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Slo-go'en
03-10-2016, 17:27
Winter is over here in the northern Prezzies and it's not likely to come back. It's now officially mud season and road limits are being posted. The bears are likely waking up and thinking "That was a short nap, anything around here to eat?".

Popular, north facing trails are still icy higher up and in shaded areas, but its all mud lower down. The only question now is how much rain do we get in the next 3 months. Does it dry up or stay wet?

illabelle
03-10-2016, 17:38
Current temperature in Knoxville is 79°. Balmy, for sure! But just last weekend we dayhiked at Carver's Gap and got snowed on.

Puddlefish
03-10-2016, 17:55
Still three inches of ice on the trail at the end of the road. Just bought some microspikes yesterday.

colorado_rob
03-10-2016, 18:08
Bold statement. And you NH folks had convinced me of the unpredictability of the weather in those parts...

Another Kevin
03-10-2016, 18:41
I can remember one winter, sometime within the last 25 years, where NH, VT and upstate NY got next to no snow all winter ... and three feet on Palm Sunday. There was still residual snow in the deep glens and on the peaks until Memorial Day. There really is no telling...

Lnj
03-10-2016, 19:41
True statement AK. I remember having a blizzard (by our standards) in Georgia back in the 90s.

rafe
03-10-2016, 20:52
Insanely warm on east coast these last few days. It was near 80 in SNP yesterday, around 70 in MA today. Heavy rain now in MA. I'm afraid the snow may be gone at the ski area where I have my season's pass. Not the best year for that...

New England Guy
03-10-2016, 22:34
I'm afraid the snow may be gone at the ski area where I have my season's pass. Not the best year for that...

Nope, it's not! I work at Okemo in VT...today was challenging to say the least. It's 55 and raining here now, I am not sure how we are going to make it through the weekend! The extended forecast doesn't show any temps lower than the 40's for the next 10 days. As much as I love snow, it would be a real bummer if we got some late snow storms in April, but like Another Kevin said, There really is no telling.

Tipi Walter
03-10-2016, 23:48
True statement AK. I remember having a blizzard (by our standards) in Georgia back in the 90s.

The Blizzard of '93 hit on March 12-13 and on a Friday and during spring break for many backpackers in the Southeast and in the Smokies. Helicopter rescues galore. I was lucky enough to be out backpacking in it and fortunate to avoid helicopter extraction.

While it may be 75 now in East Tennessee, I'm taking a full winter kit for a March trip. A couple years ago I was on a mountaintop in NC and saw snow on April 30.

rocketsocks
03-11-2016, 00:12
And in April of 82' there was a snow storm, they had removed the snow fences where I was, we had high winds and 12 foot drifts with beautiful cornices. That was the later at season snowfall that I personally remember, as I got caught in it trying to get home from Phili after this show!
34040

rocketsocks
03-11-2016, 00:20
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/07/nyregion/rare-april-blizzard-punishes-metropolitan-new-york.html

rocketsocks
03-11-2016, 00:23
[QUOTE=rocketsocks;2049786]

http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/07/nyregion/rare-april-blizzard-punishes-metropolitan-new-york.html (http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/07/nyregion/rare-april-blizzard-punishes-metropolitan-new-york.html)[/
take note of of the last sentence hear

April 7, 1982

[*=left]FACEBOOK
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[*=left]PRINT (http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/07/nyregion/rare-april-blizzard-punishes-metropolitan-new-york.html?pagewanted=print)
[*=left]REPRINTS
[*=center]



An unseasonable blizzard whirled about a foot of snow and record cold yesterday into a metropolitan area long wearied of winter. The punishing storm, punctuated by thunder and high winds, bedeviled traffic on New York City streets and country roads, sent schoolchildren and office workers home early, canceled legislative sessions and elections and quite literally nipped spring in the bud.
Through the long day, people inspected the white sky, searching for an end to the snowfall. At about 4:30 P.M., the snow stopped, but the forecast was for treacherous conditions and blowing drifts through the night. Today there should be some sunshine, with continued high winds and temperatures in the 30's.
Yesterday's storm was the worst since the onset of winter and the only April blizzard recorded in the metropolitan area since the National Weather Service started keeping records more than a century ago. The 10 P.M. temperature of 21 degrees also made it the coldest April 6 on record. A Blizzard's Standards
The biggest previous snowfall on an April 6 was 3.3 inches in 1938, and the normal temperature for the date averages 49 degrees. Last year it was 51, following on a balmy 81 degrees two days before.

rocketsocks
03-11-2016, 00:29
But yeah, it was really nice today, beautiful in fact!

