Time To Clean Up

Ok folks, so the blizzard is finally past. I took the handy snow ruler out yesterday and measured and I would say that we got about 26 inches in total. I shoveled off my back porch (digging out the car is next) and the snow was fairly easy to move. It was on the light and fluffy side so it wasn't too heavy. But now I have to go out and clean the car so I will get a better sense of it today.

We got very lucky in this storm and didn't get the high winds that knocked out power in Woodstock and Shokan. The power never even flickered here. And since the snow didn't stick in the trees there doesn't seem to be a lot of limbs down either.

The town plow trucks have been up and down several times so the road looks fine at this point. But I am sure the end of everyone's driveway will have a nice mound of snow. Everything comes with a price.

So although the snow totals were high, I think the clean-up will happen in short order today and everything will be back to normal by tomorrow. Although they are forecasting some light snow for later I am hoping it will not add up to much.

The temps are cold though. It is in the teens right now but it is supposed to warm up in a day or two. We might see some melting and re-freezing if that happens so it could get slippery for the weekend. We shall see.

Nice to blog to you all once more. I may go silent again for a while but I have to say that this has made me miss blogging a bit.

Stay warm and travel safe!

Blizzard News

Well folks, it has been quite a while since I blogged last. In answer to all the questions I have received, no, I didn't die (obviously), no, I am not sick (thank God), no, nothing is terribly wrong (politics aside). After nine years of keeping this blog I just needed a break. And I actually still need a break. But this blizzard situation has compelled me to do a little community service and give those of you who are not here the specifics about the storm as it is in the valley.

The snow started around 3am with small flakes falling heavily and stacking up fast. When I woke up it was virtually a whiteout situation. But we have never gotten the wind that all the weather stations were predicting. Actually it has been eerily still and quite all day.

The snow is not sticking in the trees either (which is good). It doesn't even seem to be accumulating in the pines around my house. I think the flakes were so fine and light that they just slid off and fell to the ground.

Right now I would say we have about 18 inches. The whiteout situation is over at this point. But the snow is still falling. It has changed from the rapidly falling, small flakes to larger, heavier flakes. The temps have remained in the 20's all day.

We have also had power and phone all day. But I haven't heard the plow trucks. So I am not sure what the situation is with the roads at this point. But I think everyone here has tucked in and is waiting out the rest of the storm. I don't think anyone is out on the roads if they don't have to be.

So stay safe and warm wherever you are and I will post again at the end of this storm.

What's Left

This morning seems to have brought some bitterness, both on the part of the weather and my own attitude. I woke up to find the temperature at 13 degrees. Ah, a lovely spring morning in the Catskills (here is where my bitterness kicked in). But it has warmed into the 30s at this point so at least the thermometer is moving in the right direction.

There is a lot of snow left around from the two storms we have had over the past few days. The ground was warm when it first started snowing so a lot of it melted down. It is not as deep as you would expect after 11 inches of snow. But there is still a fair amount around and last night's deep freeze hardened up anything that had melted yesterday. My driveway and walkways are icy. So be careful on your own property, things might be icy there too.

The sun is shiny brightly and the forecast is for it to go into the 50s on Thursday so lets hope this all melts off. We shall see. But for right now spring in the valley is on hold.

More April Snow

Today's snow stopped in the early evening. It is hard to tell exactly how much we got because the snow packed down almost as quickly as it landed. I measured another 6 inches on the parts of my porch I had cleared yesterday.

I heard from several people that the roads were difficult today but I can't verify that because I didn't leave (although I was supposed to go to the city).

After thinking that spring had come, all this snow is quite a letdown. I am especially sad because I think it has ruined my daffodil show for this year. About 1/3 of my daffodils had already bloomed when the snow came and the depth and weight of it pulled them over. Those blooms look ruined. There are still more to bloom but I don't think I will have the big, bright show I usually see in the spring.  Too bad, but I guess there is always next year.

April Snow!

I haven't posted too many weather reports to the blog this winter because there really wasn't much to say. We experienced a very mild season that I thought would lead into an early spring. That changed overnight with some arctic air blowing in and bringing us 5 inches of April snow (my poor daffodils are under there somewhere...Boo Hoo). The forecast is for more light snow today and possibly up to another 3 to 5 inches tomorrow. Ugh! So much for an early spring. I will keep you all posted on what happens over the next couple of days.

Big Rains

We had a lot of rain in the last couple of days (thank God it wasn't snow I would still be shoveling!). The worst of it came late yesterday afternoon into last night. It was torrential at times with thunder and lightening.

The Esopus rose over 12 feet in the wee hours of this morning. Flood stage is 11ft but in Phoenicia the real problems usually start around 16 feet. Thank God the creek didn't go anywhere near that mark.

