February 2023 General Discussion

[cyclone77]

It's 51 here at nearly 1am.  Not too shabby for early-mid Feb.

[hawkeye_wx]

I saw a bit of lightning to the southwest this evening as a line of weak cells approached Cedar Rapids, but the lightning fizzled and I got a ten-second shower.

[madwx]

snowpack definitely got nuked overnight.  Should be down to piles before any snow starts falling on Thursday morning.

[Brian D]

2" of snow yesterday eve. Wet stuff that stuck in the trees. Looks nice here this morning.

[michsnowfreak]

It's gross out with temperatures in the 50s. The snow, which had covered the ground since Jan 22, has now melted (Except for piles).

[OrdIowPitMsp]

0.1” of snow and crust yesterday. We’ll lose a couple inches to compaction and melting today and tomorrow. 

[SolidIcewx]

5 hours ago, michsnowfreak said:

It's gross out with temperatures in the 50s. The snow, which had covered the ground since Jan 22, has now melted (Except for piles).

Was kinda crazy watching the snow cover melt before my eyes at work. The melt between 1130 and beyond was sad to see I agree 

[michsnowfreak]

15 minutes ago, SolidIcewx said:

Was kinda crazy watching the snow cover melt before my eyes at work. The melt between 1130 and beyond was sad to see I agree 

Saw this parking lot mountain. Should take a while to melt this one haha.

[RogueWaves]

20 hours ago, cyclone77 said:

It's 51 here at nearly 1am.  Not too shabby for early-mid Feb.

Shades of '98

[RogueWaves]

6 hours ago, michsnowfreak said:

It's gross out with temperatures in the 50s. The snow, which had covered the ground since Jan 22, has now melted (Except for piles).

Yep. Nice 17 day stretch of snow cover, but doin' grass again

[OrdIowPitMsp]

It’s February 7th, 39 degrees, full sun, a foot of snow melting on the ground and I’m working outside in a t-shirt.

[michsnowfreak]

14 hours ago, RogueWaves said:

Yep. Nice 17 day stretch of snow cover, but doin' grass again

I work from home and my office set up is right by a window that looks out to my backyard. After snow had been on the ground for quite a while, opening the curtains this morning and seeing the grass just disgusted me. I literally want to close the curtains.

[nwohweather]

Moving back from being the deep South for a few years it really is shocking to see the pure lack of cold, especially with so many dynamic systems coming through. East of the Rockies you've got an active pattern still in place with this next system which should be solid for WI/IA/Northern MI and then that cutoff low that should hit East TN/West NC pretty good. But such a limited scope of snowfall for such an active pattern

[Frog Town]

16 hours ago, RogueWaves said:

Shades of '98

If it hits 70+ in mid february and stays warm the rest of february, then it will feel like Feb '98

[OrdIowPitMsp]

43 degrees. First time breaching 40 since November 

[beavis1729]

1 hour ago, OrdIowPitMsp said:

43 degrees. First time breaching 40 since November 

That sucks...even our friends at 45N can't escape the misery of this winter.

Hopefully you can retain a decent snow cover.

[madwx]

up to the upper 40s.  Looking like we'll do this again early next week

[hardypalmguy]

30 minutes ago, madwx said:

up to the upper 40s.  Looking like we'll do this again early next week

Winter is over.  Rocking mid March 45 days early.

[hardypalmguy]

33 minutes ago, beavis1729 said:

That sucks...even our friends at 45N can't escape the misery of this winter.

Hopefully you can retain a decent snow cover.

This winter is gold.

[OrdIowPitMsp]

2 hours ago, beavis1729 said:

That sucks...even our friends at 45N can't escape the misery of this winter.

Hopefully you can retain a decent snow cover.

We’re fine. A midwinter thaw is totally normal. I’ll be jonesing for fresh snowfall now that the pack has a dirty look to it. Kinda cool with the melting you can clearly see the multiple layers on our table. Extended doesn’t look great but there’s still plenty of time left up here. 

[Chicago Storm]

2 hours ago, beavis1729 said:

That sucks...even our friends at 45N can't escape the misery of this winter.

