"Remember the Christmas blizzard of '09?"
That's how this Christmas will go down in the history books for MUCH of the United States.
Here, in the northeastern tippy-top of Minnesota, up over the hill & away from the tempering big lake, we got about 24" in about 48 hours. The measuring stick Tom stuck into the snow reads just 21", but so much of the falling snow compacted because the temperatures were so high - hovering right around 30°. Matter of fact, down near Lake Superior, mostly RAIN fell! Yuck! But, here at Swamp River Ridge, we are cocooned in a winter wonderland. Happily, the temperature has dropped (it's 5° as I write), and so the snow had dried out some . . . a HUGE relief compared to the cement-like stuff we were trying to move during the storm.
If we hadn't gotten out to plow our 4-mile long winter driveway during the storm, we would be stuck like we were last April. I plowed on Christmas Eve, and then Tom plowed twice on Christmas Day and then a final time Saturday morning.
I have more storm pictures as well as Christmas pictures to share with you, but some desk work and then more post-Christmas clean-up is going to get my attention right now.
But, until then, take a peek at this pictorial essay of the storm's progression.
(Hint: watch the snow levels on the bushes planted in the front yard.)
The storm began on Thursday morning, Christmas Eve.
This photo (above) was taken out our front door at 11:00 AM that day.
That's how this Christmas will go down in the history books for MUCH of the United States.
Here, in the northeastern tippy-top of Minnesota, up over the hill & away from the tempering big lake, we got about 24" in about 48 hours. The measuring stick Tom stuck into the snow reads just 21", but so much of the falling snow compacted because the temperatures were so high - hovering right around 30°. Matter of fact, down near Lake Superior, mostly RAIN fell! Yuck! But, here at Swamp River Ridge, we are cocooned in a winter wonderland. Happily, the temperature has dropped (it's 5° as I write), and so the snow had dried out some . . . a HUGE relief compared to the cement-like stuff we were trying to move during the storm.
If we hadn't gotten out to plow our 4-mile long winter driveway during the storm, we would be stuck like we were last April. I plowed on Christmas Eve, and then Tom plowed twice on Christmas Day and then a final time Saturday morning.
I have more storm pictures as well as Christmas pictures to share with you, but some desk work and then more post-Christmas clean-up is going to get my attention right now.
But, until then, take a peek at this pictorial essay of the storm's progression.
(Hint: watch the snow levels on the bushes planted in the front yard.)
The storm began on Thursday morning, Christmas Eve.
This photo (above) was taken out our front door at 11:00 AM that day.
3:45 PM that afternoon, Christmas Eve.
9:00 AM Christmas / Friday morning.
8:15 AM Saturday Morning.
11:30 AM Yesterday / Sunday.
Notice how the dark, heavy skies didn't change no matter the time of day?!
I got the following idea from another blogger:
Last year at this time . . . I was summing up Christmas and the lousy weather we were experiencing THEN, too!
Two years ago, we had just returned from Tom's work Christmas party in Canada.
And, wow: three years ago, Tom had just installed the lights in the kitchen! So, even though I don't remember (have I purposefully blocked it out?!), I must have been using just oil lamps in there . . . ?
And then, finally, in the first December of this blog's history, 2005 found us enjoying our final Christmas at Hastings-on-the-Lake and dreaming of giving homemade honey as Christmas gifts the following year. (Ha!)
What great pics! I would give anything to be up there enjoying the snow! It is a good thing we decided to head back to MN at Thanksgiving instead of Christmas, though... we definitely would have had to cancel our plans last minute and we would all have been disappointed. Here, just rain all day on Christmas! I hope to get a post up soon, but I have been packing up all signs of Christmas around here and spent the day pulling lights off the house. When it's over, IT"S OVER!
ReplyDeleteThat's one bee-yew-tiful blog header photo you've got there, Girlie!
ReplyDeleteThat is a fantastic header pic :)
ReplyDeleteI love those kinds of snow storms - provided I have all I need and don't actually have to go anywhere!
Love the snow!! We've had quite a bit over the last few weeks, but not that much. I did snowshoe yesterday and it felt so good. Wishing you a very happy (and snowy) new year!
ReplyDeleteWe had a few flurries on New Year's Day, but if we don't get any more snow for the rest of the winter, I'll be OK with that. Glad you guys were able to deal with FEET of snow!
ReplyDelete