Seasonally Balmy, Then Not

December 12th through 18th, 2022

Lake Lucerne
Last week started off positively balmy (for this time of year). Highs were close to freezing and lows were in the upper 20s°F. The change from balmy to January started with some freezing rain, then some snow. The fridge came on the weekend.
Lake Lucerne
The icing event made driving on untreated roads drifty (not in the fun way).
Lake Lucerne
The main snowstorm featured the wet heavy stuff that sticks and holds to everything.
Lake Lucerne
At the end of the first storm, we had a fresh 6 inches. Over the next few days, smaller storms pushed the week's total to 8 inches.
Lake Lucerne
The waves of wet, heavy snow coming off snowplow blades took some of the weaker mailboxes.
Lake Lucerne
The stickiness of the snow had some building classical winter structures.
Lake Lucerne
The unnaturally shiny treetops were a constant reminder that under all that sticky white is some very slick ice.
Lake Lucerne
A gigantic woodpecker (The bar's bird feeder bouncer) kept furry interlopers from raiding food stocks.
Lake Lucerne
The rabble seemed to be cold and unamused when the bouncer was present.
Lake Lucerne
Eventually, its shift ended and the little balls of evil would feast.
Lake Lucerne
Under the bar's bird feeder saw the first turkeys of the year show up to catch any dropped seeds.
Lake Lucerne
By the weekend, there was more than one.
Lake Lucerne
The snow stopped for a brief time on Saturday. Other than that, it seemed like there was always a little (or a lot) of white constantly falling from the sky.
Lake Lucerne
The Condition of Knott Lane is not as bad as it was. The snow bonded to the ice and the footing is not that bad.
Lake Lucerne
We wanted to get the first ice thickness check on Sunday, but we never did. We'll try to measure it before the next round of heavy snow. By the end of last week, it was clear that January had come early to the northwoods. Lows around 0°F and highs not much warmer than that are upon us. Huzzah! No wait..Boo! My guess is that lake ice is going to be pretty thick and the ice drillers will be wearing hats.


-Nemo will be drilling at least one ice hole and feeding squirrels all week.