Spring?

Anyone remember St Patricks Day in 2012?

80 degrees. Ice was still on the lake at the cabin and we were running around with shorts and t-shirts on..

stout93 wrote:

Anyone remember St Patricks Day in 2012?

80 degrees. Ice was still on the lake at the cabin and we were running around with shorts and t-shirts on..

Best rainy river day I have ever had to date. Steve, Charlie and I put a hurting on the walleyes that entire week.

stout93 wrote:

Anyone remember St Patricks Day in 2012?

I definitely remember the 80 degrees. I was in downtown St Paul and it was during the old WCHA Final Five hockey tournament. I couldn’t tell the difference between a toothless Sioux fan and a drunk bum because everyone was wearing green.

Tapped maples in Eau Claire on this date last year. Hoping to tap maples in Richfield next week, ready to get going on my first season of solo syrup making.

There is nothing worse to work in than when everything is melted…except the frost in the ground. That soupy, greasy mud everywhere with no grass or plants to hold anything in place and nowhere for water to go. We had a brief preview of it here last weekend when it hit the upper 40s with bright sunshine. The sunburn on my face and arms from working on the house coupled with the boots I am still debating throwing away reminded me of how beautiful MN springs aren’t – at least early on.

I do remember St. Patty’s 2012. Been waiting for another since. There was one in ’08 or ’09 that was quite warm as well.

So. Maybe that’s why there are flood warnings on the Mississippi “teen” pools with no rain predicted for the next 10 days.

Being outside for work has my fingertips split open so ya bring on the warmth. Although with thick ice and the shacks coming off soon, it’ll be good to move around more.

Mid 30s today out on the ice….but sure didn’t feel it with 25 mph winds and over 30 mph gusts..

The 10 day outlook here near Pool 4 looks average. Days in the low 30s, nights in the teens is right on average for the first week of March. Anything warmer just creates a mess. The 50+ degree temps will hopefully wait until April

Middle Iowa forecast is around high of 50 for the next 5 days. Right on cue for the march 16th ice out day. It was really dry last year here. The rivers never really came up.

Love spring ice fishing, want the warm but not too warm and please no rain for a while.

Sitting in my driveway drinking a beer with some short ribs from Will’s farm on the grill. My favorite place to be. This sunshine is a welcome sight!

Sun feels great. Took the kids ice skating today and the ice was getting quite soft in some areas of the rink. Great day to be outdoors, could use a few more weeks like today.

stout93 wrote:

Anyone remember St Patricks Day in 2012?

80 degrees. Ice was still on the lake at the cabin and we were running around with shorts and t-shirts on..

Yes, to that was our son’s first St. Paddy’s day. We were at the Padua St. Paddy’s day celebration and very thankful that we’d looked at the forecast and brought shorts!

crappie55369 wrote:

Sitting in my driveway drinking a beer

I was sitting in the driveway this afternoon with a rum & coke soaking in the sun. It feels so good.

I am excited that the weather is improving but the temp isn’t spiking high. Tapping maples tomorrow, hope temps stay moderate and nights continue below freezing for a couple of weeks.

72 here on Tuesday…we have had multiple stretches in the 50s and a few in the 60’s already this year. Just enough ice to make it impossible to get out in the boat. We have been extremely lucky this winter!

Father in law lives on a lake near Omaha, was there 2 weeks ago could not believe it was not iced over, but like BD said just enough to keep you out of a boat.

After getting in one last weekend of pike fishing, I do not believe we are in line for a early ice out this year. At least not in central minnesota in the ottertail area. The lakes have plenty of both snow and ice. I saw snow drifts as high as the cabins. The ice was so think I could not get thru with the k-drill. It’s going to take a fair amount of warn Wendy days just to melt the snow before it can start to work on the ice. I really enjoy the last ice fishing so I hope it is a extended slow one this year. Seems like some years it goes from still driving on lakes with the trucks, to not being able to even get over the open edges is a week or so.

Last day of winter!

-J.

Winter report card from MPR News Updraft. Grand Marais is a whopping 38 inches of snow above average.

In the Twin Cities, it’s been a colder and slightly snowier than average winter. After a mild December (+2.5 degrees), the Twin Cities and most of Minnesota logged significantly colder than average months in January (-5.5 degrees) and February. (-6.6 degrees)
Above-average snowfall

Snowfall is also running above average in the Twin Cities this winter. That’s true in most, but not all of Minnesota. Southwest Minnesota has recorded snowfall around a foot below average to date. And it’s been a snow bonanza for the North Shore ridges. Grand Marais Airport has recorded about 80 inches of snow this winter!

Here are some select snowfall totals compared to the average so far this winter season.

Twin Cities: 43.5 inches (+4.0”)

St. Cloud: 40.5 inches (+5.5”)

Duluth: 68.0 inches (+1.5”)

International Falls: 59.5 inches (+1.6”)

Grand Marais: 79.7 inches (+38.1”)

Fargo, N.D.: 48.2 inches (+6.1”)

Rochester: 28.8 inches (-11.2”)

Pipestone: 16.5 inches (-12.7”)

Through mid March, I’m seeing below average temps. Single digits for lows.

Might have a late ice out.

iowa_josh wrote:

The rivers never really came up.

P4 either Josh. I don’t recall ever (20 years) seeing 2.25′ in pre spring.

Hopefully for 2022 Flush won’t top 8 or 9′.
If I recall we didn’t break 8′ last spring and it will be nice to have a break from the spring flooding.

I don’t know BK, there is a whole pile of snow this way and further north that’s gotta go somewhere.

Can only hope for a slow melt. I’m hearing 3 ft of snow up in northern MN.

All that snow melt will make up for some of the low river levels I would imagine. If this snow goes quick we could have a mess.

I saw a Tom turkey all fanned out at the back of my property this morning. Another sign of Spring.

lindyrig79 wrote:

I saw a Tom turkey all fanned out at the back of my property this morning. Another sign of Spring.

Cool! He may be a little confused. LOL
There are 2 Eagles sitting on the nest near my house. Must of laid the eggs recently because I go past it daily and just last night was the first time I saw them sitting in the nest.

glenn57 wrote:

I’m hearing 3 ft of snow up in northern MN.

I’ve always heard that 1 foot of snow equals 1″ of water. George, the ex lock operator always said the river goes up 1 foot for every inch of rain (depending on the size of the rain fall of course). Ground is still pretty dry as well…

3′ doesn’t seem like that much to me, but then a fast thaw or rain mixed with the thaw will make me wish I never made this post!

I can hope can’t I!?

Brian Klawitter wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>glenn57 wrote:</div>
I’m hearing 3 ft of snow up in northern MN.

I’ve always heard that 1 foot of snow equals 1″ of water. George, the ex lock operator always said the river goes up 1 foot for every inch of rain (depending on the size of the rain fall of course). Ground is still pretty dry as well…

3′ doesn’t seem like that much to me, but then a fast thaw or rain mixed with the thaw will make me wish I never made this post!

I can hope can’t I!?

sure can…..but i’ve seen what high water does down there at times……..kinda ugly.

i personally hope most that snow fills up the lakes up there before it gets sent your way. they where pretty low last fall!!!!!!!!!