Posts Tagged ‘winter’

You’ve probably noticed that the news is filling with predictions of the coming winter weather Apocalypse. That means of course that AccuWeather.com has released their annual winter predictions for 2011-2011.  AccuWeather.com is calling for the worst winter weather in the nation to hit Chicago with Minneapolis predicted to suffer this winter’s worst chill.  Well, here in the heart of Wisconsin we’re probably in for both!  Read the rest of this entry »

Everything’s closed and the groundhog stayed home.  That about covers it for February 2nd, 2011 as we begin to dig out from under the latest “Snowmegeddon”.  It’s hard to estimate how much snow the Baraboo area received with all he blowing and drifting but it’s fair to say we were closer to a foot, than a few inches.  Whatever the case may be, enjoy your snow day if you can.  If you had to get out and get to work today.. we feel for ya.   The county plow trucks placed about 5 feet of snow in our driveway this morning… so remember, it could be worse.

If it weren’t for the Green Bay Packers and regular snow fall, we’d be hard pressed for headlines here in central Wisconsin this time of year.  Yesterday’s storm closed schools early and made roads treacherous as usual.  There was one very tragic accident  at Mirror Lake which left one person dead and closed the Interstate highway all day and through last night.  During the summer months we paddle under that bridge regularly and that certainly gives you a unique perspective on this accident.

The weather over the next few days will be colder than usual, but not really the arctic freeze you’re hearing about in the papers. Well, other than Friday anyway when the day’s high will struggle to reach 3f.   Most outdoorsy folks won’t be slowed down. In fact, I expect to see a few campers at Devil’s Lake State Park regardless of temps.  The good news is that the long range forecast is calling for a warmer than usual second half of the season which should kick off not long after the Packers-Bears game this Sunday.

I’d bet attendance this Sunday at the annual Wisconsin Dells Flake Out festival may be a little down.. Unless they come up with some winter weather-proof big screens.

Have you ever wondered if there was any rhyme or reason to the media’s modern weather hyperbole?  Are words like battered, hit, pummeled, savaged or even snowmageddon measurable?  Can you sort out any real information in today’s meteorological  amplifications?  Well, we’ve been looking into that and here’s what we’ve discovered.

Winter weather exaggeration has become almost an art form.  Like so much of the modern news media these days, even meteorologists feel the need to blow things all out of proportion in the futile hope that they will somehow stand out above the din.  Of course it never works because, well, everyone’s doing it.  The bottom line for listeners, is that it’s becoming harder to translate all the hypertensive verbal acrobatics back into “news you can use”.  Or is it? Read the rest of this entry »

After the last Christmas ornament is taken down and the last of the New Year’s confetti is swept from the corners of the floor, the “Now What?” season begins.   We’ve entered the time of year when few events take place, when the cold begins to really sink in and day dreams of summer begin to interrupt our work days. Let’s face it, for many of us it’s hard to be a big fan of winter.  I’m feeling it too..

Well, don’t despair, spring is just a few short months away.  In the mean time, there are a few local events coming up to take your mind off the gray days.  Eagle Watching Days kicks off Jan. 14-15 in Sauk-Prairie. January 21-23 will be the 21st anniversary celebration for the Flake Out Festival in Wisconsin Dells.  The Flake out is a good time and certainly worth a drive up to Wisconsin Dells.  The event offers lots of food & drink, an ice sculpting contest, live music, wagon rides and much more. Click here for details about the Flake Out Festival.  On February 5, many Wisconsin state parks will be holding another candlelight ski event including Mirror Lake State Park again.   Then, February 11th-13th the annual snow train will be running at Mid-Continent Railway Museum.  You’ll need to get your reservations in soon for that.  Taking in a local event whenever possible brings a bit of cheerful change to the long winter months.

Of course it helps to learn to enjoy outdoor recreation in the winter months as well. Why not learn to downhill ski this year at Devil’s Head Resort or Cascade Mountain.  We’ve promised our son he’d get to sample snowshoeing, downhill skiing and be able run the tube hill at Cascade Mountain before the season is up.  (One thing is sure, we’ll go during the week when the cost is $22 all day, as opposed to the weekend when they charge $22 for 2 hours!) Setting activity goals for the winter helps provide something to look forward to.

