 Poster: A snowHead
|
The past few days have seen a switch to winter on Colorado's mountains, with several inches of snow. Local experts have been called to give their predictions for the winter.
Here's an interesting quote from Rick Bly of Breckenridge ski resort [quoted by Summit Daily News ]who has been measuring precipitation for the past 27 years:
" "A comment I heard was, 'Oh, boy, we're going to have a wonderful, terrific, splendid winter,'" Bly said. "That's a nice attitude, but in 1961, we got 53 inches of snow in September. Did that portend anything? It took us until January to get another 52 inches and in that same time period we should have gotten 70 inches of snow. It's not a predictor. It doesn't mean much."
I suspect he's right. A couple of years ago the Scottish mountains had an extraordinary October snowstorm that covered whole ski areas, but it vanished and wasn't restored for the whole winter.
Some people think early snow actually signals bad luck, but I suspect that Bly is right - it means nothing at all. Mind you, there are those people who study plant and animal behaviour for winter predictions. Does nature really tell fortunes?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I don't believe a very early snowfall means anything at all. However, I suppose a good snowfall at the normal start of the season provides a solid base for the rest of the winter.
I have noticed a very good crop of apples and berries on the farm this year. The older generation will tell you this is the sign of a harsh winter to come. However we did have a very good spell of weather here in May when the apple trees were blossoming. Could it just be that conditions were very good at the time of pollination and nothing to do with the forthcoming winter?????? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
It kinda makes sense that somewhere there is an indication of how the winter is likely to go. For instance - I have to go to New Zealand in February so it is likely to be a top snow year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
It could mean avalanches and bare terrain, if later snow can't adhere to this stuff falling now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| David Goldsmith wrote: |
Some people think early snow actually signals bad luck |
In Scotland at least, if there are early snowfalls then it is often onto ground which hasn't had a chance to get really cold. So the snow acts like a sort of blanket. That can mean that the ground never really gets chance to cool down and freeze up and so the snow melts from above and below.
Of course snow that appears early then disappears again quickly won't make much difference. But early snows can potentially cause problems throughout the season.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