Caledonia Argus

Too good to lastó winter is back

Posted: 1/14/03

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

But for the noticeable absence of flashy casinos and seedy adult entertainment, someone unfamiliar with Houston County might have mistaken it for Nevada prior to the heavy snowfall on January 13ñ a prolapsed spell of dry, relatively warm weather made the area appear a temperate wonderland. Temperatures that reached the mid-50s the week of January 6 seemed to the hardened Minnesotan like blistering, swimsuit-appropriate weather.

Though many a-child wiped away salty tears as beloved Frosty the Snowman met his maker, and their parents utilized neglected sleds and toboggans for kindling, area residents were given the option of outdoor barbecues and badminton in a month in which itís not uncommon for Mother Nature to turn exposed ears and fingers into freezer-burned sausage.

Caledonia, then, both reaped the benefits and suffered the consequences of the unseasonably warm weather. Not one dime of the cityís general fund for street maintenance has been used towards snow removal thus far this winter, meaning a sizable amount will remain for summer projects. However, for those whom the snow is a windfall and a modest flurry would be a welcome relief, the early January climate proved adverse.

For farmers, the warm weather could prove hazardous to livestock and detrimental to crops. Regional Extension Educator Bill Halfman said that a mild winter facilitates infestation and disease.

ìThe weather weíve had makes it easier for insects, pests, and plant diseases to survive the winter,î Halfman said. ìSo there is a greater probability of problems next growing season.î

The uncharacteristic weather, Halfman commented, can also cause an increase in respiratory problems for livestock. Others have begun to speculate that the prolonged absence of snow may negatively affect soil moisture, though Halfman mentioned that any snowfall between now and next spring can ameliorate this effect.

ìSome concerns have been raised regarding lack of snowfall and soil moisture next spring,î Halfman stated. ìBut thereís still a long way to go until next spring.î

Snowmobilers also took a hit as a result of the mild winter. Lack of snowfall kept snowmobiles off the trails, and local enthusiasts were left to maintain their sleds and pray for a blizzard.

ìItís frustrating, it certainly is,î said Neil Goetzinger, a member of the local snowmobile club Sno Gophers. ìWe havenít groomed an inch of trail, havenít done anything.î

The lack of chill didnít keep all winter sportsmen at bay. Fishermen have ventured out onto the ice in hopes of hooking a prize catch, and scads of anglers can be seen dropping lines at Lawrence Lake Marina near Brownsville. A fishing derby was held at the marina on January 4, and local fisherman enjoyed the best of both worlds on Bluff Countryís bodies of water in the past week, with temperatures cold enough for fishermen to be safe, but warm enough to be comfortable.

Caledoniaís brief dalliance with a tropical winter, however, came to an abrupt end as the week drew to a close. The mercury began to plummet and the cheeks of children whoíd been outside for prolonged periods testified to the skin-chapping, blood-thinning cold. At mid-day Monday, the heavens parted, and down came the powder. Providence permitting, soon the sound of snowmobiles, the grind and the rumble, will tickle our eardrums, and the young ones will be precariously sliding down area slopes, risking life and limb and having a heck of a good time on a fresh bed of pure white snow.

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