How is your local weather this year compared to "normal" conditions

[Jim Nelson]

Most folks never experience the effects of falling thru thin ice and into the water below. I have first hand experience. It COMPLETELY knocks the wind out of you and, fortunately, as you go under for the first time - you are unable to breath in. If lucky, you surface and you are immediately faced with thermal shock.

I was very lucky. My yellow lab came over to see what all the commotion was all about. I grabbed his collar - it scared the snot out of him. He thru it into 4WD reverse and pulled me out on the ice. I did the "tummy crawl" the 100 feet to shore. I must have laid there on the shore for ten minutes - trying to regain my wits. I finally gathered enough strength to rise up and walk the quarter mile home.

I was out walking on my big lake. Just about this time of year. There was a foot of snow on the ice. The thin ice over the spring area never showed until I walked over it.

The shock of hitting that cold water is what I would suppose you would feel being hit, full on, by a semi truck going 70 mph.

I NEVER again go out on the ice on either of my lakes. I know the little lake has MANY spring areas. I had no idea the big lake did also.

About 40 years ago, when our youngest son was about 10 or 12 years old, we took him and his buddy ice fishing at Blue Mesa Res. in Gunnison,Co.. As we passed through town the thermometer on the bank said it was -30. We got set up in an area we knew well not far from where a creek ran into the lake. I sternly warned the boys to stay well away from that area because of the possibility of thin ice. I drilled several holes through the 18-24 inch ice and we all started fishing. In an hour or so the boys got bored and started playing with the auger and I wasn't paying enough attention and sure as heck our son's buddy got too close to the creek and just as I saw him and started running toward him hollering to get back,he fell through. I stretched out on my belly and grabbed him by the hood on his coat and pulled him out.
He was paralyzed with cold and fear and as I held him to me and started running for our Bronco,which was about 75 ft. up a rip rap bank, his clothes froze to mine. When we got him into the vehicle,I started pulling his clothes off to wrap him in a blanket as my wife started the engine to start warming the rig up. He was more upset that I took his clothes off than anything else.He was shaking so hard I think that warmed him up more than anything else.
As we passed through Gunnison on the way home the bank sign still said -30.The engine never did get warm enough for the heater to blow really warm air so we stopped at a motel and got a room to get warm and took his and my clothes to the nearby laundromat to run through the dryer and warm us up.
Those boys never had any interest in going ice fishing again. We lost all our fishing gear but were real lucky to get out with all of us alive.

 

[oosik]

That's not my whole story. I tried, unsuccessfully, to get back up on the ice. Three times. Each time - the ice was just too thin and would break under my weight. I could not get that dog attracted to my situation. Finally, I was about to make peace with the maker and I remember the magic word for the dog. "HOTDOG" That's what brought him over to my predicament. When we both finally got home - he got his favorite treat - a big 'ol juicy hotdogs.

That situation developed so fast and was so traumatic - I can still remember every moment as clearly as if it happened yesterday. Winter of '92.

That is truly, as close to death as I've ever come.

 

[Jstpssng]

Years ago a very experienced woodsman went through the ice while trapping beaver. He made it back out but in the extreme cold his wet clothes froze to the ice and he couldn't move. That's where they found him, dead from hypothermia. His son had the beaver hide tanned and kept it in remembrance of his father.

 

[Diggin It]

Re: How is your local weather this year compared to "normal" conditions

It was teens last week. It's warmed up to about 50 degrees and it's supposed to hit 60 tomorrow with all next week being above 50. That's normal weather here. It'll likely be in the teens a few more times before spring. I predicted a cold and wet winter. I was right about wet, but no colder than average.

Quoting an old post just to get your attention.

You on high ground 45? Hydrologic Outlook is calling for 8+ inches of rain this week for middle TN. That will all go into the Cumberland and Tennessee which flow towards Nashville and beyond where the Cumberland, Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi are all already high.