OH, MY GOSH, people, am I excited.
Sunshine and warm temps defined Minnesota weather on Wednesday.
Look at this photo. No, don’t focus on the ice dams plugging the eave trough.
Rather turn your eyes to those two top icicles and specifically to the water streaming from the left one.
Yes, the temperature here in southeastern Minnesota soared to a balmy 30-ish degrees Wednesday afternoon. That, combined with abundant sunshine, created enough warmth to start the melting process, at least along the roof line of my house.
But mostly, in a January that’s been marked by sub-zero temperatures and windchills in the double digits below zero, as in minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, this one-day respite lifted my spirits. I mean, to step outdoors into the sunshine in a zipped sweatshirt rather than my wool pea coat felt absolutely glorious. Glorious, I tell you.
But this morning it’s back to reality with lower temps and more snow. Gosh, I haven’t shoveled snow since Sunday.
UPDATE, 9:15 a.m.:
Snow has been falling at a steady pace in Faribault for several hours as shown in this image from my neighborhood.
Snowplows are out in force this morning as yet more snow has moved into Minnesota, creating a mess out there on the roads. Travel along Interstate 35, and in all of southeastern Minnesota, is tagged as “difficult,” according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation 511 website.
Be careful if you must be out and about today.
Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Yesterday sported some reasonable- even enjoyable temps. Yay – more snow. Going to shovel – I mean exercise – now..
I’ll get plenty of “exercise” today also, Dan. Be safe out there. I just listened to the radio and there are crashes, spin-outs and jackknifed semis all over. Sounds like the worst weather is in the Rochester area right now and moving south.
We are waiting for what the radar tells us is “on our door step”. You are right…those temps/that sunshine works wonders!!!!
From what I’ve heard, your corner of Minnesota is in for the worst of this latest winter storm due to a mix of precip.
Yeah…….that’s the ugly ‘rumor’!!!! I think I’ll go get another cuppa!!!!!!!!
Just a mess out there.
Incredibly, the sound like a dripping tap can be quite welcomed! Enjoy those drips while you can.
The icicles have stopped dripping already as the temp has plummeted. I woke up this a.m. to a snowy world with snow still falling at a rapid pace.
We got a little sleet a bit ago and the news says maybe 2-3 inches of snow is coming but I am hoping it skirts around us. It is an every other day thing here lately and frankly we are all tired of it, right? But dripping icicles were nice while they lasted. I think every one will breathe a sigh of relief when spring comes and stays this year.
Sleet is worse than snow, in my opinion.
Yes, I would welcome spring earlier rather than later. We won’t even talk about how late spring arrived last year.
Here’s hoping Spring will soon bring you a welcome respite. In the meantime, stay snuggled up inside. Warm hugs going our your way from OK!
Thank you so much.
Like in the movie Grumpy Old Men – having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave – ha! Glad to hear it is warming up in the Frozen Tundra and as Dan would say watch out for “snow turds”:) Happy Day.
Hey, maybe I should watch that movie again, part of which was filmed in Faribault.
More snow here today. The heat wave has ended, too.
Finally getting rain and snow here – someone must have washed their car or did a dance – ha!
That did not last long with the warmth and the stopping of the snow. You are probably dreaming about tropical paradises right now – Hawaii, Bali, Fiji:)
Good to hear that you are getting precip. I just got in from shoveling snow. I managed to clear about half the sidewalk and about half of the driveway and I’m done for now. With about five inches of fresh snow, it’s too much to remove with shovels. And, yes, I would love to get away to a warmer climate, but it’s not going to happen.
Brief. Ever so brief! Yet you nailed it. The important part is what it does for the soul. Reminding us that all of this bitter cold and subzero weather shall pass. To paraphrase a quote I saw the other day, Winter isn’t a season it’s an occupation!
How true. An occupation. I just watched some footage of spin-outs on Interstate 35 near Forest Lake: http://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2014/01/3-5-inches-of-karma-snarls-msp-traffic/
What a mess. Skies are getting brighter here in Faribault and the snowfall is lighter. Yeah. Time to shovel soon, although I’ll leave the majority for the husband to clear with the snowblower this evening.
