civilized ku # 879-87 ~ Saturday, Sunday, Monday
Friday, March 4, 2011 at 12:10PM 
Approaching rain ~ Rt. 9N between Upper Jay and Jay, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Snowstorm ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Snowstorm ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Snowstorm ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Snowstorm ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Snowstorm ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Snowstorm ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Snowstorm ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Snowstorm ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggenThis past weekend we had quite a weather event here in the Adirondacks - a March snowstorm that dropped 24-36 inches of snow across the region. A March snowstorm is not that much of a rarity but one that starts with 45˚F+ temperatures and 10-12 hours of driving rain isn't exactly a textbook March snowstorm.
The problem that results from warm temps + rain + snow is flooding. The warm weather breaks up the river ice sending it down river to the nearest obstruction, usually a bridge, where the ice (in chunks that can be up to 3 feet thick, 8-12 feet long, and 6-8 feet wide) creates an instant dam / ice jam. The river backs up behind the ice jam and flooding is the result.
During a "normal" Spring-melt ice breakup, the flooding is quite benign when it comes to property damage. In fact, most years there is no property damage at all. However, add 12 hours of driving rain to the the normal snow melt and all bets are off.
All of that said, what began on Saturday as a rain storm (top picture) that morphed into a delightful (IMO) snowfall on Sunday AM (next 3 pictures) turned into a heavy snowfall by mid afternoon. It was a great day to make a fire and just relax and watch the snow come down.
However, during all of this weather, a massive ice jam built up at a village bridge and some very serious flooding resulted. Basements were flooded to the rafters and many residents had to be evacuated. By the time I heard about all this and had moseyed on down to the river, the ice jam had broken up and, although the river was running very high, the water was confined to the river banks (next 3 pictures).
A steady and heavy snowfall continued throughout the night. By Monday morning, the entire world (as far as we could see) had come to standstill. Amongst many other things, cars were totally buried under a couple feet of snow (bottom left picture) and the snow continued to fall. The only sounds to be heard were those of snowplows, snowblowers, and a few invectives being hurled at the elements and a snowplow that filled in the end of a driveway just after it had been cleared.
In any event, by mid-afternoon the snowfall had stopped, the sun came out, and the world was returning to a state that resembled normalcy. Although, as can be seen in the bottom right picture, even though some driveways had been cleared, the end of the driveways at the road were still awaiting snow removal.
gravitas et nugalis
Featured Comment: Sven W (no link provided) wrote/asked: "... the barn is a-kilter ... is that to emphasise it's rustic nature? Or is it actually crooked? I ask because I'm pretty anal when it comes to level horizons and plumb verticals!"
my response: The barn is, in fact, in no small measure leaning stage left.
FYI, you may be "pretty anal when it comes to level horizons and plumb verticals" but I'll bet I have you well and truly beat on that score. in any event, if something appears to be leaning in one of my pictures, you can bet your bottom dollar that it is, in fact, leaning.
Reader Comments (2)
Yep, we had about the same weather here in Montreal. Very strange weather with lot's of rain and lot's of snow.
Wow...hard for me to imagine living in those conditions (no snow in Adelaide, Australia).
BTW, the barn is a-kilter ... is that to emphasise it's rustic nature? Or is it actually crooked? I ask because I'm pretty anal when it comes to level horizons and plumb verticals!