From the North Shore of Little Rock Lake in Benton Co. MN
JANUARY 2015 WEATHER AND PHENOLOGY IN REVIEW
Jim Hovda, Rice, MN 56367-0265 jhovda.rice@jetup.net
WEATHER:
This month, in like a lion and out like a lamb.
Most of the first half of the month was below zero (F) with the coldest
day(s) on the 13th & 14th when I recorded -22 degrees below zero (F).
What would the second half bring? Well, it warmed up for the last half
and most of the temperatures were unseasonably warm. I recorded 47
degrees (F) on the 26th our warmest day in January. The average low
and high was 8.9 and 24.87 degrees (F) respectively. It was certainly
warmer than last year’s averages of -6.35 degrees below zero and 17.48
degrees (F). It was definitely better than last year when we endured
twenty days with below zero temperatures.
Precipitation in the form of either rain or snow was almost
nonexistent. My poor rain gage only recorded .17 inches of precipitation
and 1.3 inches of snow. I’ve yet to use my new snow blower! The most
snow fell (.5 ft.) on the 12th that melted down to .04 inch of liquid. Last
year (the winter that would never end) produced 1.29 inches of
precipitation and no less than 17.4 inches of snow.
LOCAL WEATHER RECORDS IN JANUARY:
For
temperatures, the coldest was -50 degrees below zero (F) in both 1885 &
1888 while back in 1912 it made it to 56 degrees (F). A difference of
106 degrees! The most precipitation occurred in 1897 when 2.75 inches
was recorded. Snow measured 29.6 inches for January 1975. A statewide record that would include us, is the most fatalities from a single
winter storm (up to 200) January 12-13 1888.
PHENOLOGY:
A dismal month for bird and “critter” watching
and recording. It was the normal species of birds. Blue Jays (lots),
Juncos (lots) a couple of Red Cardinals, Gold Finches, about nine
Mourning Doves, a few White-breasted nuthatches and three species of
woodpeckers. I was surprised to count 13 swans in the still open Little
Rock creek on the 31st. My good friend Pat Cairns counted 9 Eurasian
Collard-Doves at his feeder.
Ground “heaving” at my neighbors is in full swing measuring 30
inches on the 31st. This occurs when there is a lack of snow that
provides insulation. It doesn’t happen everywhere, only in select
locations. I believe it is caused by water underground freezing, pushing
up, water then replacing where the ice was then refreezing. Some
residents report shore “heaving” more than six feet. Visually it looks
like sheets of ice coming straight out of the ground.
Photo: Ice heaving on N Shore of Little Rock Lake. Photo by Jim
Hovda