winter severity index

[glenn57]

so i just looked at the map on the DNR website, says it was udated through april 20th of this year???? why isnt it getting better??? looks  worse then it did all year??????

[deadeye]

glenn57, it never gets better because it's an accumulating statistic. It will remain as it is now for eternity. 

[glenn57]

glenn57, it never gets better because it's an accumulating statistic. It will remain as it is now for eternity.

I'm not understanding what your saying???  It's updated every so often so one should assume as the snow melts and the temperature rises it would get easier.

Unless this year's will stay as it is, and assume they start clean next winter???

[deadeye]

Yes, it starts out a 0 every fall. They add (1) point for every day the temp drops below 0 degrees and (1) point for every day the snow depth is over 15 inches. Consequently, it can only go up and never goes down. Think of it as taxes. 

[glenn57]

  I'd rather not!!

[glenn57]

i just looked at the winter severity index for deer. it says updated to 1-11-2023. except for a couple small areas in the arrowhead it still at its lowest level????

the snow is plenty deep enough.......it must be due to the decent temps?????????/

[glenn57]

i decided to check the DNR's winter severity index............yep bored.......

it was updated up until 2-12-25. it hasnt changed this season yet.  its based on days below 0 and snow totals over 15 inches.

not sure how much snow is actually on the ground up north............but i gotta believe all these below 0 temps gotta start creeping that number up!!!! 

[tangle tooth]

      Way too much math for me.

[Dotch]

I watch the frost depth measurement at the SROC in Waseca religiously. It corresponds closely to the walk in door not closing on my barn as I've mentioned. Back on the 6th after we'd had several warm days coming out of late January and early February, the frost actually started to decrease. It went from 23" back on the 3rd to 21" on the 6th. The door started to function again. On the 10th, it went back to 22" and the last measurement on the 13th showed the frost depth back down to 23". Would not surprise me to see the frost depth go deeper yet after this cold snap with their next measurement. The walk in door on the barn doesn't lie...

We have just under 4" of snow on the ground around Bugtussle. While it hasn't hampered navigation, it is reflective enough to keep temps from rising very rapidly despite the bright sunshine.     

[LPS]

I have wondered what the frost depth is up here.

[dutchboy]

The frost has to be pretty deep through the central part of the state. Not much snow until recently. Best thing is when in the truck and the suns out it's toasty warm, the sun is getting some power. This snow we have is pretty fluffy and I'm guessing it will melt fast when it warms up next week.

[Jerkbiat]

I would guess up here we have 15" of snow out in the woods and plenty of below zero days so far.

[roony]

I noticed that some spots on the sidewalk melted a little where the sun hit them this afternoon. It doesn't take much to make me happy.

[LPS]

I would guess up here we have 15" of snow out in the woods and plenty of below zero days so far.

That sounds about what I would say too JB.  We have had quite a few 2-3" snowfalls and that adds up.

[dutchboy]

Barry, how does the river look? Has the snow piled up or mostly blown off?

[Dotch]

I noticed that some spots on the sidewalk melted a little where the sun hit them this afternoon. It doesn't take much to make me happy.

 

I wish I could get my sidewalk shoveled off. Wild day in the lambing barn but I was amazed after being shorn yesterday, the ewes that haven't lambed yet spent most of their day outside. They camped out of the wind as much as possible. Better than running across the pasture with me swearing at them like yesterday when trying to put them inside to shear.

[deadeye]

I checked the weather station near my land and as you can see the frost is down
at least 24".  It's going to be a mushy spring.
 
Current Weather
Last Update   2-17-25 @ 9:38am
Temperature   -16.2°F
Wind Chill   -42.3°F
Wind 2 Min Avg   NW @ 15.4 mph
Gust last 5 Min   19.0 mph
Sunrise   7:14AM
Sunset   5:45PM
Today's Rain   0.00 in
6" Soil Temp   27.0°F
12" Soil Temp   27.9°F
24" Soil Temp   31.3°F