Tag: winter

Winter, New England Style

Ah, winter in New England. Go home, winter, you’re already drunk and it’s barely December.

Last week we had a snowstorm and we were home-bound for three days.  School was cancelled on Monday and Tuesday.  I worked from home both days and slowly dug out in the afternoons.

Snow on the back deck
We finally leveled out with over a foot of snow

A week later, temperatures reached 60° F.  I was walking around in shorts and flip-flops.  (I might be weird, but you have to admit that it wasn’t weather-inappropriate.)  The clouds dropped two inches of water on us.  With nowhere for the water to go, there are puddles and ponds everywhere.

Last night, the temperature rapidly dropped, the rain turned to snow, and we got a couple or more inches.  At least the end of the day cleared up with some sun.  The snowmelt, which became treacherous as night fell, was downright beautiful for a while.

Ice caught in mid-freeze
This water on the back of my car hadn’t finished freezing when I walked by.

Tonight, as I left the house to take the dog for an icy, slippery walk, I saw signs that we had some visitors during the day.  A hawk snatched a meal from our front yard.  Meghan left our Thanksgiving bundle of corn out for the birds and squirrels; it seems that we’re feeding the whole neighborhood instead.

Imprint of hawk wing in snow
Some small animal and a hawk came to our front yard expecting a meal. Only one of them was disappointed.

By this weekend we’re expecting to be back in the 50s with more rain.  The rollercoaster that is our local weather continues.  Whee!

Winter Finally Arrived

After the warmest winter to-date, including multiple spans of 50° and 60° F days, we finally got some cold.  We bottomed out at -10° F.

-10 degrees F
The outside thermometer is currently in a sunbeam; I believe (per the forecast) that the current temp is more like 10° above zero.

Hoth

The northeast region of the US has been in a (relative) deep freeze for weeks.  Last night we bottomed out at -12° F.

Pictured is our oldest child trudging across the desolate, Hoth-like expanse that is (was?) Silver Lake.  Most of the snow has blown off, leaving a crusty powder that almost, but doesn’t quite, support you.

Not pictured: the tauntaun that I split open to keep the children warm overnight.