One Half
03-11-2016, 01:26
and April 1st about 19 years ago MA had a nice ice/snow storm.

I have also seen hail on the 4th of July in Maine. Some of it almost softball sized.

But all the reports from friends back home tell me the snow is gone and the weather is warm. Even have a few optimistic gardeners planting cool weather crops the last few days.

egilbe
03-11-2016, 09:10
[QUOTE=rocketsocks;2049786]

http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/07/nyregion/rare-april-blizzard-punishes-metropolitan-new-york.html (http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/07/nyregion/rare-april-blizzard-punishes-metropolitan-new-york.html)[/
take note of of the last sentence hear

April 7, 1982



[*=left]FACEBOOK
[*=left]TWITTER
[*=left]GOOGLE+
[*=left]EMAIL
[*=left]SHARE
[*=left]PRINT (http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/07/nyregion/rare-april-blizzard-punishes-metropolitan-new-york.html?pagewanted=print)
[*=left]REPRINTS



An unseasonable blizzard whirled about a foot of snow and record cold yesterday into a metropolitan area long wearied of winter. The punishing storm, punctuated by thunder and high winds, bedeviled traffic on New York City streets and country roads, sent schoolchildren and office workers home early, canceled legislative sessions and elections and quite literally nipped spring in the bud.
Through the long day, people inspected the white sky, searching for an end to the snowfall. At about 4:30 P.M., the snow stopped, but the forecast was for treacherous conditions and blowing drifts through the night. Today there should be some sunshine, with continued high winds and temperatures in the 30's.
Yesterday's storm was the worst since the onset of winter and the only April blizzard recorded in the metropolitan area since the National Weather Service started keeping records more than a century ago. The 10 P.M. temperature of 21 degrees also made it the coldest April 6 on record. A Blizzard's Standards
The biggest previous snowfall on an April 6 was 3.3 inches in 1938, and the normal temperature for the date averages 49 degrees. Last year it was 51, following on a balmy 81 degrees two days before.


I remember that storm very well. I watched my car drift over in the blowing snow. The wind changed direction, uncovered my car and reburied it under a drift four feet high. My fiends had a 7 foot deep snow drift in front of their garage that filled the driveway to the road, but the rest of the yard was bare. It was all gone in a week. There was also the Patriots day storm back in 2007 that dumped 18" on us. That was some heavy wet shoveling.

Traveler
03-11-2016, 09:17
To borrow a well known phrase: "the rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated" S. Clemens

colorado_rob
03-11-2016, 09:22
Supposed to be 74 in Denver today. But to quote from a popular TV series involving swords and thrones, out here we realize "Winter is Coooooming!" (March and April are our snowiest months, though we haven't yet had a flake yet in March in town, not many in the mountains, all ye 2016 CT hikers might get lucky this year....). March 23, 2003, SEVEN feet of snow fell in nearby Conifer CO.

Pedaling Fool
03-11-2016, 09:24
Yes, winter is over:banana


Astronomical spring begins Sunday, March 20th.

flatgrounder
03-11-2016, 10:12
You had better wait until the next full moon before saying winter is over. Big cold fronts come around full moon.

Tipi Walter
03-11-2016, 10:44
Winter is over here in the northern Prezzies and it's not likely to come back.

I bet if you set up camp today on the shady side of Mt Adams and stayed there for 3 weeks you'd get cold and need your winter sleeping bag and end up saying it's still winter.