So sorry it’s so cold up there this year. When it’s snowing it’s so beautiful and the quietness it leaves behind is awesome; then comes the “ugh” time and desire to see grass again! Yep, I remember those days and riding the school bus and trying to hop across muddy snow….yep I do remember! Praying for warmer days.
Winter was fun when I was a kid. Snow has stopped. Sun is out. Cold temps are moving back in. Snow removal is not yet completed.
An aunt just sent me a picture of me when I was little, laying on my stomach in the snow playing and having fun…now I think…what a funny picture!!! Not so much anymore!!! Especially this year. It’s been a rough year here. My daughter drives to Rochester to work every day. This morning as she got to Hwy 52 near Zumbrota, she saw a Sheriff with lights flashing leading the way, ever so slowly since the road wasn’t plowed. I am just glad that I wasn’t aware of the conditions she was driving in! Those poor people!
I heard that conditions in the Rochester area were especially bad. Sometimes it’s best that a mother does not know some things until after the fact, right? I am very thankful your daughter got to and from Rochester safely.
How sweet of your aunt to give you that childhood photo. Yes, when we are kids, we think the snow is fun, don’t we?
Thanks for your comment today, Audrey. Just a brief note to let you know I do read your blog frequently but I have major neck issues which take away my finger control, which makes my typing very difficult, full of lots of errors, which frustrates me. So I do little blogging in any form any more.
Clyde, that is sweet of you to stop by and comment. I miss your musings because you are quite the talented writer. But I understand. I read your post from the previous day, but couldn’t read the info sent to you about your test results. My eyes can’t read type that small, even with bi-focals. I wish you were not dealing with major neck issues since this clearly is impacting much of your body. Plus chronic pain can be a difficult burden to bear. I pray that you are finding some relief.
Your grandson, JackJack, BTW, is absolutely the cutest. Your woodcarvings are sure to be treasured by your beautiful grandchildren. What a blessing you are to them and their parents.
This really has been a very brutal winter for you. I’m so glad there was a day of respite with blue skies and sunshine and yes, I can see the ice melting. Just one more month of winter to get through! xx
As I write, my husband is out clearing the rest of the sidewalk and our driveway of snow. I shoveled half of each this afternoon until I was worn out. We had about five inches of snow and I could not hand shovel it all away.
I wish we had only a month of winter. But we have at least two more months of this, if not four. Last year we had snow in May.
My pups and I were fighting over the sun spots. Glorious sun! And the car was almost warm after sitting in the sun for a few hours. Alas, the wind has kicked up and warm up has brought a predication of more snow and their is an evil rumor or a wicked February but for I am still holding tight to those few hours of sunshine!
I hire people of Craigslist to shovel. It costs between $15-20 and is more than worth it. My dearly departed husband would so not approve but it’s my way of getting even with him for dying :-D.
I appreciate your sense of humor and I bet your husband would, too.
We’re all dug out here now after about six inches of snow yesterday. I stand corrected. I see the snowplow has plowed in the ends of the driveway and sidewalk. Streets are looking good, though.
These late night comments need to be re-read and proofed few more times—Sheesh! Sorry
Usually I correct errors in comments. But I’m a little weary this a.m.
You’ve seen the road I live on – imagine it with snow and wind. One year we were stuck at home for three days – actually that’s happened more than once. But not for the past few years. Yesterday, had we had more snow on the ground, that would have happened, but it was ok. Still, when the plow came through it was like a reprieve from a very comfortable jail. 🙂
I am laughing because, on many occasions during my childhood, we were stuck in “a very comfortable jail.” One year, right around Palm Sunday, the electricity was out for a week during a horrible winter storm. Oh, those were the days.
Kinda like us in the ice storm last April! At least that doesn’t happen too often – the power being out, I mean. It’s an adventure when it does, though!
That’s right. You’ve been through the power out for a long time experience.