The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge.
We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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February 2019
Salish Sea, Pacific Northwest
To round out our collective Pacific Northwest report on the big snowstorm this month, today I’ll add beach observations to what we’ve seen so far of snow in Buckets and comments about the city and woodsy areas recently. This multiday wintry event started up here in the islands on Sunday the 3rd with a cold Nor’easter that froze the ground and blew trees over (The Daily Bucket - cold snap ). On Tuesday the 5th we had a dusting of snow and it stayed cold, below freezing for the next few days. While the mainland got a big snow dump during that week, we didn’t really get enough to cover the ground opaquely until Friday the 8th. That day it snowed 1.5”.
Last Friday:
Then the next 2 days the northeast wind came back blowing a major freezing gale. We got a dusting of snow on the 10th. Very few ducks in the bay over the weekend and the big flock of 120 or so geese behind the beach decamped altogether. I crossed paths with a solitary Golden-crowned kinglet searching for bugs in a nearby thicket in subfreezing temps. Between the 30-40 knot winds and sublimation much of the snow disappeared over the weekend.
But then Monday this week, the 11th, the BIG snowfall finally reached us out here. It snowed all day long. The roads became covered with snow and empty of traffic. Very quiet out, any sounds muffled by falling flakes and powder underfoot. The sky was grey-white, visibility limited to a quarter mile. Total by the next morning: 4.5”.
I walked out to my usual nearby bay.
Even though the beach looks very different than usual all snow-covered, the aquatic birds were foraging just as always. The ocean is pretty much the same temperature winter summer. Unlike lakes and ponds, the ocean doesn’t freeze (here) and any snow falling on it melts immediately. In the quiet wave swash snow turns to slush.
Heading back home, I passed other wildlife, who had a bigger challenge: finding food under the snow.
It snowed for a while the next day, another 3.5” and continued cold, low 30s in daytime, mid to upper 20s nighttime. Even though we got almost 10” of snowfall (as measured each morning on our rain gauge before melting it to report to CoCoRaHS) there was never more than 4” on the ground, what with the intermittent melting and sublimation. Because the snow alternately melted and refroze, it became crusty on top.
It’s been fascinating looking at all the tracks of critters in the neighborhood, their secret activities revealed. I know a lot more about where the turkeys and raccoons travel, including through my yard. There are either a lot more raccoons than I realized, or a few are covering a lot of territory. Interestingly there’s been no sign any coming near the cat ramp, ie where the cat comes and goes to the cat door on the second floor. No sign of cat tracks either as it happens. He’s getting old and prefers to stay indoors much of the time.
The air gradually warmed, with lows barely freezing.
Yesterday the 14th it warmed all the way up to 40 briefly, and rained from afternoon on. Most of the remaining snow is gone now, patches here and there. That’s probably it for this winter. Sure was pretty while it lasted.
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41° this morning, overcast with a brisk south wind blowing. Rain showers forecast. Back to our more typical winter weather.
What’s the nature news in your neighborhood?
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