A Real Winter

Update on March 3, 2014:

Bella wants in from the snow storm.

Our real winter has gotten even more "real" since my original blog post. The temperature this morning  at 6:30 AM in the North east metro area was -18 F.   The records for cold are continuing to pile up.   This morning was the 50th this winter with a subzero temperature, good for 5th place. Source here.    This was the 9th coldest meteorological winter, which runs from Dec 1 thru Feb 28.  Source here.  A new record was set yesterday, March 2: the high of 3 degrees was the coldest high ever recorded for the date. This and other regional records are here and here.   A large winter storm dumped nearly a foot of snow on us on Feb 20 so we now have had 58 inches of snow for the season, about 17 inches above average for this time of the year.

The day after a 10 inch snowfall:
There is no running or hiding from this winter!

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Original Post

My brother Mick recently told me his kids have no real knowledge or experience of what a 'real' Minnesota winter is like, never having lived here.  He asked if I could document some of our winter experience this year to share with his kids.

A sunset ski in January ; temperature:  2 degrees.

The winter of 2013-14 in Minnesota has been an "old-fashioned" winter - cold and plenty of snow.  As of this writing (Feb 12, 2014), in the Twin Cities there have been 44 minimum temperatures at zero or below, meaning over 1/2 the days since Dec 1 have been quite frigid. This is the most since the winter of 1981-82. (source here).  The temperature was at or below zero for 17 consecutive days from Jan 26 - Feb 11, the eighth longest streak.

In addition to the cold temperatures, there have been 31 days with measurable snowfall. Most of the events have been small: 1- 3 inches being very common. Many have been ill-timed, coming during rush hour periods. (source here).  The season-to-date snow totals are just a few inches over average, but because of the extreme cold, little of it has melted. It's piling up. 

Note: click on any picture to view a larger version.

A sundog forms when ice crystals in the frigid atmosphere refract the rising sun's light.
We have been treated to this cold-weather phenomena many times this winter.
 Read more about how the sundogs  form here.

The snow is piling up at Grandma & Grandpa's townhome.
  A lot of the snow is pushed into the middle of the street and left there!

X/C-skiing is one of my favorite winter activities, and is for many others, too,
as evidence by the crowded lot on cold February weekend day. 

Along the trail.
Clockwise from top left:  1. Trumpeter swans spend the winter at the outlet of the Sucker Lake channel that stays open because it is part of the St. Paul water supply system;
2. Deer tracks and trails are  common on the trail.
3.  Writing your name (or other messages) in the snow is a time-honored tradition
in this and other snowy climates.
  

Clockwise from upper left:
1. Pumping gas as a another polar vortex invades.
2.  The beach is closed, or is it open?  Ice fisherman get onto  White Bear Lake at this beach.
They drive right out onto the lake in their big trucks.
3. Is it a glove or a mitten? It's a Lobster Claw!  It is my preferred  glo-mit for winter activities in severe cold.
4. The grocery store parking lot

What's the family to do when it so cold and cabin fever sets in?
How about 1) a Sunday at the Como Conservatory, 2) a trip to Target (Luke is enjoying a nap in the cart), or
  3) a stroller walk around the Roseville Ice Arena (and around, and around, ...)

The snow is piling up a home, too.
1) The white mailbox is camouflaged  in the piles of snow.
2) Bella has created an efficient maze of trails in the backyard.
3) Deck parties on hold! 

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This is  the snow shelf I made to place the recycling containers on each week.
I have to re-excavate each week the plow comes by - so far about 8-10 times this winter!