Kayak Sledding at Devil's Lake State Park

You could also head out to Devil’s Lake State Park for a bit of sledding on the big hill in the Quartzite Campground. We like to take our plastic kayaks out there for an occasional run.  What a blast! Oh, and of course there’s all those miles of trails to explore by ski or snowshoe!  It’s worth renting gear to see if you like it, but gear for either sport is not that expensive and it’s best to buy as soon as you feel committed. (Locally it costs about $15 to rent snowshoes for a day.)  Of course lots of folks are out snowmobiling and ice fishing as well this time of year.  We’ve had a bit of snow overnight so let’s hope the snowmobile trails will open up again here soon!

The real trick to surviving the “Now What?” season is simply staying busy.  Get outdoors, even if you’re not a big fan of winter.  Play, walk, take a long drive, explore…  If you just stay active, the late grey months of winter will soon be over.   I promise.

Heavy snows and frigid temperatures have our Monday getting off to a bit of a slow start.  Most area schools have delayed their opening by two hours.  Some, such as Reedsburg, have closed for the day entirely.  Most city roads are passable, and most business parking lots are surrounded by mountains of freshly plowed snow.   Meanwhile up in the Baraboo hills, the roads are much more iffy.   If you are driving this morning, especially up and over the bluffs, be extra careful , slow down and give extra attention to other drivers as well…  I personally saw one woman driving down an icy hill this morning while chatting away on her cellphone..  Nice.

Later today we will be posting pictures from the weekend’s Very Merry Holiday Fair and more.  Be sure to check in on our Facebook as well, for more photos, details of Mirror Lake State Park’s upcoming “Learn to Ski & Snowshoe” event and of course all the regular daily chatter!

• School Closing Pg – Channel3000.com

*Image: Clearing the sidewalk along the river in Baraboo this morning.

It’s fair to say that we are, right this moment, December 3rd, 2010, on the cusp of winter in Wisconsin.  Here in Sauk County we are under a winter weather advisory for this evening going into tomorrow and the Merrimac Ferry has become an ice breaker as it works it’s way across Lake Wisconsin.  It won’t be long now before the ferry closes for the season.  Winter, I dare say,  is upon us.

** Update 3:00 PM – The Merrimac Ferry has closed for the season.

• Merrimac Ferry Slide Show | Flickr Gallery – More images from this morning and throughout the year.

At 6 am this morning it was 16 degrees and  light snow was swirling around  Baraboo hills area.  If you have a look at the Cascade Mountain Snow Cam, you’ll see their enjoying a (man-made) blizzard as they do their best to jump start central Wisconsin’s ski season.  Well, with Thanksgiving Day later in the week and Black Friday advertising at an ever increasing and irritating din, we thought it’s probably time to accept that winter is upon us.

So let’s talk Winter!! Over the next couple months temperatures here in south-central Wisconsin will average in the high 20′s to low 30s.  Average lows in January can hang in the single digits.  While we do get snow, it’s not as much as you might think. According to the Wisconsin State Climatology Office, average snowfall in the state for November runs around 5 inches. Madison, in the south-central part of the state, gets around 3.  (There’s nothing much on the ground at the moment.)  In December & January we can expect nearly 11 inches of snow per month in our part of the state. While that’s a lot to shovel, it’s not much of a base for the ski hills.  This is why we are talking about snow machines instead of reading dispatches from the Baraboo Hills Avalanche Center or reading blog posts by Marty the summit cat. (I want a summit cat!)

The problem with averages is that they are made up of highs and lows.  Wisconsin weather can be extremely variable.  Heck, yesterday it was 55f and foggy and this morning it’s 15f as the sun rises over the Baraboo range.  Just to make the point,  the long-range meteorologist over at AccuWeather.com is predicting a winter “Battle Zone”  for the Great Lakes area. In other words.. “Who knows?!”,  which is why here in Wisconsin it seems we’re always talking about the weather.

Oh yes, and I do have one more bit of winter weather trivia for you…  According to NOAA, we have a 61-75% chance of a White Christmas here in central Wisconsin.  So at least we’ve got that going for us.  Have a splendid day.  Dress warm. It’s cold out there!

More

• Cascade Mountain Snow Cams
• Devil’s Head Resort Snow Cam
• AccuWeather’s 2010-2011 Winter Forecast
• Wisconsin Winter Climate – Wisconsin State Climatology Office
• NOAA’s White Christmas Report
• Average Snowfalls By City
• Mount Washington Observatory – Home of Marty The Summit Cat

* Image is a screen cap from Cascade Mountain’s Snow Cam early this am.

