Weather – Page 33 – E A Summers

January 8, 2011

Wintry Mix

Yesterday, the rain continued all day. The temperature stayed steady at 36F. The roads were wet but not icy. Karl and I took advantage of conditions due to deteriorate and headed to the lake for a look see.

It was drizzling and I did not have my camera pack. I hoped to drive down to get some photos but the road nearest the lake was a sheet of ice so I parked above and we walked down through the slushy snow with only my phone camera.

For a January day in Montana it was balmy.

Overnight, it finally returned to below freezing temperatures and the slush is turning to ice. My driveway conditions were improved slightly by some wintry mix of precipitation that ended up as a crunchy topping that allowed some grab for walking.

At the end of the driveway, this morning, some blue sky. But, we will not be going anywhere. The road is like the driveway – glare ice with a slightly crunchy toping…a wintry mix.

August 4, 2008

A summer of blue and green

This spring was full of sky blue and grass green and this summer it continues. There have been no fires close as yet and very little real heat. Although a mini-heat wave of 3 days above 90 is forecast for this week, we have maybe had 3 days all summer where the temperature went above 90. Mostly it has been a very pleasant mid to upper 80’s during the day and 50’s overnight – theoretically our seasonal norm.

The heavy winter snow pack gave the mountains a good drink as they have remained green above the tree line…a good sign I hope as we head into the worst time for wildfire starts. The cool nights and moderate days have kept the skies that clear shade of sky blue that provides for a beautiful background for the fluffy clouds that build up afternoons as well as the green of the mountains.

I caught a bit of the blue and green yesterday morning when Karl and I walked. We’ll be away from this path after today as our neighbors are to arrive this afternoon and we will be off the ridge path until they leave in a week or two…

This summer of blue and green and moderate temperatures, a bit of rain, soft breezy days … it is a summer to enjoy and remember.

June 13, 2008

Almost back to Spring

Yesterday morning started out about 35 and drippy with a lot of snow still on the ground. But the sun came out, the temperature rose to nearly 60 and by 8:30 at night, the snow was finally gone!

The midday walk was a lot different yesterday than the day before.

Night before last, Karl, Bob and I were on the front porch when I heard what I thought was a gunshot. Karl barked instead of heading for the house. Gunshots send Karl for his closet hidey-hole. There were 2 more “shots”/cracks… Today I found 3 broken trees from the direction of the sound.

This tree fell and/or broke at the root.

This poor tree just broke…you can see the part that stayed in the ground to the right – it is about 5 feet high.

This is the very sad part of a June snow storm. I’m sure my damage was minimal compared to parts of town that have oak and other old deciduous trees. I lost the coleus that I planted in the tree root, but the alysum and lobelia seem to be ok.

The brief Winter wonderland is almost back to Spring.

June 12, 2008

Snow Day 2

The evening of June 10…night before last – after the snow event…nearly mid-June, nearly the summer solstice – within 11 days of the longest day of the year – sunset is shortly after 9:30 p.m. The photo below was taken shortly after 9:00 p.m.

Maybe hard to believe, but the temperatures did not go below freezing. Yesterday morning at 5:00 a.m. it was nearly 33 and stayed there until late afternoon when it was almost 40. The snow is still around but melting and slushy and just a damp mess – not a snow that is fun to play in. Still, a dog needs to be walked and so we went…

Sad Lupins… (that’s NOT a lupin below…I realized Thursday afternoon when I walked that I was calling these wrong – they are actually a noxious weed and I’m not sure of the name. Those are lupins in the grass under the tree….)

Above – in the grass – is how they should look now.

the walk path – see the stump to the right?

see how much snow is on the stump???

Towards the end of the walk – the top of the mountains are fogged in, but still – the most of them we have seen in two days.

June 7, 2008

June Snow

First, the lake – Flathead Lake…the view as I approach Bigfork Village and the north end of the lake – about 5 miles from my home – I love coming around the curve and over the hill and having this view of the lake appear. It is always different – different colors of the water, the clouds, the trees, the mountains…yesterday noon, with the clear air, rain and snow approaching, the sun on the water showed all the colors of the shallows, the sand bars and the deep…