Hopefully you can retain a decent snow cover.

MSP is +23.1" on the season, has had a snow depth of at least 6" since Dec 20th and a snow depth of at least 1" since Nov 30th.

Edit: Add in 11 days with sub-zero temps.

total misery.

[OrdIowPitMsp]

Yeah I’m really suffering here. Even if we don’t see another inch of snow this winter, my grade can’t go below a B/B+

[RogueWaves]

4 hours ago, beavis1729 said:

That sucks...even our friends at 45N can't escape the misery of this winter.

Hopefully you can retain a decent snow cover.

When I was in NMI, I remember snowmobiling when it was in the 50's and skiing when it was in the 60's. Both were great experiences. Winter doesn't have to be endless below zero, lol. 

[RCNYILWX]

Beavis is next level lol. Would probably find a way to complain if he lived in the mountains in Utah where one of the ski resorts has had almost 500" this winter already.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[hardypalmguy]

We’re fine. A midwinter thaw is totally normal. I’ll be jonesing for fresh snowfall now that the pack has a dirty look to it. Kinda cool with the melting you can clearly see the multiple layers on our table. Extended doesn’t look great but there’s still plenty of time left up here. 

MSP is warmer than MKE by April.

[RogueWaves]

1 hour ago, RCNYILWX said:

Beavis is next level lol. Would probably find a way to complain if he lived in the mountains in Utah where one of the ski resorts has had almost 500" this winter already.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk
 

Same!! I was 6/7/8 years old during those winters. Plowed snow 10-12 feet deep and drifts that came down the rear roof of the house in a continuous sheet from the chimney to the ground… snow so frozen we walked to school on top of the snow without breaking through… that’s what I thought winter always was!!

Beavis

[beavis1729]

4 hours ago, Chicago Storm said:

MSP is +23.1" on the season, has had a snow depth of at least 6" since Dec 20th and a snow depth of at least 1" since Nov 30th.

Edit: Add in 11 days with sub-zero temps.

total misery.

Touche, and fair enough - I probably picked a bad example. 

But it sucks when it's sunny and in the 40s in Feb.  Why is that controversial?  And, either way, who cares how MSP is doing vs. their climo; it only matters how they're doing in an absolute sense vs. what winter should be like.  Miami had a great winter vs. climo in 1976-77, with all of the oranges destroyed and temps in the 20s with snow flurries on one day. Does that mean they had a good winter?  Of course not.

And, please everyone - don't put words in my mouth.  I've never demanded Siberia or interior Alaska, or even the Keewenaw.  It's very simple - on Feb 8th, it should be cold with snow cover and frozen lakes.  End of story.  Is that really a "next level" request?  Are we not allowed to want it to be winter in DJF?  I'm tired of having to depend on events, as opposed to being able to rely on the calendar.  Sure, good winters can have more events than bad winters...but all that really means is there's either 20" of snow cover and 20" ice depth on Feb 8th in a good winter, vs. 6"/6" in a bad winter.  The season looks like the season should, no matter what the winter-to-winter variability is.

It's exhausting to accept everyone's low standards...like we're psychologically convincing ourselves that everything is ok, when it's not.  It's easy to be content when standards are low - a good metaphor for life.  

Look at the F-6 for Minocqua this winter so far.  46N in the great state of Wisconsin.  It's been a sub-par winter for their standards...and it's a neighboring state, and not very far away...yet it has looked and felt like winter since 12/1.  Most days have highs 15-35 and lows -5 to 15.  Nothing crazy - just consistent winter.  And, again, this is a bad winter for them!  A bad winter vs. climo there is a great winter vs. climo here - it sucks.

[Malacka11]

8 minutes ago, beavis1729 said:

And, either way, who cares how MSP is doing vs. their climo; it only matters how they're doing in an absolute sense vs. what winter should be like.   

Bruh

[Hoosier]

1 hour ago, beavis1729 said:

Touche, and fair enough - I probably picked a bad example. 