The Woodland Valley Creek went up around 7.5 feet and is running very brown (as is the Esopus). I get automated emails from the USGS gage at Woodland Valley when this creek gets high. For those of you who would like to see the WV USGS gage (for stream height scroll down) for yourselves you can go to: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?0136230002 and check it out.

The storm is passing at this point but it was a crazy one and I am DEEPLY grateful to the powers that be that it was rain and not snow.

Cold, Then Snow, Then Rain - (All With Wind)

The wind began to switch, the house to pitch, and suddenly the hinges started to unhitch, just then……….ok, maybe there were no tornadoes, flying houses or munchkins but the weather up here has been wild.

Over the weekend the temperatures were sub-zero for a couple of nights in a row (-14 on Saturday night and -4 on Sunday night according to my thermometer). Then yesterday it snowed, first lightly in the afternoon then more heavily in the evening. The accumulation was about 4-5 inches by late last night. However the snow changed to rain sometime during the night and melted everything on the ground by morning.

Today it rained like crazy. The creek is running quite high and brown. And the winds have been blustery throughout all of these changes. There are many, many twigs and branches down along Woodland Valley Road so be careful if you have to drive.

Right now the temperatures are well above freezing but I am not sure how long they will stay that way. Be careful driving and of puddles in your driveway or walkways when you exit your car. They may freeze up overnight and create slippery, hazardous walking conditions.

New Snow

The valley saw some snow overnight but the accumulation is minor, maybe 2 inches at the most. The ground was bare when we got the snow so there is no underlying snow pack. We are expecting some intermittent flurries over the next couple of days and I will keep you posted on any significant buildup.

The town plow trucks have been by to sand and salt the road so driving should be fine. And just to remind anyone who needs it there is a free sand/salt mix for your driveway in back of town hall for all residents. You just need a bucket and shovel to collect it. But if you have an icing problem in your driveway it is a great resource.

Stay warm!

Nothing Here

Usually after I big weather event I try to post as quickly as possible about the totals here in Woodland Valley. But a few minutes ago I realized that I never blogged about this storm. The reason being is that it completely passed us by. We got no snow whatsoever here in Woodland Valley. So all of you second home owners who are stuck digging yourselves out in Manhattan, Long Island and New Jersey, don't worry, you won't have to do it again when you get to the Catskills. Mother Nature was kind to us this time.

All Is Well

Yesterday's storm is now fully passed and the resulting snow is not that deep. I would say we only got about 2-3 inches of very fully, light powder. It was easily moved. I cleaned it all off my porches and my walkway (with the help of my leaf blower) in about 15 minutes. The effort involved was minimal.

Today we are seeing intermittent clouds and sun in the valley and the temps are in the teens. So the cold seems to be settling in a little.

Woodland Valley Road has been plowed, salted and sanded several times and so I am sure that the road is fine to travel. But with snow and ice around everyone needs to drive carefully anyway.

So that's all for now folks. I will keep you posted if we get anymore bad weather.

Weather For Weekenders

The temperatures in Woodland Valley have warmed up from the single digit cold blast we experienced over the past week. Right now my thermometer hovers just under 30 degrees.

There is a coating of snow and ice over most things so pathways can be treacherous. Be careful when walking from your car to your house. The forecast for the next couple of days is for some snow flurries tomorrow and then for rain on Sunday. So things might get more slippery over the weekend. But I am hoping the rain will melt the snow and ice away.

Woodland Valley Road is clear and so getting to your house won't be a problem. But there has been a fair amount of deer around so drive slowly and keep your eyes peeled. Have a great weekend everyone!

Flurries and Cold Temperatures

After a warm start to the winter season, we have had a run of seasonally cold temperatures for the last few days. There have been light snow flurries on and off as well. When I woke up this morning there was a dusting of snow over everything. Nothing major, under an inch, but still a sign that winter is digging in a little harder.

Tonight the forecast is for temps in the single digits. It will be the coldest night so far this season. But,  after this brief cold snap, the weather should warm again into the 30's and 40's for the rest of the week. But we will see how that goes.

In the meantime, should you be headed this way, please know that some of the wintery mix that fell last week has frozen solid. So there are patches of slippery snow and ice everywhere. Watch your step as you exit your car and go into your house!

The Dreaded Wintry Mix

After the long spell of unseasonably warm winter weather we have been having I was lulled into a false sense of security. But it looks like winter is finally here.

Last night we had a lot of sleet and freezing rain that changed at times over to just plain rain. This morning I woke up to about an inch of heavy, wet sleet and snow on the ground. Nothing that we can't handle, but still, it will be a pain to clean up. Right now it seems to be raining lightly but the storm is moving past us. So the first shot of real winter weather hasn't been too bad.

