Ice Storms 2008-2009  
  

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Wintery Weather
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/t/b3d5858db428b7e8?hl=en
==============================================================================
 
== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Fri, Dec 12 2008 5:32 pm
From: "Edward Frank"
 
 
ENTS,
 
I hope all of you in the northeast are doing well with this recent ice storm. I see quite a bit of damage to trees from ice. There is loss of power to 1.25 million homes and businesses in the Northeast. We are right at the very western edge of it here in Jefferson county PA and caught very little of it. Frosty the Snowman is on television, but my mind keeps running through sublimation processes and O18 fractionation in snow falls. Oh well. it looks like we will be having a white Christmas here this year.
 
Ed



== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Sat, Dec 13 2008 9:22 am
From: Lee Frelich
 
Ed:
 
Winter has started here too. Although it was only -7 in Minneapolis
yesterday morning, it reached -30 F in my boreal forest study areas in
northern MN. Ice is already a foot thick on most lakes in MN. Last Sunday I
went to Duluth for the Minnesota Moose Summit (the purpose was to gather
experts and figure out why moose are disappearing from MN), and winter had
just started in Duluth. The 1000 foot hill at the entrance to the city on
I-35 was like a giant slide in heavy falling snow--like one of those kiddie
bumper car arenas, except these were real cars. The most important thing is
to stop at the bottom before plunging into Lake Superior.
 
A major snowstorm is on its way Sunday, and the police are
anticipating closing I-90 and I-94 during the storm, since a blizzard
warming has been issued and winds will gust to 50 mph or more, with
temperatures well below zero. Minneapolis will be at the southern edge of
the storm and we might get freezing rain before the arctic air pours in
Sunday evening. Snowstorm forecasts are not very accurate and we won't know
what is going to happen until it happens. Monday might be the first day so
far this winter with daytime high temperatures below zero--I will have to
get out my medium weight winter coat.
 
Lee
 
 


== 5 of 9 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 14 2008 10:01 am
From: Lee Frelich
 
 
Bob:
 
How is the Rucker index in western MA today as compared to a couple days
ago? We are seeing a lot of reports of significant damage in MA from the
recent ice storm.
 
The blizzard here has developed exactly as predicted--I29, I-35, I-90 and
I-94 are also closed, and its about to move in to Minneapolis this
afternoon and I assume out in your direction tomorrow.
 
Lee
 
 


== 7 of 9 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 14 2008 1:08 pm
From: dbhguru@comcast.net
 
Lee,
 
Fortunately, the elevation of the ice was above the white pine groves and tall cove trees of Mohawk. Jake and company are okay. Bryant Pines may have been hit hard. I'll be visiting them as soon as I can. Areas above 1400 feet really got hammered.
 
Bob
 


== 8 of 9 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 14 2008 1:42 pm
From: "Ray Weber"
 
 
Lee, et al, I toured quite a lot of the area and the far majority of the
damage is limbs rather than whole trees. There are a few trees downed but its mainly limbs,
with conifers being of course the worst. Have a ton of photo's.

Thats exactly right, about 1300 ft elevation seems to be the low limit.
 
Ray