow is forecast.