NFRCR - February 2007 Weather & Phenology in Review

NORTH FREEDOM ROAD COALITION REPORT

February 2007 Weather & Phenology in Review

LAST FEBRUARY IN REVIEW: A lot less snow. Only 2.3" and only five days with measurable snow that totaled just .18" of liquid. Warmer - temps averaged a couple of degrees for both the average low and high.

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT: Started in the early morning of the 24th with a mixture of rain, sleet and snow pellets. When I measured at 7:00 A.M on the 24th there was no measurable snow/sleet on the ground but I recorded .6" of liquid snow. Most of the day on the 24th just lite snow off and on. About 2:00 P.M. it started snowing in earnest and by 7:00 A.M. on the 25th there was 11.5" of snow on the ground. All totaled, the amount of precipitation garnered from the snowfall was no less than 1.35" of rain. That's why you good folks used so much gas for your snow blowers. Or, you had to take a nap after shoveling because the snow was so heavy.

The last storm anything like this occurred was on the 3rd/4th of Jan 1997 when we received 16.7" of snow. That January (97) we received 29.25" of snow. Remember that?

WEATHER: The first ten days saw below zero temps. On the 6th we saw our first above zero reading ending 89 continuous hours of below zero readings. Brrrrrrrrrrrr. The last below zero readings were the 13th - 15th. The average low temp was a chilly -1.33 degrees. Only five days saw the low temps reach the 20's. The coldest day was the 4th with a -24.7 degrees below zero. It only reached zero that day for the high. Several days saw wind chill temps in the -40 degree area. On the warm side of the picture nine days saw thirties and we had three days make it to the 40's. The warmest day occurred on the 19th with a 47.3 degree reading. The average high was 23.16 degrees.

Precipitation - dry until the 23rd. Only a small amount of snow not worth mentioning. Then the SWE when we received all the snow and accompanied moisture. This pattern of snow is carrying on into March with another big storm coming. The most snow fell on the 25th with 11.5". We ended the month with 1.72" of precipitation giving us a year total of 1.96" since the first of the year. Snowfall for the month was 15.3" for a season total of 21.2". We could have used this snow earlier as a number of folks had their septic systems freeze.

WEATHER RECORDS: Feb is a cold month. The coldest area temp for a Feb was a -42.2 in 1996 and the out state low was -60 degrees in none other than Tower MN. I do remember that. It was all over the news. The warmest area temp was 58 and the greater MN temp was a balmy 73 degrees in Pleasant Mounds. A 133 degree difference in just one month. WOW! The most snow in any February occurred in 1962 when we received 21.8". We missed setting the one day record by 1/2 inch as the one day record is 12" in 1951.

PHENOLOGY: Until the snow came at the end of the month, birds at the feeders were in short supply. We are fortunate tho in that we have a lot of different species that reside in MN. Venturing to our feeders were: Four different kinds of woodpeckers, nine small song birds and two hawks. The large brownish hawk mentioned in resident observations and the arrival of the Sharp-shinned hawk. With more birds at the feeder because of total snow cover I expect to see Mr. Sharp-shinned again. My calender tells me that the owls are nesting. This year I have not heard the call of the Northern Saw-whet Owl as I have for the past couple of years. Mid month the perfume of Mr. or Ms. skunk was noted on 16th Ave NW. Absent but showing up mid month were our Mourning Doves. There are seven, the most we've ever had at the feeders. Also making a late winter appearance is the Purple Finch, absent until now. We are starting to see a tinge of yellow on the Gold Finches. Yes, spring will come.

RESIDENT OBSERVATIONS: Resident Little Rock Lake expert, Randy Fernholz noted this year ice ridges both at the shore line and in the lake have been higher than in the past several years. Some ice ridges on the east side of Little Rock Lake measured 58" high and some shore "heaving" is well over two feet. Ice thickness was measured between 18" and 22 inches. Water clarity was approx four to five feet.

On the 1st Duane & Sue Cekalla observed a large hawk working the area for food. Jan & I observed what we believe was the same bird in our yard. We tried to determine what it was, even calling our resident bird expert, Dr. Maco Restani at St. Cloud State University to see if he could help. It's difficult to try to describe a bird to someone. We really need to see it fly to have a better chance to identify it. It was a large hawk, nearly the size of a Red Tail. Oh well, it will be here again. Bob Wainright and Jerry Perske observed no less than four Robins in their yard. (Lot's of folks are reporting Robins here all year on Jim Gilberts' radio show, Nature Notes on WCCO.)

WEATHER/PHENOLOGY IN IRAQ: Staff Sergeant Sam Williams stationed at Camp Anaconda, Iraq reports that the days are getting longer. Spring is coming. With that, rain about once a week (1/2" at a time) producing lots of mud. Temps in the upper 70's and a "bone chilling" mid-50's at night. They have Crested Larks, White Wagtails (have no idea what they look like), Gulls that go to a nearby lake, and some Eurasian Collared Doves and one Heron. Sam makes note of large flocks of black birds that he thinks are called Rooks. They are black with grey beaks. Oh, I almost forgot the 4" long dragon fly that was very colorful.

NATURE NOTE: It takes forty Chickadees to weigh one pound, Jim Gilbert - Nature Notes, WCCO Radio 11 Feb 07. If you want to know where all the birds "hang out" go to http://www.birdsandblooms.com/ and to the link from Cornell Lab of Ornithology for the results of their bird counts.