winter

Winter Garden Design

– Posted in: Design

I just read an interview with Piet Oudolf in the New York Times about designing a garden for winter. I was glad to see he was asked, "What do you do if you live in an area with much snow?" His answer was less than satisfying. When the snow comes down dry, it doesn’t flatten [...]

A Winter Walk

– Posted in: Miscellaneous

Most people living in a cold climate would probably tell you it isn't the cold that bothers them as much as the endless succession of dreary, cloudy days. (Heck, even people in the balmy Pacific Northwest complain about how dark it is in winter!) Well, today it was sunny for a change, so I went [...]

January Thaw: A Video

– Posted in: FAQ, Weather

What happens when the snow melts in the middle of winter? I made a brief video to show you: Some roads and a few low bridges have flooded, forcing early school closings and rerouting traffic. A thaw in January is common, but rain doesn't always accompany it. Sometimes it is brilliantly sunny, inspiring snowball fights [...]

Why Is This Winter So Cold?

– Posted in: Weather

Yesterday, the low here was 8F (-13C). That's not too surprising. But Dee Nash of Red Dirt Ramblings told me her low that same day was 5F (-15C) in Oklahoma. Whoa! What's going on here? Check out Eric Berger's explanation in the Houston Chronicle. It turns out a lot of factors have contributed to the [...]

Christmas eve sunrise

– Posted in: Miscellaneous

One of the nice things about short winter days is that it's not too difficult to get up before sunrise. These two photos were taken a bit after seven thirty in the morning. It's not going to be much of a white Christmas, I'm afraid. Sunday the snow pack was dissolved by rain and highs [...]