Greetings and welcome!
It is a chilly cloudy day in the high 40s. The little bit of rain that came last night could visit us again late this afternoon with another brief round of showers.
Yesterday and last night’s rain was mostly a radar event. The radar showed it raining for a good bit of the day, but it never made it to the ground. A few hours after sunset it picked up into a mist, and overnight got going enough to get the ground wet.
Once we get through today’s cool and damp weather we are into a nice day for tomorrow. It should clear up and get up to around 70, a nice change from today’s 47.
Thursday another line of showers threatens to bring us a little rain and a temperature drop from the 70s to the mid-50s for Friday and the weekend. That Thursday line of showers should be it for the week and weekend, replaced by mostly clear weather.
The rain has helped a little. It has served us to keep fire danger reduced and to at least give emerging greenery at least something to drink.
Based on what I have seen we have a pretty significant rainfall deficit. As you saw, my pond is pretty low, and area lakes and rivers are too. It isn’t someting that will go away in the short term, at least not with sub 1″ per week rainfall.
Talking about it over the weekend, I suggested that we would need a protracted stormy pattern, a cut off low pressure system that sits over us for a week, or maybe a tropical depression or hurricane remnant to soak us. It is nice that we are seeing a shower here and there, and encouraging that the storms are actually getting close to here. It is still a ten dollar payment on a million dollar loan. It took a couple of drought summers and low snow winters to get here, I don’t expect it to heal overnight, and certainly not at a half inch a week.
On the other side of it, my El Nino (ENSO) research last night found that the El Nino is expected to return to neutral conditions any time now. The actual time frame was between March and June. It is in decline, but not gone yet. In theory with the passing of the El Nino we will see more storms come this way and a chance at more normal rainfall. By my observation, the transition out of an El Nino can be a stormy period. All is not lost.
Some of the forecast models had us going into a La Nina phase later this year. As one forecaster pointed out, it is a little early for that. At this time of year the ENSO models are at their lowest skill due to the time frame looking ahead nine months. It wouldn’t surprise me though.
Spring continues to spring, but there is a little lull in the action. The grass is greener and is growing actively from the recent showers. There is a willow down by the pond starting with emerging leaves. Both a tick and mosquito were spotted, though neither one got blood or was common. Some insects by the river started emerging. Tom turkeys were again easy to spot the past few days.
Here are some pictures..
There is not much on the event calendar. The only thing that I have is an NRA banquet this week. After that it is pretty quiet until May.
| April 17 | Richard’s Supper Club Hwy 8 – Dunbar |
Friends of the NRA Fundraiser Banquet
Starts at 5pm – Dinner at 7pm Auction & Prize Drawings to follow |
There was an interesting e-mail today from the County. It looks like ATV trails WILL open early this year, and the SUTV/UTV program is moving forward. Here is the press release..
————-
From: John Scott, Forestry and Parks Administrator
Subject: ATV Trail Re-opening
The Marinette County ATV Trails will re-open April 23, 2010. The
trails have been closed for spring breakup and because of downed
trees/branches.
Marinette County is participating in a Pilot Program that will allow
Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTV’s) to use all designated all-terrain
vehicle trails and routes in Marinette County. This Pilot Program
will end on June 30, 2012.
UTV riders must register their Utility Terrain Vehicle at any
Department of Natural Resources Service Center to be allowed on the
Marinette County ATV trail system.
—————-
So.. a week from Saturday the trails open. That is unusual. As long as I have been reporting them it is usually the first weekend in May. I did notice that the trails by my house had been groomed last week.
Well as usual the clock is ahead of the list of stuff to do, so it it is time for me to scamper off and get to work. Have a good week and thank you for visiting!
RJB
Ray you are right about water or the lack of it . The Menominee river at Bear Point for the last two years has not come close to over flowing it’s banks in the spring. Right now it’s running at late July Aug levels. There are few boats out out on the weekends.