Wednesday December 14th, 2011

Greetings and welcome!

We had a very foggy day yesterday as the moisture rich warm air in advance of today’s storm overran the cold snow. It only got up to about 35, but it was definitely humid and foggy.

When I went to Lakewood yesterday afternoon it was about 1/8th mile visibility. It stumped my plan to get a look at the ice on Waubee Lake, I could barely see the Beach Club and the shoreline as I was going by.

I am not a fan of the fog because to me that is snow evaporating. At least if it melts it turns into base. In a worst case scenario, it turns into whitewater rafting water frozen up for Spring. Fog just steals the snow and blows it away. Yes it isn’t much fun to drive in either.

One high note was that there was a little base on the railroad grade in Lakewood. It is not much, but it would make a great rain catcher, and hopefully it turns into an ice base to make that high traffic trail more durable when the time comes.

The NWS has an unfriendly looking morning outlook for today. They are expecting dense fog, a little snow and rain mix, and the rain could be freezing rain. There are watches and warnings out from here to Lake Superior. As the day progresses we are expecting just plain rain and maybe some fog from it.

As of 3am the radar is showing the storm changing over to snow north of a line about from Green Bay to Wausau, and the bulk of the rain staying downstate. The models are still showing it as a mostly rain event pretty much throughout WI and the UP. As I mentioned yesterday, I am up for a pleasant surprise.

We could use one. The last couple of model runs have been showing the storm for the 20th not making it north to the IL/WI state line, and the Christmas Eve storm no longer there. Let’s see what it looks like after today and tomorrow’s storm.

This week was supposed to be focused on snowmobiling, and so far it has been about work. A couple of surprises popped up yesterday, and I continued to wrap up web site projects. I did manage to get some kerosene for the work shed heater and some money in the bank for the sled battery, but work in the shop, on sleds, or on the snowmobiling web site was preempted. I am not too worried, I have some time off ahead.

Speaking of working on the site, the new look was a surprise to all of us yesterday. I updated WordPress to the latest version and the new look on that gave me the idea to sift through my template candidates. I had the template last year and love the picture. What I am trying to figure out is why I didn’t run with it then.  There was something that came up short about it, and at the moment it stumps me. I guess that we will find out.

EIF posted a compliment in the comment section, thanks! Slug asked if that was the view out my west window on the hill. I wish. I also wouldn’t mind it the trail looked like that for this weekend.

I am not sure if it is from out west or up in the UP of Michigan, or where, but it sure looks delicious.  It came with the template.

In the spirit of things and because it doesn’t look like that outside yet, I will pull a couple out of last year’s archive. The first one was on the trail between Landing 11 Rd and Chickadee, and the second is the pipeline trail going south from there. They were taken Feb 2, 2011.

Well if the storm gives us a pleasant surprise today I will be on it as it happens. If not I will be back Thursday. Have a good one and thank you for visiting!

RJB