The Fourth Horseman of the Snowpocalypse

The last summary page (Mostly Spring, March 28th through April 3rd) had a bit of an omission. We left the lake area for a few days at the end of the week to take care of some business in Milwaukee. We published the update anyway because what could happen in the 30 hours we'd be gone?

The Mostly Spring update missed the strange and plentiful snow that fell on and off on Saturday, April 2nd. The sky was blue one minute and the next snow came down so hard you couldn't see across the lake. It went on like that all day.

There was also wind. The blustery conditions produced snow-devils that danced down the lake.

Seven and a half hours after we left the lake area, a car crashed into the dead tree in front of the bar. We were told later that there were four people in the Cadillac. One or two were flighted to Wausau, the others were treated in Rhinelander. The crash seems to have started with a run from the law that was called off due to dangerous speeds. One sheriff's deputy estimated that the the car was traveling in excess of 60 mph when it hit the tree. Others estimated the speed near 100 mph. There were no skid marks on the lawn.

The tree remained upright but has moved, roots and all, about 4 feet to the West. It's also a few limbs lighter and is still dead. This image was captured on Tuesday afternoon. By the evening, everything changed.

Silenced Spring, the Fourth Horseman of the Snowpocalypse, trampled the lake area, leaving behind only white and the confused, muffled chirps of a few birds.

Some of the green that was the forest floor managed to stay above the white menace. Most did not.

Small patches of open water stayed open, but most froze back up. The Fourth Horseman of the Snowpocalypse and ice-out are immiscible.

Sap continued to flow from the sugarbush. A lot of it froze before it was collected. That caused issues when trying to pour it into jugs and cookers.

Collecting methods were modified to include a "Dump the ice into the giant tub" step.

It took less time than expected to liquefy all those frozen pucks.

The best part of the whole ordeal was the "Cone of Flame".

The condition of Knott Lane was pretty much what you would expect after a routing by the Fourth Horseman of the Snowpocalypse.

We got just shy of 8 inches. The lake will continue to go up!

In the wake of Silenced Spring, the sky cleared and the wind died. A drone was sent up to survey the frosty damage.

The images looked like most of the images captured in January, but the creek on the North end stayed partly open and continues to flow.

If it wasn't for the pillaging of our warmth by the Fourth Horseman of the Snowpocalypse, Silenced Spring, we'd be looking at a lot more open water. As shiveringly troubling as a visit by Silenced Spring can be, there were a few icy silver linings. He doesn't stay long, leaves much lake rising snow in his wake, and extends the maple tapping season. The forecast is for warmer temperatures. Much warmer. And sunnier. Much sunnier. The lake ice is going to be evolving into open water faster than ever in the next 5 or 6 days.

-Nemo's keeping one eye on the lake ice and the other on the spiles.

The Fourth Horseman of the Snowpocalypse

April 4th through 10th, 2016