What is your winter weather like?

wahlejim

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Messages
884
Just curious what everyone else is seeing in their neck of the woods, without starting a global warming debate here. i live in SE Wisconsin on a lake. I didn't have to pull the pontoon until November. Cold weather swept through and lake froze over with some ice fishermen out around Christmas time. I would not have gone out, but this is only my 3rd winter on the lake so I am still getting familiarized with ice conditions. I rely on my neighbor who has been there 40 plus years and he said he (an avid ice fisherman) wasn't comfortable out there the one day he did go out. We have had mild weather since the new year and now the lake is half thawed. Soonest I have seen this happen and even the neighbor was surprised. I am glad I didn't pull the trigger on a snowmobile I was looking at in November, but it looks like the pop up ice shanty won't see any action this winter. The biggest bummer is the dying willow that straddles our property line. We have the DNR permit to remove, but the only logical way to make it happen is to drop it on the ice, chop it up, and haul away. If that thing falls on its own when the lake is thawed, it is never coming out and the roots may take out the neighbors boat house from the bottom up on its way down.

What is everyone else seeing in their neck of the woods?
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
It has been pretty nice here weather wise in the 70's UNTIL today in middle Georgia. We have a cold front moving in and the temps will be in the 40's for highs by the weekend. And the winds will accent those temps as well. But then it is winter...:D
 

JASinIL2006

Vice Admiral
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Messages
5,524
Ours has been erratic. A blizzard in November - very unusual for these parts - and then a relatively warm December and early January. It was about 60 degrees F here a couple days ago. Now snow and cold are in the forecast for later this week. Really weird weather patterns.
 

southkogs

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 7, 2010
Messages
14,785
It's warm here for winter so far, but I wouldn't call it "unusual." The first couple years we were in this house it was pretty warm for winter too. But we're warmer than what the average is supposed to be.

Oh ... and rain ... and I mean raaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnn ...
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
You got it, SK. Rain, rain, rain. We ended up about 2 drops short of the all time rainfall record by the end of the year. Also it's been warmer than usual, but it seems to be dropping back to normal averages.

Ice fishing and snowmobiles, Jim? What are those? :smile:
 

82rude

Rear Admiral
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
4,082
Winter here started off in nov with a big bang then warmed up big time till 2 days ago when it dumped 2 feet plus in my driveway and caused all sorts of mayhem and closures.I got a plow for the atv today so im ready to do battle sort of,lol.
 

wahlejim

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Messages
884
Ice Fishing: Sitting on frozen water hovering over an 8 inch hole with a line in the water waiting for a nibble. When done properly, you are in a heated shanty with beer away from life and as with fishing on the water, actually catching fish is not what it is all about.

Snowmobile: Replace he hull of a pwc with 2 skis and a track and zip across ice and snow. Only difference is when you fall off, medical assistance is needed
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
Ice Fishing: Sitting on frozen water hovering over an 8 inch hole with a line in the water waiting for a nibble. When done properly, you are in a heated shanty with beer away from life and as with fishing on the water, actually catching fish is not what it is all about.

Snowmobile: Replace he hull of a pwc with 2 skis and a track and zip across ice and snow. Only difference is when you fall off, medical assistance is needed

So ice fishing is the same as summer fishing only with gloves, long pants and no need for a beer cooler. :D

You can pass on the PWC part, just hit the water running. LOL

 

aspeck

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
May 29, 2003
Messages
18,588
November colder than normal and snow ... December colder than normal most of the time but rain ... we are 20 inches of rainfall OVER the all-time record for rainfall for 2018! Towards the end of December it got warmer than normal and last night and today we had thunder storms, but it is snowing like crazy now with visibility less than a 1/10 of a mile and almost an inch of snow on the ground in the last 20 minutes.

