Chinooks

This has been a week, I should probably say winter.

We have had a couple of large snow storms where the snow did not melt between them.  So the first snow was shoveled aside and then the new snow stacked on top of it.  It compacted the orginal snow into ice.  Then we got more snow.  I don't mind snow, good thing.  As a gardener in a dry area snow is a good thing.

Snow on ice is another matter. Getting a fresh skiff of snow on the ice makes for treacherous traveling whether in a car, on foot and as much and sometimes more so for our four legged friends.  This week has been a lot of ice.

Another phenomenon where I live is a wind called "chinooks".  This is a warm wind from the southwest normally. Chinooks often blow at speeds from 30 to 60 mph but they can reach over 100 mph, and as the name says they "eat" snow and ice. They also cause midwinter thaws (we have a very active freeze/thaw cycle due to this).

So this week, all the snow is gone and we have water on the ice, and even more slippery conditions.  Roads are clear, but driveways and walkways are not.  Luckily this is the second day of the chinooks and the ice is going too.

Stay safe and warm, no matter where you are.