Puddlefish
03-11-2016, 14:25
Still three inches of ice on the trail at the end of the road. Just bought some microspikes yesterday.

Same trail today, scattered ice 1 inch thick, only in the shade. Mud up to 6" deep. A few surprise sinkholes, where it seemed relatively dry. Fun!

hikeandbike5
03-11-2016, 14:38
and April 1st about 19 years ago MA had a nice ice/snow storm.
it was one of the top 10 snow storms in boston history, too.
the dpw trucks all had their snowplows removed, compounding the hassle.

DavidNH
03-11-2016, 15:29
I can remember one winter, sometime within the last 25 years, where NH, VT and upstate NY got next to no snow all winter ... and three feet on Palm Sunday. There was still residual snow in the deep glens and on the peaks until Memorial Day. There really is no telling... Oh I can just see the millions of New Englanders and New Yorkers cursing and shaking their fists at the sky.. a snow list winter followed by a 3 feet on Palm Sunday. Man that would have me cursing the heavens too!!!

GreenBlaze
03-11-2016, 15:31
I'm a native of Georgia, and I'll be carrying winter gear.

Slo-go'en
03-11-2016, 15:44
Over the years there have definitely been any number of late season snow storms. We had an April storm drop 5 feet of wet snow here one year.

But there doesn't seem to be enough cold air lingering in Canada to drop down and cause one of these kinds of storms this year.

Puddlefish
03-11-2016, 16:14
Oh I can just see the millions of New Englanders and New Yorkers cursing and shaking their fists at the sky.. a snow list winter followed by a 3 feet on Palm Sunday. Man that would have me cursing the heavens too!!!

One of my fondest childhood memories was a late spring snow storm and resulting snowball fight wearing shorts and Ts.

LittleRock
03-11-2016, 16:29
Yes, winter is over

Astronomical spring begins Sunday, March 20th.

Don't let the door hit ya on the way out!

bikebum1975
03-11-2016, 23:15
Yeah I want it to be over March can be funny round here. In the words of the great Yogi Berra it ain't over till it's over.

rafe
03-11-2016, 23:36
Article in today's Boston Globe online about what an awful ski season it's been in the east.

http://www.boston.com/sports/skiing/2016/03/11/the-end-truly-awful-ski-season-upon/CtYXRM7VY2lvGo7PFiitbM/story.html?p1=story_hp

Traveler
03-12-2016, 06:30
Downright balmy. I think I saw my first Canadian snowbird visiting in shorts and a tee yesterday.

lemon b
03-12-2016, 16:22
Was actually on the trail yesterday. Last year was still under several feet of snow.
We still could get a serious snowstorm. But certainly seems like an early spring.

Tipi Walter
03-12-2016, 17:21
It looks like I may leaving for my March trip on a day with 80% chance of rain. In the 70Fs. Sob. It could be worse; I could be Donny Trump giving speeches all month and staying indoors.

Slo-go'en
03-12-2016, 17:52
57 here in the North Country today. Trail head parking lots were overflowing. Last chance to bag a winter peak, with May weather and conditions.

South facing trails are pretty much completely ice free and surprisingly dry for the most part. But really mucky where they are wet or have a stream running down the middle of it.

North facing trails are still an ice monorail above 2500 feet. Streams are running full to overflowing and waterfalls are in their full glory. More rain coming later in the week, maybe some snow showers at the highest elevations.

mattjv89
03-12-2016, 18:00
Never really saw winter in this part of VT. Hardly any snow, I think one or two storms were enough for the plows to go out. Even before it got really warm it was certainly not cold for the area, think we got double digits below one night the whole winter. Funny to think that last year this exact time I was preparing for my thru by snowshoeing in well over a foot and now I'm writing this in shorts with the window open. Never came close to needing snowshoes but micro spikes have been a must, what little snow we did get kept melting and refreezing so long stretches of the AT have been bulletproof ice until very recently.

