A mild spring snowstorm yesterday morning turned into a roaring blizzard in the afternoon and lasted until about 8 p.m. After sustained winds as high as 25 mph (40 kph) coming from due north, we were left with snowdrifts piled up around the ranch in new and interesting places. When the winds suddenly quit yesterday evening, I headed down the drive towards Widget's House to let the dogs out and found myself knee-deep in snow. I decided not to go back to get the snowshoes and continued trudging the 100 yards towards the Widget's House gate, which I then had to dig open using the grain shovel we leave there for this purpose. By the time I finally got to the building, I had some really full bladders waiting for me and some dogs who were wondering, "What on earth took you so long?"
Our typical snowstorms come from the northwest or northeast, and because our main drive runs east-west, the wind generally blows the snow down the drive, leaving it mostly passable. But with a straight north wind, our drive ended up as little more than a trench buried in snow. Because the air temperature was still relatively warm -- just about freezing -- the snow was wet and heavy. (We call it "Cascade concrete," like the snow we used to see when we lived in Washington state.)
Thus I knew last night how I would start off today: on the tractor, using the snowblower to open up the drive. Right after breakfast, I fired up the tractor and headed down the drive, chewing my way through the snow towards the Widget's House gate. (Hey, I didn't want to have to walk through all that again!) Alayne came out with the camera to get this shot of the arc of snow coming out of the machine. By this point I had already made one pass down the drive and was on my way back.
More snow in the forecast for tomorrow and tomorrow night. Sigh.
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The Travis "confinement solution" will now appear in the next blog post!
Spring snows are such a double whammy. Concrete-like AND they come at a time in the season when any snow has lost its appeal. Always darkest before the dawn....hang in there!
Posted by: Kelly Luchtman | March 31, 2009 at 08:23 AM
With all the snow you've been blanketed in, I bet your spring and summer will be amazingly beautiful!
I admire your know how to get things done around the ranch; rain, sleet or snow.
Posted by: Boundforglory | March 31, 2009 at 07:30 AM
Wow! You have really gotten the moisture this winter! It's great that you have the tools you need to deal with all of that snow.
Warm hugs to all,
ginger, Tobias & Tlingit
Posted by: ginger & Tobias (the greythound) | March 31, 2009 at 02:28 AM
I've seen "rooster tails" behind cars when driving through areas of heavy rains, but I think this is the first time I saw one made of snow.
Posted by: Moon Rani | March 30, 2009 at 06:30 PM
Mother Nature has been teasing you all. I'm sorry, I know those of us in the warm states have been promising you warmer weather & I would certainly package some up & mail it to you if I could. The bright side is lots of cool water for the barn kitties to drink...
Posted by: Colleen & Sweet Kitty Erin | March 30, 2009 at 05:05 PM
Early spring snows in Massachusetts bring a similarly "concrete" type of snow. Enough already! The upside, at least for us, is that it also melts real quickly.
Posted by: Janet in Cambridge | March 30, 2009 at 04:15 PM