Temperatures for the week averaged quite close to normal. Five of the seven days had high readings well above freezing and two mornings had readings in the low thirties. There was a range of thirty-nine degrees from the low of five on the 13th to the high of forty four on the 15th and 16th. The approaching week should have several readings well above normal.
There was rainfall on the 11th that melted some of the snow, creating areas of water. With the colder air and wind that followed, there were areas of dangerous ice. I heard of people with injuries from those icy conditions. Saturday evening, the 17th, snowfall developed near 10 p.m.
The single gray squirrel observed last week has been joined by the second one lately at the bird feeder. Both have tails with shorter hair or fur than normal for the winter months. Their body mass seems small, perhaps they were born later than normal last season and are relatively young.
Friday, the 16th, I noticed the Jay roads were posted but not those in Livermore Falls. Frost heaves and broken pavement continues to increase as the temperatures fluctuate.
In some of my conversations with others, I hear people proclaiming their delight in the brighter and longer days and I can certainly agree. All to soon, we will have to adjust to daylight savings time.
Maple sap flows should start soon if freezing nights and warmer days prevail. The protective snow cover should have kept the ground from freezing to any great depths.
The new moon should develop to the first quarter stage near Friday. Perhaps with more cloud-free nights than last month, we can observe the waxing moon more often and see the full moon March 1st.
This period of time last year had colder readings most of all seven dates. All seven days had high readings below freezing, then a sudden warm up the following week. There was a narrow range of only twenty-six degrees from the low on the 11th, to the high of thirty one on the same date.
Two different snowstorms on the 11th, 12th and 13th deposited twenty nine and one-half inches, followed by another on the 15th that deposited another seven inches. Total snow on the ground measured forty nine inches, compared to nine presently.
Day High Low Precip.
Sun 38 21 0.18
Mon. 33 30 0
Tues 28 5 0
Wed. 41 13 0
Thurs. 44 12 0
Fri. 44 25 T
Sat. 31 9 T 10 p.m.
PS: Snow that started near 10 p.m. on the 17th and ended near 7:15 a.m. the 18th deposited an even four inches, with a water content on 0.28 of an inch.
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