FEBRUARY 2009 WEATHER & PHENOLOGY IN REVIEW

From the North Shore of Little Rock Lake

Jim Hovda, Rice MN 56367-0265   jhovda.rice@jetup.net

 

WEATHER LAST FEB:      Colder (if you can believe it) and less snow.  Seventeen days with below zero readings brought the average low to -2.20 degrees below zero.     The coldest day was on the 21st with a -21.9 degrees below zero reading.  The warmest day was a 41.0 degree reading was on the 26th.   Tho there were sixteen days with (some) snow, only 6.6" were recorded that melted down to .69" of precip.   2.9" of snow on the 14th made it the snowiest day.  We ended the month with a total 20.5" of snow for the snow season.   At the end of Feb there was 6.8" of snow on the ground.   A really dry year so far.

 

WEATHER:      Our very cold January continued into February.  Mostly below zero temps until the 6th.   Daytime temps did warm up into the 20's for the most part.  There were thirteen days that had below zero readings with the coldest temp a -20.6 degrees below zero on the 5th.   So far this winter (here in the depression of Little Rock Lake) I’ve recorded no less than 56 days with temps below zero.  No wonder the heating bill is so high.....   The warmest day, a 39.5 degree reading was on the 10th.  The average low was 2.93 degrees and the high 28.37 degrees respectively.

          The precipitation picture was a bit strange.  It was a dry month until the 9th.  With really warm temps on the 10th  it rained filling the rain gage to the .39" mark.  It was the most precipitation in one day for the month.   The most snow fell on the 26th when I measured 5.9" on the morning of the 27th.  That snow melted down to .37" of liquid.  We ended the month with a total precipitation of 1.10" and 1.65" for the year.  (Starts 01 Jan)   We ended the month with 9.5" of snow and a total of 45.40" for this snow season.   Not bad.   We were able to maintain a lot of insulation for the flowers and septic systems.  Not to mention literally no ground heaving on the shores.

 

WEATHER RECORDS:      As long as we are reviewing so many cold things, the local record low was no less than -42 degrees below zero on the 9th in 1896 while greater MN recorded the record -60 degrees below zero in Tower MN in 1996.  On the brighter side of records, the local high was a balmy 58 degrees (above zero) while Pleasant Mound MN recorded a shirt sleeves reading of 73 degrees in 1896.  Locally, the record  snowfall for the month was 21.8" in 1962

          Other MN records include:   Lowest temp ever -60 degrees below zero in Tower on 02 Feb 1996 and the largest snow cover 88" in 1969 at the Meadowlands.

 

PHENOLOGY:       With winter in full swing the birds were really happy with the several feeders, chunks of suet and our heated bird bath.   Among those visiting were a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers.  Many times both were on the same tree.  They are magnificent birds to watch.   When they go to work on a tree, the bark really goes off in big chunks.  Chickadees, Common Redpolls in some numbers, a couple of Mourning Doves working on cracked corn, a big crowd of Blue Jays, numerous Gold Finches in their winter color, Juncos, Red-breasted Nuthatch (lots) and a variety of sparrows.  Some notables: the Red-shouldered Hawk has paid a couple of visits to the suet feeder.   This is a very large hawk on par with the Red-tailed Hawk.  Two visits (that I observed) by the Sharp-shinned Hawk netted zero kills.   I’m sure that more than one song bird became a meal on other visits   Although I’ve had a couple of reports of folks hearing the spring song of the Northern Cardinal and Chickadee I have not heard them.  There are a lot of them at this location.  It has been a cold winter.  March will usher in a lot of notable changes in both weather and phenology.

 

RESIDENT OBSERVATIONS:        Harvey Meinert and other residents report flocks of robins.   I’m sure that they have wintered over.   Lowell & Cecil Huston report a pair of Red-tail Hawks are nest building in a big tree in their back yard.   Hawks and owls are the first birds to get started with young.  On the 10th, my wife Jan observed a lone chipmunk next to the sunny side of the Tri-County Humane Society building in St. Cloud.  I have not observed any here.   Conrad Urbik reports that on 17 February he observed five Trumpeter Swans (he lives on the Mississippi River) one roster pheasant and one Bald Eagle.   My “critter”  & bird spies are sending me a lot of information.  Randy Fernholz reports that as of the 28th, only six fish houses were left on Little Rock Lake. 

 

NATURE NOTE:   When food is scarce, squirrels can roam up to five miles in search of food.  Jim Gilbert, Nature Notes, WCCO Radio, 21 Dec 08.