This winter county workers put some of the excess snow on the Cook County courthouse lawn, building the pile so high it obstructed the view of the courthouse when driving by on West 2nd Street. When it wasn’t below zero, it snowed this winter, and as of Thursday April 17, it is still snowing.
Will winter ever end?
It’s April 16, 2014 and the National Weather forecast is calling for a winter storm warning for the Northland, especially along the North Shore: “Heavy snow and blowing snow expected today. Snow accumulations: 10 to 16 inches with wind gusts higher than 40 miles per hour.”
Do we say Brrrrr? Or Grrrrr!
On April 4, Cook County schools were cancelled for the seventh time this winter due to snow, cold or both.
Originally April 4 was scheduled to be a day off, but it was put back on the school calendar as a makeup day to makeup for some of the other days that the kids missed because of the wicked winter weather.
But Cook County is not isolated and suffering alone. About a month ago the Duluth News Tribune reported that Duluth had recorded its coldest winter in 139 years. As far as school cancellations, Cloquet had 12 snow/cold days this year, which might make the kids in Cook County jealous until they find out that their Cloquet counterparts will be in school halfway through June.
Even though it’s spring, not much has changed since late October. Winter bullied its way in early and clearly won’t let go without a fight.
On March 15 the low recorded at the Devil Track airport was a bone chilling -24. That came on the heels of two warm days, one reaching 53 F. While the warm temperatures knocked down some of the huge pillows of snow piled up around town and elevated the mood of area residents, it also created a lot of water that was quickly returned to its new natural state—ice.
Cook County residents once again looked like hooded monks walking head down in slow minced steps, religiously guarding themselves from falling on what had once again turned into Mother Nature’s great Northland ice rink.
One month ago county crews used front-end loaders and big trucks to remove snow from the street corners so motorists wouldn’t have to drive out into an oncoming lane to see if there was anything oncoming, like a snowplow.
How cold has it been? In Hovland dedicated Cook County News-Herald weather checkers Mary and Joe Routh recorded 78 days below zero from December 6 to March 31.
It has been so cold that some people ran out of firewood. For a while this winter Les Hansen, who cuts, splits and delivers firewood, couldn’t get any birch or maple from the local loggers because they didn’t have any left on the stump to cut, or couldn’t get into their jobs to cut it.
Low temperatures hit -18 at the end of the Gunflint Trail on March 22, reported Sue Prom from her Voyageur’s Canoe Outfitter’s blog. She teased that it was 70 degrees and the snow was gone on April 1, but only an “April Fool” would have thought that to be true, although many of us wished it to be true.
When the weather wasn’t cold enough to make birch trees sing their high whiny weepy winter song—their forlorn braided bony limbs waving surrender at the pale grey sky—it was snowing.
And snowing some more.
On March 28, Lutsen Mountains boasted on their webpage that they had more than 12 feet of snowfall this winter—with more on the way! Great news for spring skiers but sad news for people more than ready to trade snow shovels for garden rakes and lawn mowers or tennis rackets and running shoes.
In Grand Marais, the public utility crew plowed—and might have to still plow—sidewalks and streets. They piled the excess into large pyramids of snow in the parking lot on Coast Guard point. Years from now it might be rumored that aliens helped with the project because the pyramids were so large and so perfect.
Despite all of the work by the PUC there has been plenty of snow for local store merchants to clear in front of their businesses. Most mornings around 8 a.m. Barber Shop owner Chuck Petek could be seen with shovel in hands, a big smile on his face and joy in his heart to have all of that free exercise.
Just up the block, Jill Terrill or her main helper, Stephanie Meyer, shoveled in front of Threads. Next to them Brad Ludlow would cheerfully clear the walk in front of Radio Shack. If one listened carefully, when the trio was shoveling at the same time, there was almost a certain spiritual rhythm in their “mourning’”ritual.
On the hill above Grand Marais the snow pack has ranged from 42 inches to 64 inches, said Grand Marais resident Bill Lovaas.
Lovaas spends most days after work either skiing, snowshoeing or riding his fat tire bicycle on trails that lie in and around the mountain. He knew he had either grown five feet taller or there was a lot of snow on the ground, so one day in early March he tromped around on snowshoes measuring snow depths. Sure enough, after measuring the snow, he discovered he really hadn’t really grown five feet taller.
Sitting in Bluewater Restaurant, nursing his cup of coffee and warming his hands, Jeff Sylvester said he remembers riding his motorcycle in short sleeves on March 1.
“I remember that vividly because March 1 is my son’s birthday. That was 10 years ago,” he said wistfully, remembering the glory days of Global Warming.
As for flip-flops, shorts and T-shirts, keep them stored away. According to the National Weather Service, this region is supposed to stay cooler than normal through May. Actually, because of all of the lake ice—Lake Superior was about 95 percent frozen over this winter, the most since the 1950s— all of that slow melting ice is supposed to keep the North Shore chilled all summer long.
As for Minnesota’s famed fishing opener, it may once again be in jeopardy. Last year there was ice on most lakes for the opener. This year the May 10 date is again in doubt, although ice fishing may be an option.
There has been some repose for those who go to the Cook County Community YMCA and sit in the hot tub or in the sauna. It was there on a recent Sunday that John Gorski said the key to surviving the weather was maintaining a good attitude.
So how was he maintaining his attitude?
“I’m leaving for Florida in a week or so. I’m spending the month on Pine Island.”
Aw winter, if you can’t beat it, flee from its grasp if you can. Or shiver through the spring. The ice on the inland lakes is still several feet thick but the rivers are full and raging and rumbling and tumbling frothy white water into Lake Superior. The ducks, loons, geese and robins are back. Quivering and shivering in their feathers, but back. Signs of spring are everywhere and are pushing back at one of Cook County’s longest, coldest winters in modern history.
Now if only it would end.
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