But it sucks when it's sunny and in the 40s in Feb.  Why is that controversial?  And, either way, who cares how MSP is doing vs. their climo; it only matters how they're doing in an absolute sense vs. what winter should be like.  Miami had a great winter vs. climo in 1976-77, with all of the oranges destroyed and temps in the 20s with snow flurries on one day. Does that mean they had a good winter?  Of course not.

And, please everyone - don't put words in my mouth.  I've never demanded Siberia or interior Alaska, or even the Keewenaw.  It's very simple - on Feb 8th, it should be cold with snow cover and frozen lakes.  End of story.  Is that really a "next level" request?  Are we not allowed to want it to be winter in DJF?  I'm tired of having to depend on events, as opposed to being able to rely on the calendar.  Sure, good winters can have more events than bad winters...but all that really means is there's either 20" of snow cover and 20" ice depth on Feb 8th in a good winter, vs. 6"/6" in a bad winter.  The season looks like the season should, no matter what the winter-to-winter variability is.

It's exhausting to accept everyone's low standards...like we're psychologically convincing ourselves that everything is ok, when it's not.  It's easy to be content when standards are low - a good metaphor for life.  

Look at the F-6 for Minocqua this winter so far.  46N in the great state of Wisconsin.  It's been a sub-par winter for their standards...and it's a neighboring state, and not very far away...yet it has looked and felt like winter since 12/1.  Most days have highs 15-35 and lows -5 to 15.  Nothing crazy - just consistent winter.  And, again, this is a bad winter for them!  A bad winter vs. climo there is a great winter vs. climo here - it sucks.

I think most people here do have some standards for how winter should be, though the standards aren't in the same league as yours.  And when standards aren't met, it's more like "oh well, better luck next year" instead of being as emotionally invested as you are.

imo, it's just not worth getting so invested in something that you can't control.  Unless you're making your own snow, you can't control how much snow there is in your backyard.  And even then, what about everywhere else around you?

Having high standards isn't a bad thing.  I do.  I just reserve that for things that I can control.  For example, I love lifting weights.  There are many mental and physical health benefits that not only serve me well now as I close in on 40, but will hopefully pay off all the way through old age.  I love the journey.  I love trying to get better.  Perfect linear progress doesn't happen forever, but you put the work in to be the best version of yourself.  

[frostfern]

3 hours ago, beavis1729 said:

Touche, and fair enough - I probably picked a bad example. 

But it sucks when it's sunny and in the 40s in Feb.  Why is that controversial?  And, either way, who cares how MSP is doing vs. their climo; it only matters how they're doing in an absolute sense vs. what winter should be like.  Miami had a great winter vs. climo in 1976-77, with all of the oranges destroyed and temps in the 20s with snow flurries on one day. Does that mean they had a good winter?  Of course not.

And, please everyone - don't put words in my mouth.  I've never demanded Siberia or interior Alaska, or even the Keewenaw.  It's very simple - on Feb 8th, it should be cold with snow cover and frozen lakes.  End of story.  Is that really a "next level" request?  Are we not allowed to want it to be winter in DJF?  I'm tired of having to depend on events, as opposed to being able to rely on the calendar.  Sure, good winters can have more events than bad winters...but all that really means is there's either 20" of snow cover and 20" ice depth on Feb 8th in a good winter, vs. 6"/6" in a bad winter.  The season looks like the season should, no matter what the winter-to-winter variability is.

It's exhausting to accept everyone's low standards...like we're psychologically convincing ourselves that everything is ok, when it's not.  It's easy to be content when standards are low - a good metaphor for life.  

Look at the F-6 for Minocqua this winter so far.  46N in the great state of Wisconsin.  It's been a sub-par winter for their standards...and it's a neighboring state, and not very far away...yet it has looked and felt like winter since 12/1.  Most days have highs 15-35 and lows -5 to 15.  Nothing crazy - just consistent winter.  And, again, this is a bad winter for them!  A bad winter vs. climo there is a great winter vs. climo here - it sucks.

I get the same way here in the summer when the thunderstorm shield happens and the flowers die and the vegetation starts getting brown.