Deep Winter I

December 30th (2024) through January 5th, 2025

Lake Lucerne
The tail end of the holiday season started out unseasonably warm. There was sun, green grass, and talk of golf among the men. Then came January. The sky grew cloudy and the grass brownly dormant. There was no golf.
Lake Lucerne
With each passing day, the temperature fell. The wind picked up. On and off light snow became common.
Lake Lucerne
The bar's wild turkeys endured the single digit (°F) cold by being tetchy, walking around, and standing on one foot.
Lake Lucerne
They also tried to impress us with tales of catching fish **This Big**.
Lake Lucerne
The cloudy that put small amounts of snow on the lake ice during the day, faded out in the evening making for some very cold (pronounced "January") nights.
Lake Lucerne
It made for a few good sunsets, too.
Lake Lucerne
It's been two weeks since we last checked the thickness of the lake ice. On the weekend, tools were gathered and we slowly walked out onto the lake. The top of the ice is almost frictionless under a very thin coat of snow.
Lake Lucerne
Clearing the hole site of snow was trivial. Cutting the hole took a little longer.
Lake Lucerne
There's currently 7 inches of very good, clear ice covering the north end of Lucerne.
Lake Lucerne
Knott Lane does not have 7 inches of ice, but it's best to tread carefully on the shiny parts.
Lake Lucerne
"We need more snow!" is the cry from the skiers, snowmobilers, and fort builders. The driveway shovelers seem to be fine with the feeble amount of white that's fallen to date. It's been 23 years since the Annual Lake Lucerne Bottle Rocket War had to be rescheduled due to a lack of snow. Unless we get an inch or three in the next 2 weeks, we'll be warring like it's 1999 (plus 3).


-Nemo notes no Mosquito bites or contusions so far in 2025.