Snow Equipment Owning/Operating Climate Change & Current National Freezing Conditions

[MossRoad]

A little O/T...
7K years is a long time but it did not change overnight and at other times the entire state was under water...

Interesting O/T article: wtsp.com | 'Unprecedented' Native American burial site discovered off Florida's Gulf Coast

I've been reading on that one for a couple days now, too. Very interesting.

 

[cqaigy2]

We're at the time of year that's called the "Sucker", weather. It's about two weeks of crazy nice weather. The sun comes out, at least i think that's what it's called, temp goes up to the 60's. Then if the soils dry enough you can't help yourself from planting something that will succumb to the cold wet weather that stay that till July.

 

[tcreeley]

They say that this is the earlest that tapping season has started here in Maine. We are going 3 weeks now where the days are above freezing and the nights below freezing. Rest of the month is predicted to be that. Down towards Corinna and Newport I am seeing hillsides that get sun without any snow, thogh it is still thick in the woods. Ducks are starting to land in the corn fields. Spring is on its way- but still too early. One year at the end of March we had bare ground everywhere and you could hear the woodcocks and see them driving. A few days after, we got a foot of snow and a hard freeze that lasted a week and a half. It was a month before I heard another woodcock. I figured they all died of starvation. Always a concern for when we have funny weather.

 

[tcreeley]

We had lost the snow from the roof by Tuesday of this past week- warm days. By Thursday we had another 10" on top of soft ground.

I see now we are getting another 10-15" by Wednesday of this week. The joys of snow!

At least the weather is warm! Above freezing during the day, 20F's during the night.

 

[ovrszd]

We got 2.5" of wet heavy snow this morning. I don't know what we would do with 10-15"...... Well,,,, I should say I don't know what our people would do. I know I would do. I run a road grader for a township and have 50 miles of gravel roads to maintain. I'd live in the grader for 15-20 hours.

 

[tcreeley]

We got 2.5" of wet heavy snow this morning. I don't know what we would do with 10-15"...... Well,,,, I should say I don't know what our people would do. I know I would do. I run a road grader for a township and have 50 miles of gravel roads to maintain. I'd live in the grader for 15-20 hours.

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[BrokenTrack]

They say that this is the earlest that tapping season has started here in Maine. We are going 3 weeks now where the days are above freezing and the nights below freezing. Rest of the month is predicted to be that. Down towards Corinna and Newport I am seeing hillsides that get sun without any snow, thogh it is still thick in the woods. Ducks are starting to land in the corn fields. Spring is on its way- but still too early. One year at the end of March we had bare ground everywhere and you could hear the woodcocks and see them driving. A few days after, we got a foot of snow and a hard freeze that lasted a week and a half. It was a month before I heard another woodcock. I figured they all died of starvation. Always a concern for when we have funny weather.

I have seen the tapping start this early before, don't quote me on the year, but it was in the mid 1990's. Roads were posted just like they are now in February.

In my time here, 43 years on the same farm, I have often wondered if the boys would be out busting sod before my birthday, and honestly it has never happened. SOMETHING comes up. Either lots of rain and they cannot get on the fields, or a late cold snap, but something stops them until my birthday in the first of May. Now I have also seen the other issue happen too, deep snow right into April and I am out snowmobiling thinking they will not bust sod until June. Nope, always bust sod around the first of May.

Incidentally, in the last 10 years, I have put my sheep on pasture 9 out of 10 years on the second week of April. Again, the same thing; wondering if it is going to happen or not, but all but last year, it did.

Things have a way of averaging out.

 

[tcreeley]

I've been waiting for the storm this morning - was to have started by 8am. Now they are saying 1 pm. They are using the term cyclone bomb. Like kids trying out a new swearword!

Maybe it will head out to sea before it gets here!

This warm weather has been good for the chickens. They get to come out of the coop when there is a snow free patch for them to walk. We are getting 3-4 eggs a day now from our 10 barred rocks.

My wife feeds 5 crows. We set a trail camera out to catch them and did last week. We also got a skunk coming out from under the barn. Getting to be that time of year once again!

Over toward Exeter a guy was collecting sap from his lines. Must have been using a pump. He was parked with one of those large tanks in the back of his truck. Quite a difference from the buckets and taps we used as kids. - For winter - this has really been great weather!

Got a cardinal singing every morning out the window. I do less now - but I enjoy the things about me.

 

[majorwager]

Thomas,
As you describe the farm activity, the flair you hold for family story telling/poetry is pushed to the forefront. The interesting aspect about crows is that individually, they really lack ingenuity, but collectively, they are among the planet's most clever operators. I would not be so encouraging toward the skunk, but every creature deserves the right to survive. The cardinals and bluebirds at my feeder do not play nice with others, but soon dependence on the feeder will wane, the sun will provide the spring/summer smorgasbord. Short term one more storm begins tonight.

 

[bcjmmac]

We got the 3rd Nor'Easter, in 5 days, last night. Not as much snow down as forecast in our area (6-8 inches forecast, likely got 2-4) - storm line likely tracked a bit farther north as we seem to have gotten more rain/drizzle than snow. Further north they are getting hit hard - with the unforecast rebound wave of snow, they may get up to 18 inches total!