Goodbye, January. Hello, February. Not much change.

Updated Wednesday morning:  It's the 7 o'clock hour right now and the storm is just now blasting into our region.  Some very light snow began about the time Gator Wife and I were arising around six.  But it has now picked up and is coming down moderately right now.  Before it ends tonight, we should get between 12 and 18 inches, according to the Ch. 6 weather staff, and it might mix for a brief while with sleet and freezing rain this afternoon.  The local TV stations have a crawl along the bottom of the screen announcing storm closings.  I think the list could be cut by at least three quarters if they only showed who's open today.  I won't say all, but certainly the great majority of schools are closed today.  For many it's the fourth of five built in "snow days" built into the school year.  At least Gator Wife is home today, even though the place she normally works on Wednesday is open.  She had twisted her knee over the weekend and is still recovering.  And Gator Daughter is on vacation from her work this week.  It's nice to know I don't have to worry about my family's travel on a day like this.

Updated Tuesday late afternoon:  Storm #1 is all but over.  We have about 4 inches of new, very light and fluffy snow.  Storm #2 is expected to hit around midnight and drop up to 20 inches of new snow.

Updated Tuesday noon:  Feb. 1st and the first storm is now well underway.  Snow is already collecting.

The last day of January, one of our coldest and snowiest months in recent history, dawned with beautiful sunshine.  The weather reports, though, say the beginning of February will be very close to what January started...snow and cold.  Perhaps even some ice.

Three storms, count 'em, three, have their sights on southern Maine this week.  The first is scheduled for Feb. 1, Tuesday, and could leave plowable snow.  The second one, Wednesday's, is the "big one."  Snowfall of anywhere from a few inches to 18 or more is forecast in various prognostications.  Some serious icing could be included with this one.

The third looks like it will slam us Saturday.

Of course, the forecasters always include that familiar caveat:  It all depends on the track of the storm.

The weather was our main topic in January.  It looks like it's continuing in February. 

GiM

A very cold, snowy January comes to an end.

At least it will Monday.

Have a super weekend.

GiM

Nothing new today

Howdy.  There's nothing new today.

GiM

Cold? That's an understatement.

The weather people hit this one; and it's one I wished they missed.  We awoke this Monday morning to a 12 degree below zero reading at my house.  It is warming up, though.  Now, an hour later after I got up, the temperature has climbed to 11.5 below.

We've been told today would be cold and nothing has changed on that front.   Kevin Mannix, the weather guy on WCSH6 said this morning our high today will be about 7.  That's seven degrees for a daytime high.  That's darn cold!  And it's even more brutal for an old guy living on Coumadin, a blood thinner.

If the air temperature weren't bad enough, the wind chill right now is minus 30 degrees.  And the Greater Portland area isn't the coldest in the state.

By the way, for anyone interested, the average daytime high for this time of year is +30 degrees.

Is that the end of the weather news?  Of course not.  There's snow forecast for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  Tuesday won't affect me but Gator Wife has a dentist appointment.  Wednesday is my scheduled last Wednesday of the month lunch with a bunch of my fellow retired folk.  And Thursday I'm scheduled for my regular cardiologist visit. 

This has the makings of being a rather unpleasant week in Southern Maine.

Off the weather, have you noticed the new news set design on Channel 6?  I've been watching that station for more years than I'd care to admit to.  This new design is simply ugly.  It's too crowded, too dark, and the background is awful.  They welcome Twitter and Facebook comments, but I do neither.   And when are they going to get HD studio cameras?

GiM

Snowless? Well, at least for a few days.

The sun is shining today and no snow is in our immediate forecast, at least until next Wednesday.  Wednesday?  Hmmm.  Seems to me that's the day every week all this stuff falls.  The Swamp is all cleared out and we have higher snow banks from the moved snow than I think we've had for years.

Unfortunately, as forecast, bitter cold has moved into the region.  The temperatures might...operative word right there...get out of the teens today, but then single numbers will be here probably through Monday.  This is the coldest weather we've had so far this season.

One might say that this is the kind of weather that makes the Gator in Maine think about that warmth I used to enjoy a half century ago.  Now, remind me again why I came back to Maine.  Oh, yea, this was where Gator Wife-to-be was waiting to be met.  Turns out it was a good decision, and remains so, to come back.

GiM

More "Another Storm??"

Our series of winter storms and extremely cold weather continues.  Snow Wednesday night.  Snow expected Friday.  Coldest weather of the season, so far, expected over the weekend.  And GG says she doesn't want to go outside to have her picture taken.

Easiest blog I've ever written.

Edited Friday 11 AM:  Well, Gee!  The snow started to fall as we were getting up about 5 this morning.  And it has continued to fall, sometimes rather heavily, since.  I've just gotten the driveway clean enough for Gator Wife to get home in a few minutes (she has a part time job).  Today's snow is forecast to end in this part of the state about mid afternoon and then I'll do a good cleanup.

Boy, oh boy!  My Fearless Friend and Mrs. FF have been missing a whole lot of fun this week while they suffer in the warmth of their Florida home.  Sometimes, though, I wish I were there with them.

GiM

Another storm??

 I was greeted with snow this morning as I left the gym in which I do my Tuesday/Thursday senior exercise program.  It wasn't much then, but it was the beginning of what could be a few days of unsettled weather.  We could see up to five inches of new snow before the current storm changes over to rain tonight, according to various forecasters.  By noontime, the snow was already piling up.

I thought we were through with this stuff.

But then we could get another storm Friday followed by still another Sunday night into Monday.  Of course the latter two are "iffy" and will depend wholly on their 'tracks.'  Meanwhile, our latest storm in Southern Maine is underwayl

Mom, please can you wipe me off now?

GiM (Updated around 1 PM)

More Golden after big snow!

