Crazy Winter Weather

[Marc St Louis]

Temperatures are going up and down like a yo-yo up here.  A few days ago we were getting -35 overnight and not much warmer for daytime highs.  Now we are supposed to get above freezing with rain.  Nuts.  To make matters worse our satellite internet seems to go down for as long as we are in the deep freeze

[Pappy]

Not as extreme here but 0 to 8 degrees for lows and teens for highs last week through Saturday,coldest stretch we have had here since the 80's, when they were calling it Global cooling   now back into the 50's low 60 this week and then back in the deep freeze by the weekend. My internet seems to act up a lot also when it is bone chilling.  Don't really mind the cold but wished it would make up it's mind.
 Pappy

[JW_Halverson]

-15F and several days later 56+F.  See-saw, Mardi Gras....

[Pat B]

We've had low single digits here for the last 2 weeks. Today is the first day above freezing and that will be the case for the next week. It started raining slightly but we really need rain.

[JW_Halverson]

We've had low single digits here for the last 2 weeks. Today is the first day above freezing and that will be the case for the next week. It started raining slightly but we really need rain.

When you can count the temps on your fingers, why even keep track of them?

[upstatenybowyer]

It was 1 degree here a few days ago and I'm gonna tap a few maple trees day after tomorrow (above 40). The sap should run for at least 3 days according to the forecast. At least this craziness is good for something... 

[osage outlaw]

13 days straight below 30 degrees and Thursday it will be in the low 60's.

[Hawkdancer]

We are warming up again, should be about 60F tomorrow then rain/snow on Wed.  We'll take anything we can get, our snowfall is about 25% of normal if that, down here.  Luckily the high country is about 85% or so and we get most of our snowfall in Feb.-April.  Don't need the bitter cold though.  Plan on going goose hunting tomorrow, after I work on the bow some.  It may be more like watching them fly by well out of rang, however!  When you can't see the white on a Canada, they are out of range!  Did get 4 sets of wings from a friend though for feathers(doesn't concern the weather).
Hawkdancer

[BowEd]

The weather in southern Iowa has even the song birds screwed up that normally should'nt be here.Birds normally migrated out of here are still around like robins etc.We do have resident canada geese here though I think because of the lakes here.Watching this wildlife shows the extreme changes going on.Seems it's more noticable in the northern states.The turkey vulture is gone though....lol.
Normally living in northern Iowa for 45 years winter comes and stays putting the birds south for good leaving the normal winter residents to stay.We've gone from exceptionally warm weather earlier through the months of november and december to -15 F.  in january with temps not above 0 F. in the daytime for a week then to 40 F. in the daytime and now down below 0 F. again for a week.You might want to call it a january thaw but with only a 2 week real winter temps so far.
I'm afraid the cool weather will extend into the spring during planting time of crops with a sudden jump into summer.These extremes can play havoc freezing premature buds on trees in the spring too.Even killing pretty large type trees.
Seems it's a roller coaster ride and being out of the normal is the normal the past few years.Sad thing is many people get really sick with a flue with these extremes happening,but that usually happens anyway.
Personally I like the winter.It's a beautiful time of year and invigorates me.Even the bitter temps which help subdue the chiggers and ticks for the next summer.

[osage outlaw]

It was almost 60 yesterday.  Now we are having an ice storm that is switching over to snow later with several inches of accumulation expected. 

[Marc St Louis]

Yesterday it was 10 above and tonight it's going down to -25, temps are in C.

[Pat B]

Well, we got our rain...about 6" in 2 days. River is out of it's banks(not uncommon) and the low last night was 58deg. Front has passed, wind increased and temp dropping. 44deg now with a high tomorrow of 31 and down from there.

[Hawkdancer]

That's close to a half year supply for us!  We look to snowpack for much of our water supply, statewide we are at about 59% of normal, Northern Colorado is about 82%.  Luckily, we more snow in Feb -April, usually.  I can do without 24" at a time though!  Also get a bunch of wind!
Hawkdancer

[Pat B]

We had 92" of rain last year with very little snow.

[BowEd]

Trouble with these extremes also is that the distribution of moisture can get very spotty with violent type weather too yet.To be in the right area is a roll of the dice sometimes.Not forgetting to mention the devastation that occurs from wind & drought/fire and flooding/hurricanes & extreme rainfall also.It hits home when it occurs to someone personally and affecting their livelihood.Sorry to sound like a weatherman but my livelihood used to depend on the weather and still does.Old habits are hard to break I guess.
It should be a concern of everyone in the end though because it will eventually affect us or the future us of us all in one way or another.I'm not one to preach or back up global warming scarey proclomations because we have plenty of those that do that and I'm not always convinced,but to say we have control over these extremes of changes is a pipe dream IMHO.Being one to like to be in control mother nature still throws the last winning card no matter what we try to do.We'll have to adapt like all of the other creatures out there.
Sorry for the philosophical outlook but when your a bit older and so close to the affects all of your life a certain amount of reflective insight happens.