To my knowledge there has been no loss of power in the valley. The plow trucks have been up and down the road so hopefully driving won't be too bad. But take it slowly and carefully if you have to go out.

That's all for now folks!

Just Won't Stop

The winter doesn't seem to want to stop this year. For the last couple of nights we have been getting some snow overnight. When I woke up yesterday there was about an inch on the ground. It was less last night into today but make no mistake about it, spring has NOT sprung!

The residual snow from the long hard winter has continued to melt but up here at the top of the valley there are still significant piles lying in yards and along the side of the road. But with every passing day those piles lessen. The forecast for the next couple of days are for the temps to be in the 50's during the day. Hopefully, that will melt the remaining piles and bring the crocus and the daffodils out of hiding. I guess we will just have to wait and see. But I hope it won't be too much longer. I am ready for some serious spring weather!!

All Melted

We had some snow yesterday but it was only about an inch. Down in Phoenicia it wasn't really even sticking to the ground. Up here at the top of the valley it stuck but was barely worth cleaning up. With temperatures in the mid-30's today everything that fell yesterday is already gone (which is a good thing).

Since spring is taking it's own sweet time arriving (the official date notwithstanding) there is still no sign of any of my daffodils. Not a tiny little bit of green is sticking out at this point. I am very anxious for this year's show to begin but I guess I will have to be patient. Come on spring, we are all waiting!!!!

Melting Away

The warm temperatures have melted the snow down considerably in the valley over the last couple of days. Don't get too excited, we still have a lot more to go. But it was a glorious day today and watching the deep piles lessen gives me hope that spring is right around the corner.

The one thing I will caution you all about though is the ice that is still all around. The days have been warm but the nights have still been below freezing. So some things that have melted during the day are freezing back up at night. Several people have told me they have taken spills.

So watch wear you walk and be very, very careful. You might even want to visit Morne Imports in town to see if Marietta has some ice cleats left. They are inexpensive and worth having around. I have several pair. You might want to consider investing in them yourselves.

No Snow At All

The storm that hit the city yesterday completely slipped to our south. Thank goodness! The valley was spared another cycle of tuck in and clean up. But the temperatures have again gone subzero. Looks like the forecast is for it to warm up over the weekend into next week. Hopefully, the thigh high snow we have lying around will start to melt by then. I will keep you posted.

Messy

It has been a messy morning cleaning up after the latest round of nature vs. humanity that occurred overnight. The snow started about 3pm yesterday but changed to sleet last night and then to rain in the wee hours. On the ground this morning was a heavy wet mess that was only about 3 inches deep but extremely hard to move. But move it I did so that the plunging temperatures that are forecasted for tonight into tomorrow would not cause more trouble than necessary when all this mess freezes up again.

With the warmer air that this system brought all the other snow is melting today too. There is so much around at this point though that it probably won't make too much of a dent before it re-freezes tonight but it is nice to see things moving in the right direction.

The extended forecast is for a warming trend to start over the weekend and go through next week. With a week's worth of above freezing temperatures we may start to see the light at the end of the tunnel but let's see how it all plays out. They said this week was going to be warmer and that didn't turn out to be true. So I am a bit skeptical at this point.

For anyone coming this way in the next few days do watch for icy patches on your driveway, walking paths and decks. This all is probably going to be very slippery for the next couple of days.

Most Current Storm

It snowed again last night into this morning. Although it snowed for a long time, the total accumulation really didn't amount to much. We got maybe an additional 4 inches. It was enough for my plow guy to have to come but the general clean-up didn't take that long. They are forecasting more snow for tomorrow and then the dreaded wintery mix for the next few days. I will keep you as up to date as possible. But with all the snow, rain and ice expected I will once again remind you to drive slowly and cautiously on Woodland Valley Road. Stay safe everyone!

Bright And Sunny Day

After a gorgeous day yesterday, the weather today is cold (10 degrees as I type) but at least the skies are bright blue. There is a bit of wind but nothing too crazy. The temps got into the 30's yesterday and it felt warm(ish). That sounds funny but I guess everything is relative. It was really nice to be outside while I was cleaning up.

But with all the shoveling (and trying to get other work done), I never got a chance to post about the final snow totals. Basically, we didn't get much more than I originally posted, somewhere around 3 inches (remember these are the totals at the far end of the valley, so the amount may vary at your house).  For this part of the world 3 inches really isn't that much. But given the cold temps not much has melted off so it did add to the mounting, knee deep snow that is lying around.

The forecasts predict another really, really cold night tonight. But after that it looks like the temperatures may rise slightly. And right now there doesn't look like there is snow in the forecast until next Sunday. Whoooo Hooooo! Let's hope that remains true. I am as sick of blogging about the weather as you probably are about reading about it. So that's all for now. I promise I will make my next post about anything but weather!