Yes, it's winter now- for those of us in the north country we are used to these cold winds, below zero temperatures, and heavy snowfalls. I really shouldn't say that we are used to them, we just get to the point where we tolerate them and some people don't really tolerate them very well either. (Did I ever tell you my husband loves winter? Probably.)
Occasionally we have January thaws where things start melting and sometimes really fast. In this case, this past weekend it was too fast. Because then you end up with major flooding.
We've had lots of snow up to this point. I mean so far this winter, Mexico, NY, had over 100". We got some snow for Christmas and then after Christmas we got quite a bit more. It was great for snowmobiling, skiing, snowshoeing and other winter activities. And with our sub zero weather for over a week straight, with no thaws, the area streams and creeks froze up pretty fast. Then the warm jet stream came through and we had above freezing temperatures, almost close to 50 degrees for over 24 hours. Then the rains came. So when that happens it melts the snow significantly and starts to break up the ice in the streams and rivers and when it breaks lose with the current it can cause major damage to shorelines and buildings that line the shores. It also causes problems with peoples basements/houses flooding. Several homes have sump pumps that pump water out of basements when the water table gets high but when it's raining heavy and the snow is melting sometimes the sump pumps can't keep up with the water levels. So then you have flooded basements. During this same time period when it was raining the temperature started dropping so the wets roads, parking lots, sidewalks, etc. start freezing and causing major problems. At this point you never know if the rain is going to turn to sleet, freezing rain or snow. It did turn to snow but we didn't get a significant amount. We were fortunate that we didn't have freezing rain because that could have caused more problems with everything icing up and possibly causing power outages.
If you drive around northern/central New York, you'll see houses and barns with metal roofs. One of the major factors that people in the north apply these roofs is because it's much easier for the snow to slide off a metal roof than asphalts roofs. And that's important when you are talking 100"+ of snow piled on your roof. Many people in the north country have to get their roofs shoveled off or they might risk major damage by the roof collapsing under the weight of the snow. In our case, our metal roof is getting older so it's not as slick as a new metal roof so the snow doesn't slide off as easily as it once did. We still have to shovel our roof off because unless the temperatures warm up a little above freezing it won't melt and slide off.
Another problem this time of year is when you get rain, freezing rain, and melting snow that creates ice dams on your roof. Ice dams occur when the snow melts on your roof and then the temperature drops and forms a row of ice along the edge of your roof which causes the water behind it to back up under the shingles. Ice dams will cause any other run-off from warm temperatures to back up which could eventually leak into the house and cause interior damage to your ceilings and walls.
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| You can see the ice under the snow on our roof (this was taken a few years ago). |
Another strange winter rarity is that when temperatures are extremely cold you might hear your house occasionally make some loud cracking sounds. This can be extremely alarming because you have no idea what is happening. That most likely is the wood structure of your house contracting in the below zero temperatures. And most of the time it doesn't do any damage, but it is kind of creepy sounding.
But snowfall does have its benefits. It lends itself to nature's beautiful and serene landscapes. You get lots of birds visiting your feeders. And if you are an outdoor enthusiast there are plenty of winter activities in the area without going too far.
Below is a 20 minute video of the Ice Storm that hit the Watertown, Northern New York and Montreal Canada area in 1998. You will be amazed at the amount of damage that occurred during this storm. It lasted four days and several people were without electricity for many weeks and even months in some places.
"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields that it kisses them so gently? And it covers them up snug, you know,
with a white quilt; and perhaps it says,
with a white quilt; and perhaps it says,
"Go to sleep darlings, till the summer comes again."
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
~Lewis Carroll
Hope you enjoyed your visit to our Northern New York area!
Feel free to leave a comment ~
