cold and snow in northern Minnesota (Duluth, Dakota: garden, safe, property)

[DaninEGF]

Hi

I just ran across this article saying the western tip of Lake Superior around Duluth Harbor and over to Ashland Wisconsin is frozen over....earliest than anyone can remember.

Portion of Lake Superior frozen over | Northland Outdoors | Midwest hunting, fishing and outdoors news


Most sites from Grand Forks ND through Intl Falls to Duluth are running 7 to 12 degrees below normal for the month (comparing average temp to normal values).

Also most cities in North Dakota have set all time monthly snowfall records for any month....over 33 inches in Fargo and 33.5 inches in Bismarck are both monthly records for any month in history.

Fortunately liquid content of the snow is very low due to the cold temps so it is fluffy. But will need to keep an eye on things come Spring melt if this pattern continues for the Red River valley.

Here are some precpitation and temperature departures from normal from the midwest climate center in Champaign IL

http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/cliwatch/month.pperc.gif
most of ern SD, se ND into wcntrl and nrn MN 200 to 300 pct above normal precip the last 30 days.

http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/cliwatch/month.tdev.gif



Dan

[golfgal]

I'm loving it!!! It is snowing the fluffy stuff here now. I don't think we will get the 10+ " they saw in Alex and the surrounding area but this is the MN I remember as a kid-lots of snow, a few inches here, a few inches there and a big storm or two to make it fun!

[kuan]

Chisago county got like 15 inches!

[marmac]

KSTP TV (10 :00 news) reported the town that got the most was tiny Hillman MN--15+ INCHES.

Thankfully, we only got 10.

[slamont61]

This seems awful typical to me, considering this "Global Warming" and all. I was going to start the seedlings for my garden this week, but will hold off. Not really!!

Yes it seems like WINTER got here a bit early. The cold has frozen the lakes nice and early for a good jump on the ice fishing. Thick safe ice for everyone.

So different from Wisconsin where we were lucky to get a Month of Ice.

We should be in pretty good shape around here for the rest of winter. It will get too cold for any snow until spring comes around. For now we can just enjoy it all.

[nerfer]

Originally Posted by slamont61

This seems awful typical to me, considering this "Global Warming" and all. I was going to start the seedlings for my garden this week, but will hold off. Not really!!

Yes it seems like WINTER got here a bit early. The cold has frozen the lakes nice and early for a good jump on the ice fishing. Thick safe ice for everyone.

So different from Wisconsin where we were lucky to get a Month of Ice.

We should be in pretty good shape around here for the rest of winter. It will get too cold for any snow until spring comes around. For now we can just enjoy it all.

I'd have to disagree on two counts. First, it can snow at pretty much any temperature. The flakes tend to be smaller at colder temperatures though

Second, one month doesn't have anything to do with global warming. But we are at the minimum of the 11-year solar sunspot cycle, which means it should be a little colder than average, everything else being the same.

Down here in balmy Illinois, they don't let you drive on the ice at all. But I have seen some ice fishers out.

[malfunction]

Snow is always a lot of fun, especially when you've got to pester the one you love with a good snowball ........... down her back!

But just don't ask to me to drive on the ice. People just don't know how to maneuver too well under those conditions.

[akbound08]

Originally Posted by slamont61

This seems awful typical to me, considering this "Global Warming" and all. I was going to start the seedlings for my garden this week, but will hold off. Not really!!

Yes it seems like WINTER got here a bit early. The cold has frozen the lakes nice and early for a good jump on the ice fishing. Thick safe ice for everyone.

So different from Wisconsin where we were lucky to get a Month of Ice.

We should be in pretty good shape around here for the rest of winter. It will get too cold for any snow until spring comes around. For now we can just enjoy it all.

where in wi did you only have a month of ice? in polk county wi we drive on the ice from late dec to late feb!

[GraniteStater]

temps of -30F to -35F should increase ice thickness levels even more across northern MN.