After years of planning and the enviable political nightmare that precedes any decisions made in our form of government, the state of Wisconsin’s representatives did something  increasingly rare, they made a good decision.  They voted to protect the Lower Wisconsin Riverway for us, and our children. That was now just over 20 years ago.

The Lower Wisconsin State Riverway encompasses a 93 mile stretch of the Wisconsin River from Prairie du Sac to Prairie du Chein, covering nearly 80,000 acres of river, bluffs,  islands and flood plains.  Since its establishment  1989 the region has become a major attraction to nature lovers and sportsmen alike.  Over 44,000 acres of state owned land offer opportunities for camping, hiking, hunting, skiing, horseback riding and all sort of outdoor endeavor. 93 miles of unbroken riverway offers one of the longest stretches of river open to boating, canoeing, kayaking and fishing in the midwest. What’s more, all this activity is shared with the amazing wildlife of the area including of course the majestic American Bald Eagles that are commonly seen overhead.

FLOW Sponsored Lake Delton Clean Up Event

One of the groups instrumental in fighting to preserve this slice of Wisconsin for all of us was called the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway.  The group went on a bit of a hiatus after winning the war so-to-speak  in 1989, but then came back to life when the member’s realized that the real work was just beginning.  In 1998 FLOW kicked off once more under the guidance of Timm Zumm and former DNR State Riverway Coordinator, Dave Gjeston with the goals of protecting the ecological integrity and public trust interests of the LWSR.

Over the last dozen years FLOW has done so much to protect and manage the Lower Wisconsin Riverway including everything from area clean ups to pollution investigations, that it will take another article or two to cover it all. Stay tuned…

What is important today however is that on Jan 31st the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway will be hosting their first annual membership meeting since becoming an official Non-Profit Organization which means there will be much to discuss.  It’s also an opportunity for those of you interested in the preservation and protection of the Lower Wisconsin to become involved in this new stage of FLOW’s life.  What’s more the big shindig looks to be a great family event as well with a big bonfire, ski trails, horse drawn sleigh rides and more. Everyone is welcome to attend this free event. Especially the kids. Festivities start at noon and run until 9pm.  The first annual FLOW meeting will begin at 4pm.  There will be a heated shop for food, socializing and for the meeting.  Bring your own activity equipment, chairs, beverages and finger food to share.  At twilight the bonfire will kick off with the natural pyrotechnics last year’s Christmas trees.  Feel free to bring yours as well!

Directions

County Hwy C is just south of the Wisconsin River off of State Hwy 23. The property is approximately three miles west of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin, near Lower Wyoming Road. Please park your vehicle along the side of the road and walk up to the building. Contact us before the event if you think an uphill trek is too difficult and you would prefer to have a ride up the driveway.

Side Notes:

RSVP requested to help us plan, but not required.

Are you available to help staff the event?
If yes, please contact Timm Zumm at: 608-575-0325
or email: wisriverfriends@yahoo.com

More Information:

FLOW on Facebook
Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board Website
KayakQuixotica photo story – Extreme Lower Wisconsin Paddling!

* Photographs reprinted with the kind permission of the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway.

The Flake Out Festival is coming to Wisconsin Dells this weekend, Jan 22 – 24th.  We’ll certainly be there! In honor of their 20th anniversary and to save you the effort of reading every last page of the festival website.. Here’s our list of “10 things you may not know you can do at the Wisconsin Dells Flake Out Festival this weekend”…

Number 10 – Watch Winter Fireworks on Saturday Night!

Number 9 – Read the full menu & beverage selections on the website!.. ah, no..forget that!

Number 8 – Meet the critter who said, ” “How bout that, I go to sleep a bear, and wake up an octopus!”

Number 7 – Eat chicken with your mittens on!!

Number 6 – Listen to Swing Crew.. and request songs by Insane Clown Posse just for fun! (Must be a Baraboo thing!)

Number 5 – Take a class.  Ah, never stop learning…

Number 4 – Watch dogs pull stuff.

Number 3 – Get lost in an ice maze!

Number 2 - Ride A Pony!

Number 1 – Make BBQ Snow Cones! Well, probably not but with that silliness out of the way, be sure to check out the website for details and daily events, then check out the festival this weekend. We’ll see ya there!

* Today’s Image is from a great Wallpaper created by Michael M. Knight and can be downloaded here.