A silver lining has been unprecedented access to area trailheads from roads that are not winter maintained. The Big Branch area accessible from FR 10 has been my most frequent winter haunt and it would normally be shut out by miles of snowed in road.

egilbe
03-12-2016, 19:28
Hiked up to Tablerock from Grafton Notch this morning. Parking lot full, lots of people out. Trail all ice, but melting fast. Saw one other couple with traction aids, everyone one else was in softsoled boots or sneakers. Passed one group heading up, one of the girls slipped and banged her knee, but she got up. Talked to her mother and she asked if it was going to get any better further up the trail. We told her no, it will get worse if anything because of the higher elevation. Met one guy coming down from Tablerock who came up the ledges and said it was mostly ice free. He had no traction on, either. He was going to try to go up to West Bald Pate, but we could see from his tracks that he changed his mind after sliding down the icy trail. Never did see the first group we passed again. I'm sure they turned around, which was the wiser decision. Almost to the parking lot and saw, probably two or three groups, headed up the AT. One of the girls commented on our gear and said that they weren't prepared at all. We told them their clothes were fine, but walking up in sneakers was risky. Explained that they would turn around in about 10 minutes :D

While the ice was softening and the Hillsounds gripped very well, the surface of the ice was coated with meltwater making it slippery as snot. We walked down to Moose Cave and that trail was all icy. We left the Hillsounds in the car and I thought we were going to end up in the bottom of the gorge, just like the moose that died there.

Slo-go'en
03-12-2016, 22:36
The spring like temps and blue sky did bring everyone out this weekend. If your itching to get out too, remember the trails are wet and there is still ice higher up and on north slopes so bring traction aids.

mt3dwards
03-13-2016, 01:29
i remember that March '93 snow storm. I was stationed at the Army Ranger camp north of Dahlonega, GA; some of the NCO's participated in some rescue missions.

peakbagger
03-13-2016, 07:46
I did the Lincoln Lafayette loop on Saturday. The conditions are definitely similar to what I would find 4 to 6 weeks later in a normal winter season But there is still plenty of ice in spots. Falling Water trail has several long stretches of ice that really only could be climbed with traction. Kahtoolas were real sketchy but Hillsounds were adequate and I expect some folks would prefer real crampons. I did it in the AM with some hard ice but I expect as it warmed up it got slushy. The interesting thing is that the "monorail" doesn't appear to be a big issues this year We saw some woefully under equipped folks on the trail.

Han Sobo
03-13-2016, 12:31
Thanks everyone for the seasonal updates in the northern region. I am in Mass, and planning to hit the trail southbound at the earliest point, to try my best and avoid the black flies. Sounds like I might be best off keeping a clamp on my horses for the time being.

I will be keeping an eye here and hoping things get nice.. just not too nice.. soon enough.

Pedaling Fool
03-20-2016, 07:36
Yes, winter is over:banana


Astronomical spring begins Sunday, March 20th.Spring is here and I have tons of plants already going strong and before long my fenceline will be covered in numerous moonflower vines with sweet-smelling moonflower. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yAup78K5JY




.

Decibel
03-20-2016, 07:53
Ahhhhhhh Spring. It's 16*s this morning and a noreaster is coming through tonight.

Puddlefish
03-20-2016, 08:56
Ahhhhhhh Spring. It's 16*s this morning and a noreaster is coming through tonight.

It's just a baby nor'easter, maybe an inch or two, will be melted away tomorrow.

rafe
03-20-2016, 09:37
Walked a ways up Mt. Kinsman yesterday from Rte. 93 (Flume parking lot.) It was a perfect blue-sky day, 24F as we left the parking lot at 9:45. Trail (Cascade Brook Tr./AT) was mostly clear except for a thin ice monorail that became more persistent as we climbed. 1.1 mile short of Lonesome Lake hut we encountered a stream crossing that more or less ended the hike. I think that's Cascade Brook. Flowing vigorously, rocks covered in ice to varying degree, so crampons or spikes definitely needed. No easy way to hop or skip across, no solid ice to step on.