That was the long answer. The short answer is, it has been a crazy winter.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,297
Upper 70's here in Florida

A bunch of cars ended up thru the ice in the Green Bay / Sturgeon Bay / Winnebago area of WI as the ice wasnt there yet, then it warmed up

you mention SE Cheeseland, so i am going to assume just south of MKE

historically, I normally winterized my boat in late November, early December....Then again, I also put the boat in as early as April

This past winter storm did a number, taking out the south pier beacon in Manitowoc. https://fox6now.com/2019/01/07/storm-sweeps-away-beacon-on-lake-michigan-in-manitowoc/ (I know both the USCG chief as well as the amateur photographer that took the pic)
 

wahlejim

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Messages
884
Scott Danforth Yes, south of Milwaukee. I am around the Wind Lake area. Left for the Tampa area on 12/28 to visit the in laws for the new year, 85 and sunny every day. Just got back this past Saturday and the ice was disappearing. Woke up yesterday and the lake was half thawed (open water, not just puddles) after 45 and rainy on Monday. Today there is a high of 21F, but that is only lasting 3 days until it warms up again for the foreseeable future.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,297
January in Cheeseland

I have seen 40 degree temps and a month straight of -30 degree temps

Not sure if you remember the ice races that were supposed to be on Pewaukee Lake about 12 years ago that got canceled.... because of open water.

or the snow-cross races at Lambeau field that have been canceled due to lack of snow

Stay Warm.
 

bassman284

Commander
Joined
Jun 24, 2006
Messages
2,839
Upper 70's here in Florida

A bunch of cars ended up thru the ice in the Green Bay / Sturgeon Bay / Winnebago area of WI as the ice wasnt there yet, then it warmed up

you mention SE Cheeseland, so i am going to assume just south of MKE

historically, I normally winterized my boat in late November, early December....Then again, I also put the boat in as early as April

This past winter storm did a number, taking out the south pier beacon in Manitowoc. https://fox6now.com/2019/01/07/storm-sweeps-away-beacon-on-lake-michigan-in-manitowoc/ (I know both the USCG chief as well as the amateur photographer that took the pic)

Ah well, dropping cars through inadequate ice is an annual event in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
 

RGrew176

Commander
Joined
Mar 20, 2002
Messages
2,088
Lets see. 6" of snow in November. 1/10" snow in December. None to speak of so far in January. Cold November, mild December and January mild beginning and now supposed to cool off. Lots of rain after November.

Looking to launch around April 3rd. If the remaining winter is like the first part that could happen.
 

oldrem

Commander
Joined
Nov 7, 2013
Messages
2,002
Lets see. 6" of snow in November. 1/10" snow in December. None to speak of so far in January. Cold November, mild December and January mild beginning and now supposed to cool off. Lots of rain after November.
.

Same we've had here. Went from 48 last Saturday to the teens yesterday and mid 20's today. Predictions call for temps right around freezing for the next couple weeks and little if any snow.
 

harringtondav

Commander
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
2,438
2018 was the record for precip. in east central IA. I need a max. 12' river gage level (Normal + 3') to put my rail boat lift back in the Miss. This was year 4 of 7 that I had to wait 'til Jul to get it in. Late Jul this year. Hardly worth the effort since it comes out mid-late Sept.

I'm preparing to shell out some serious coin to extend the season (below), since cold water forces the early lift removal.

I've forgotten what a normal winter is. But I know the ave. is much warmer than 20-30 yrs ago. I can't remember the last time we had a long <-10 deg stretch.

Lift helper 1.JPGLift helper 2.jpg
 

DouglasW

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 20, 2018
Messages
269
Here in Tarpon Spgs, Fl it was 75-80 high every day while my step son and his wife visited for a week. Sat on patio near the dock most days watching the sunset with appropriate drinks of course. But it has plummeted to 50 degrees tonight now at 10 PM. Woe is us ;-)
 

sphelps

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 16, 2011
Messages
11,429
Winter ? :D
Hoodie in the morning for the chill then shed to tee shirt by 9 am ...
 

Grub54891

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
5,908
Wish I was a weatherman. Of course I'd get fired right away.
I'd predict possible snow/cold, along with warm snaps and rain from November through April.
Expect a warmup, by mid April, with rain and coldsnaps till Novemver.
 
Top