It’s not the snowfall, it’s the snowdrifts

JP Rennquist Feb 21, 2014 3 Comments

“It’s not the snowfall, it’s the snowdrifts.” I just realized that’s kind of a northcountry version of “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.”

I give yesterday’s storm about a 6 out of 10 for Duluth snowstorms in terms of intensity and general nastiness. However, I think this might be the biggest drift I’ve encountered in the 12 years I’ve been at this house.

I had to channel a little Hillary and Norgay on the way up to the garage. I’m saving Shackleton for when I actually try to move this stuff. If I decided to move it, that is.

And as long as we’re talking arctic explorers, maybe it’s time for a little musical interlude with Stan Rogers and his peerless ballad to the lost Franklin expedition, so choked with emotion and inspiration that it’ll make you want to cry, or climb a mountain, or maybe tackle some snowdrifts.

Postscript: That fabled Northwest Passage is now open for shipping, experts blame/credit global warming for opening it up. If Stan Rogers had lived another 30 years to see that once-upon-a-time unimaginable development I wonder what he’d add a verse and I wonder what it would say.

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3 Comments

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 



Justin Berke shared this image on PDD's Facebook page. 

"The snowshoes - they do nothing! Tramping through puffy snow drifts along the Lakewalk."

piker

about 11 years ago 

There are sections of my backyard where the snow is chest high! It seems  the big snow in December, the couple of feet since then, and this newest storm combined with the subfreezing weather in between has left the most snow I've seen in my 14 years in Duluth.

I hear 1996-97 had this beat with 135 inches for the season. Well, we're still accumulating! Woo!

DaVe

about 11 years ago 

Now the 10 day forecast shows below-zero lows every night. The jet stream is changing because the arctic is warmer, and there's more moisture in the air for precipitation  because the oceans are warmer. Stuck in the middle with you.

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