Long story short -- there was a once a bridge there, but it's gone, I think long gone. And this is the one season where it really is a big challenge to cross. Early last spring (April '15) I crossed it wearing snowshoes.

Franconia Ridge, across the way, was very pretty and still frosted in white. We encountered no other hikers on the Cascade Brook Trail, it seems to get little or no use in winter. That was true last April as well.

saltysack
03-20-2016, 23:10
Spring is here and I have tons of plants already going strong and before long my fenceline will be covered in numerous moonflower vines with sweet-smelling moonflower. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yAup78K5JY




.

Thx for sharing....I'm going to plant some this week on the fence.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

bstiffler
03-21-2016, 05:40
Was at amicalola on Friday it was 78 but when I left on sunday it was 54 and rainy and supposed to be low 30's overnight.

displacedbeatnik
03-21-2016, 08:14
Until it hits May 1, I never trust that there will be no more snow. It comes from years of living in Chicago. Though here in Maryland, the snow on Saturday evening was shocking this late in the year.

Uncle Joe
03-21-2016, 09:19
Dusting on Neels Gap last night!

The Cleaner
03-21-2016, 09:54
7" new snow and 15* at Mt LeConte in GSMNP.....

Slo-go'en
03-21-2016, 11:34
Winter's last gasp - maybe :)

All we're getting on the NH-Maine boarder is a light dusting.

colorado_rob
03-21-2016, 12:20
Nearly four feet at Winter Park, just under a foot at our house west of Denver. Bone-dry March until last week. Plenty more in store, practically guaranteed as April is our 2nd snowiest month.

Bring it! I've got 4 paid-for lift tickets left.....

rafe
03-21-2016, 12:29
The ski area at which my wife and I have seasons passes, Wachusett Mountain, announced this morning that they're closed for the season. This in spite of five or six inches of new snow this morning. The ski area Mad River Glen (in Vermont, on the Long Trail) has a sign that just says, "Uncle." Photo of the sign at boston.com, this morning.

Slo-go'en
03-21-2016, 14:01
Suns out, temps back up to 38 and the little bit of snow we got earlier is all gone already, although the summits probably still look pretty white, but can't tell until the clouds lift some more.

Trance
03-21-2016, 14:03
It just snowed here in Pittsburgh last night.... so I bet they got some Northeast.

poopsy
04-04-2016, 10:02
I can't wait to get south to where winter's over. Yesterday's training hike was at 8*F and it got down to -4F with the wind last night. I'm tired of this poop!

poopsy

Puddlefish
04-04-2016, 10:24
I can't wait to get south to where winter's over. Yesterday's training hike was at 8*F and it got down to -4F with the wind last night. I'm tired of this poop!

poopsy

It's a balmy 21 here. I've started peeking at the weather at Springer for later this week, it's looking glorious!

DavidNH
04-04-2016, 10:46
Hmmmm.... it may be early April but winter is NOT over in the White Mountains of NH. Just yesterday (4/3/16) Mt Washington had windchills near 40 below according to weather report and it snowed several inches down south in Massachusetts. Tons of ice on the trails at mid elevations.

Slo-go'en
04-04-2016, 10:54
Somebody forgot to close the door to Canada again :)

Went down to 11F here early this morning. Gonna be chilly for the next couple of days too. It's been spitting snow, but no accumulation here in the valley, maybe higher up.

Oh well, I'll soon be heading south for a while.

rafe
04-04-2016, 11:04
Hmmmm.... it may be early April but winter is NOT over in the White Mountains of NH. Just yesterday (4/3/16) Mt Washington had windchills near 40 below according to weather report and it snowed several inches down south in Massachusetts. Tons of ice on the trails at mid elevations.

Negligible snow here in the Boston 'burbs. But plenty of ice in the mountains a couple weekends ago.

illabelle
04-04-2016, 11:39
Forecast high of 73 here today, with a low of 40. Not sure I can handle such frigid temperatures. :p

tiptoe
04-04-2016, 11:42
Sunday morning I brought seven flats of lettuce seedlings back into the house. They had been pelted with hail and snowed on but were still okay. They would not be okay if I left them out the next couple of nights, with 21-degree temp predicted. Many trees and shrubs are about to leaf out and even bloom, but they will regret it. This is the tug-of-war season, with winter battling spring for supremacy. It's never an easy passage in New England.

