(de-lurks)

Yes, I'm watering everything at the moment! Meant to do so earlier this week, but we've got a ton of repair work going on in the basement (had to get a new furnace 'cos the old one gave out suddenly) so I wasn't able to get around to it until this afternoon.

I was just telling some newcomers to the area that it's totally normal for January in Northern Colorado to get warm and dry....only to have February smack everything in the face with winter again. February also tends to be our COLDEST month on average, too, so yeah -- I'm buckling up for the ride.

Wheeeee..........

Aww your little snowdrop is so cute, Faith. Yes today was glorious! But I didn't do much outside. I have much to do but didn't feel up to it which was really frustrating. Warm weather and I have a cold. Boo! Oh well. There will be more glorious days to come. After we get through this snow. We definitely need the moisture though, so no complaining from me!

Snowdrops bring so much cheer.

Yesterday: 46mph gusts at my nearest WS site, 52mph gusts at Spokane International where it was 50° at sunrise, 53° in the afternoon, and 32° by midnight.

Today — bright and sunny, dawn to dusk. We are supposed to have snow Tuesday.

Steve

I'm ready--but then I don't need to drive in the snow!

I was out for a couple hours today cleaning up miscellaneous perennials. I got the perennials all pretty well watered a little over a week ago, and with the cold temps the moisture has held pretty well--but I will definitely be glad to get some "free water," even if I need to shovel it! I had 74º here at home today and considered putting shorts on, but just never got around to running in to do it! I have 14 bird feeders out right now and I got them all "topped off" and ready for the birds in the morning!

No shorts tomorrow! Looks like the "high" will be at midnite with temps dropping all day! NOAA is predicting 8º for me tomorrow nite, and -4º on Tuesday nite! Typical Colorado weather!

When I was checking out the weather earlier today I ran into this page! It has "Denver's largest temperature changes since 1872!" The first section is temp changes from midnite to midnite, but the second section shows the changes over 48 hours, so that one has the more "extreme" changes. I think historical stuff like this is fun!

https://www.weather.gov/bou/denvertemperaturechanges

Batten down the hatches, everybody--and drive carefully if you'll be out in it!

Skybird

I wasn't really thinking that our morning low in the teens was anything unusual and worthy of comment.

.

Those Denver temperatures swings, on the other hand, are outrageous!

The great majority of the dates are in the winter but I have been on this forum long enuf to know that "nearly as big" of swings occur with too much frequency during the growing season. Don't the weather gods know that living things have trouble with this?

Steve

It really was a great day on Sunday, wasn't it?! Then this morning that freezing drizzle - even the gravel was slippery! Fortunately, I don't have a long commute, and they let us leave at 2 today and work from home rest of day. Hoping to be able to work from home all day tomorrow!

Haven't seen a whole of signs of spring yet in the yard, but I started butterfly weed seeds a few weeks ago (after cold stratifying in the refrigerator for 3 months), and almost all of them have sprouted :) They are looking cheery in our front south facing window!

"Don't the weather gods know that living things have trouble with this?"

No, Steve, the weather Gods, for whatever reason, have decided to forsake this place.

All I will say is I'm EXTREMELY happy that Pope Gregory, in all his wisdom, decided that the coldest month of the year should also be the shortest.

Well I'm glad about the snow. Looking forward to getting out to the mountains for some snow shoeing. I have not done any watering this year other than inside the tunnels and cold frame. The front yard in Aurora is mostly perennials and I leave the fall leaves in place so the mulch usually holds enough moisture during the winter. The clay soil in Westminster seems to hold plenty of moisture through the winter.

Yes February can be pretty nasty but most years by the end of this month it seems the worst of winter is over though as we know it might continue snowing until May. Also by the end of this month sunset is 5:50 so it stays light until around 6:15 which seems wonderful compared to the winter solstice days.

Thanks gjcore for the positive notes about Feb.!! I will enjoy when this snow melts as I will be looking for those small green signs of spring :)

I got caught in the snow squall on my way home from Brighton to Fort Lupton yesterday afternoon. I made it home by 4:30 and by 5pm the roads were nearly impassible. By 7pm, I measured 6 3/4" of new snow at my house. I'm very grateful to have gotten home safely as there were white-out conditions along the way. The storm track on radar looked to be from Greeley to Aurora. So much for the 1" of snow they predicted! It is pretty and I'm grateful for the moisture, but enough already! It looks like Siberia outside!

Zach and Greg, you may have been in the path, too. I'm curious if you got hit that hard, too?

Barb

when I went to school the sun was out. When I drive to work, sunny, dry roads. It started snowing at work (in Commerce City) about three and when I left at 6 pm there was skiff of snow on the ground and on my windshield. I hit Brighton about 6:30-7:00 and like you had Barb, it what white out conditions from about 144th to just north of you in Lupton (right there at “the north station”). It wasn’t snowing terribly but definitely not the “20% chance of 1-3 inches” they had been calling for. Not to mention there wasn’t a plow in sight until I got north of Platteville and there was ONE coming south from Gilcrest on 85. Needless to say it was BRUTAL drive home last night, I didn’t get home until after 8 pm.

When I did finally get home we had about a FOOT (that’s 12”) of NEW snow. My car got stuck in the driveway, after nearly crashing into the gate. I had to pull it out with the tractor and then spend the next hour and half plowing between the road and garage so I would be able to leave for work in the morning. Every inch of road road between my house and Brighton was a solid sheet of ice. I never went faster than 25 mph and the cars (mostly 4x4 trucks) were off in the ditch like mile marker signs.

Wen I finally got to work there was only about an inch of snow on the ground.

Not so much new snow here yesterday about an inch. We've had plenty though in the last week. It's really piling up on the north side of the high tunnel. I shoveled a lot of it off as snow can be quite heavy and don't need the tunnel frame getting bent.

It was something and I'm glad it's gone! The drive to work this morning was as bad a drive as I can remember. But hey, we get a three day break before it snows again, lol!