Gator Golden just loved being outside with Gator Wife to help clean up last week's massive snowstorm.  Here are a couple more pictures of her on the back deck while GW cleaned the deck with the snow blower.

And she would have stayed there all day chasing that snow.

The weather folk tell us another storm will arrive late Tuesday into Wednesday.  But with temperatures around 40 degrees, this one will be winter rain.  That'll form ice, and we hate winter ice.

GiM

The Golden and Storm Aftermath

We got just a little snow on Wednesday, the 12th, about 16 inches on parts of our area.  Then came cleanup.  Gator Golden just had to help "Mommy" clean the back deck.

It may not appear so here, but GG was having the time of her life.

A quick shake and she was asking for more.

GiM

A real snowstorm...Nor'easter, maybe blizzard

 During the first part of this week, I said snow was forecast for Wednesday.  I also said that often when the weather people predict a big storm a week early, the storm rarely materializes as it heads out to sea.

This storm stayed on course.  The forecasters got this one about as correct as they could get.  As I jot this down, there's more than a foot of new snow in my yard and it'll take a couple of days for Gator Wife's and my old bodies to get it all cleaned up.

But it sure is pretty!

By mid morning, the snow completely covered our yard.  My neighbor had plowed the driveway earlier and even his work was getting covered up.

Gator Golden had a great time romping around.  It was late morning when we caught her almost up to her belly in the snow.  It didn't bother her a bit.

When she decided to come to warm up, she gave a shake to get the snow off and headed up the porch stairs. 

Wind caused even more drifting and our neighbor cleaned the driveway for us once again.  This storm will go down as a major one, and one that the weather forecaster simply got right, perhaps a little too "right."

January 12, 2011...a day to remember for the storm that filled our area.

GiM

Mid day storm update: Wednesday

Updated at 11:45 AM:  The snow continues to pile up.  I've got to concede that the weather forecasters got this one right.  I just got in from clearing a path along our 300 foot driveway so Gator Wife could get home from her part time job.  That snow is deep.

Here are a couple of representative pictures:

Across the front yard.  The snow plow has been here.

Piling up on the front steps.  That's Gator Golden peering up.

GG is trying to get back into the warmth.

GiM

Wednesday -- The Snow has arrived! 9:30 Update

Updated at 9:30 AM:  The snow continues to pile up in our area of Maine.  Three or more inches have fallen since the snow started in our area about five o'clock this morning.  The forecast atill says we'll get 5 to 9 inches here, more in some places and less in others.  For once, I'm beginning to believe them. 

My neighbor has plowed my long driveway already as he does so this feeble old dude could get help if he needed it.  Neighbor will probably be back later today to clean it up.  I'll probably take my snow blowing riding tractor out later this morning for a couple swipes so Gator Wife will be able to get in the long driveway when she returns from work before noon.

GW didn't leave me with a list of things to do this morning, so I'll update this report once or twice more today.  Here's a 9:30 look outside:

And, of course, Gator Golden is wondering what's going on.  Look at her legs and you'll get an idea of the depth so far, at 9:30 AM.

GiM

Maybe Snow coming may be real after all!

I've been saying for a couple days now that the weather folk are predicting snow for Wednesday.  I've also been saying that because of forecasting history, I'd wait until Wednesday to see if it does really come.  More often than not, when a lot of snow or a big storm is forecast, that "track of the storm" takes it well away from us.  I've discovered that most of our biggest storms come from those "chance of flurries or light snow" that sneaks the heavy stuff into our area.

The forecasters had been hedging, until Tuesday, which has led me to believe history could very well be repeated.

Tuesday that hedging seemed to stop.  The forecasters now say our area without the hedge will get some snow tomorrow at least along the Southern Maine coast.  Tuesday morning, the prediction was for 5 to 9 inches with those accumulation expectations up to 13 inches in York County and Southern New Hampshire..

Wednesday could be quite a day, but I'll continue to say we'll know when we know.  It'll all depend on that elusive "Track."

GiM

Snow coming???

The weather folk tell us that we have a chance of some measurable snow heading our way for Wednesday.  The way it was described Sunday on one of the stations seemed to be hedging somewhat on its chances of getting here.  As I said a while back when the last storm was predicted, when the weather folk start warning us of big storms several days ahead of time, the more often than not do not materialize. 

At least in my little section of Maine, that was the case for that last predicted storm.  My experience from a whole lot of years of seeing snow is that the worst storms are the ones that "sneak" up on us on predictions of flurries or light snow.  How many times have such predictions brought us huge amounts of snow.

The "hedging" continued Monday morning so I guess we'll just have to wait until Wednesday to see what happens with this one.

Anyone who may have followed the construction of the Gator Clan's Christmas Village beginning last November and through its display during the holiday season may be interested to know that the Village is no more.  It has now been disassembled and packed away until next year.  Gator Wife is very happy to have her living room back again.

GiM

Where are my shoes, Dad?

My favorite shoes are missing from this "special" place.  Darn!

Shucks.  Oh, well.  I know the Old Gator Dude and GW join me in hoping Mr. and Mrs. FF have a safe and nice trip to their winter home in Florida.  We'll be looking for their return in the spring.

Gator Golden

By the way.  What's a "Florida?"

We have a new governor!

"So what???"

Tuesday PM -- It's snowing!

I know it's snowing outside...but very lightly.  Why can't I go out?

A summer memory

Happy 2011!

Happy New Year,

Everyone!

May 2011

Bring you Great Personal Peace,

Wonderful Happiness,

and Prosperity.

 

Edited This evening to add:

Congratulations to the Florida Gators for their Outback Bowl win over Penn State.  And Thank You, Urban Meyer, for your time as the Gators' head coach.  You will be missed.

GiM