Puddlefish
04-04-2016, 12:55
Forecast high of 73 here today, with a low of 40. Not sure I can handle such frigid temperatures. :p

:( The temperature inside my house is currently 60.

nsherry61
04-04-2016, 13:08
What a beautiful spring morning this morning south of Boston . . .

34383

Odd Man Out
04-04-2016, 13:15
What a beautiful spring morning this morning south of Boston . . .

34383

Winter is coming!

Pedaling Fool
04-04-2016, 14:02
Winter has been over for quite some time down here, but it's still somewhat cool, at least cooler than I want, but my garden is doing very well, for the most part, despite the cool temps.

I already have bananas on one of my plants and expect at least one more plant to produce and I just found my first monarch caterpillar of the season, despite the fact that most of my milkweeds are seedlings now, so I may have to move him around to various other milkweed plants in the yard, but he looks like it'll be less than a week before going to the pupa stage.

Water Rat
04-04-2016, 14:08
Yay for caterpillars and warm temps!

Winter seems to be over here, but spring sure is taunting us this year. A couple of nice, warm days....and then we get to have 24* like I am currently experiencing. Could always be worse! It would be nice to see summer show up a bit early, though.

BillyGr
04-04-2016, 14:15
Is it a bit strange when parts of NY State can add 50-75% to their seasonal snowfall totals over 2 days in April?

egilbe
04-04-2016, 14:39
34395

Kennebunk, Maine. Who knows what it's doing in the Mountains.

nsherry61
04-04-2016, 15:07
. . . Who knows what it's doing in the Mountains.
20 degrees colder? 10-20 mph higher winds? About the same amount of snow (except it's not melting as much). . . but then, at mid week, it looks like they may get another foot of snow in the Whites instead of the rain at lower elevations.

Maybe winter just really isn't over yet?

nsherry61
04-04-2016, 16:40
Geez. It's still friggen snowing outside!

34404

Slo-go'en
04-04-2016, 16:46
Geez. It's still friggen snowing outside!

34404

"SpeedStick", the "triple crown in one season" contender just got into Mass. This should make things interesting for her again. April is a tough month in New England.

rafe
04-04-2016, 17:02
Since my previous post at 11 AM, we've had about 5 or 6 inches of fluffy stuff, and it's still coming down. I think that matches or exceeds any prior snow event this winter. I'm going to wait another hour or so before I tackle the driveway.

Another Kevin
04-04-2016, 17:05
Is it a bit strange when parts of NY State can add 50-75% to their seasonal snowfall totals over 2 days in April?

I remember one winter when Albany got no snow all winter - and then almost three feet on Palm Sunday. My pastor said on Sunday that the wonderful thing about our climate here is that we always get a white Christmas, even if it comes on Easter.

Puddlefish
04-04-2016, 17:07
Since my previous post at 11 AM, we've had about 5 or 6 inches of fluffy stuff, and it's still coming down. I think that matches or exceeds any prior snow event this winter. I'm going to wait another hour or so before I tackle the driveway.

It will be gone by Wednesday, no way I'm shoveling... although I do have the luxury of not needing to drive anywhere today.

Traillium
04-04-2016, 17:17
Yeah, we got 15cm (6 times 12 barleycorns or whatever) last night here north of Toronto. And quite possibly that much more to come in Wednesday.
Two pluses to all this, IMO. Firstly, the ground is mostly thawed, so as this stuff melts, much of it may actually get into the ground instead of running off our frozen ground earlier. I light of a predicted dry Spring, this may be a good thing.
Secondly, in a month I'm beginning to trace Spring north along the Bruce Trail through Southern Ontario. Anything that slows down Spring from its abnormally early start this year is good by my books.


Bruce Traillium