Anybody having a normal winter? We sure aren't. We've had very little snow and temps are up around 60 by Sun. We had a thunderstorm a couple nights ago. I hear Minnesota's not getting much snow.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002

Answers

I think Stan was lookin for 2 to 3 feet of snow last weekend.

Here in Maryland we got 4 inches last weekend, but temps overall have been mild too, around 60 lately. Good for low utility bills.

I think MD. and IN. will both see a 12 to 20 incher before 8 weeks pass. Of course I don't know if you reside outside of Gary's front-end loader's umbrella of protection or not!

-- Rick (WV) (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002.

Hmmmm, lets see. Last Friday we had 4 inches of snow that hung around to Monday. Saterday was a wintermix of rain, sleet and snow. Wendsday it was 60 degrees, thunderstorm severe rain, flooding Thurday everything under water, Today the sun is out, high possibly in the 50's Nope, no normal weather here!

In my frount hall closet, I have rainjackets, fleece jackets squall jackets, down parkas,wool mittens, heavychore gloves, cotton garden gloves, driving gloves, cover-alls in two weights, sandles sneakers galoushes, snowboots, work boots, knit caps, baseball caps sun hats, sun glasses- sometimes its hard in the morning to decide what to put on!!!!

-- Kelly(KY) (homearts2002@yahoo.com), January 25, 2002.

We had 8 1/2" of snow last weekend in NE KY but it was gone by Tuesday because of all the rain and higher temperatures. Today it is freezing and dry. Supposed to be warm again this weekend--just in time for my 14 YO son to go skiing. He's a little concerned. 8-)

-- Dena (ddew1962@earthlink.net), January 25, 2002.

Rick, we're not under Gary's umbrella of protection. Is that a promise about that 12-20 incher, sure would like that.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002.

Ah... Ye of little faith... ;o)

I recall about a week ago Cindy telling us all about the big storm that was going to bring her almost half a foot of snow that night. Did it come? No! The power of the new front end loader and, not one, not two, but THREE dump trucks with 8' power angle snowplows to prevent significant snow is still intact. I figure it's two months down and two to go at this point. Our weather report here is for highs in the upper forties and low fifties through month end.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), January 25, 2002.

Hi---we have been haveing warm weather for this time of year----they say it could break records this week end with warm temps---- We need rain or moisture how ever it it would come---ponds are down--- pastures need rain---the wheat & other crops need rain--- we are really dry here----burn bans are out for everywhere around us-- -if a fire started & with the wind we havewe never would catch the fire---we need moisture & we would take it in any form-rain-or snow-- we don't care!!

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), January 25, 2002.

Cindy

Did you get a blizzard in 1979, and 1983? If so, I'll give you a 70 percent chance of a one event foot of snow by April 1, 2002.

(My short- term predictions on precipitation are 80 percent on the mark, long term on snow 60 to 70 pe-cent chance I am correct.

Gary- I forgot you had a beach umbrella, and not a folding totes type!

-- Rick (WV) (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002.

Rick, e had blizzard in 76-78, otherwise I don't remember specific dates. I just like snow and wouldn't being snowed in as long as my Gary was home. But if we have it, I'd like to have before the 2nd week of March, thank you.

Gary, please move your umbrella farther North, thank you.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002.

I don't think we've had over 2" of snow altogether. On Tuesday, it was 56, I looked out my kitchen window and there was a bluebird couple checking out the birdhouse. It's too early. Cindy, we had a real bad blizzard in '78. Many people lost their lives in that one.

We need either snow or rain. The precipitation is way lower this winter and that's not good.

-- vicki in NW Oh (thga76@aol.com), January 25, 2002.

Our weather in this part of Ky. is pretty much like Cindy and Kelly's. Last Friday a week ago we got two inches of snow. Saturday we got 8 inches. By Monday it was in the upper 40's and the snow all melted. We had torrential rains this Wednesday night. We are floating right now with all that precipitation! My husband had to feed the cattle one of those big round bales of hay and he almost got his 4 wheel drive tractor stuck in the mud where they are. His boots actually came off in the mud! This is spring weather right now - it's in the low 50's. That's ok if it would just stay spring. I'm sure we are in for more winter and I'm like Cindy, I'd like to see more snow but not in March! Come March I'm wanting to get out and start planting! If only we could save some of this precipatation till summer! WE had blizzards the years mentioned I believe if my memory is correct. So I guess I'd better get prepared for a big snow, huh? Yipeeee!!!!

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), January 25, 2002.

Cindy

I am afraid you are subject to a conflict between Gary's law, and Murphy's law. You know Gary's law, and Murphy's law would dictate the date as March 18,2002 or March 25, 2002. That Date is out of your prefered time, and a Monday, when I would be due at work, as a schedule technician for one of the largest east coast metropolitan mass transit companies.

-- Rick (WV) (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002.

Hey all, anyone that needs rain can have some of ours! We're drowning here. I'm just thankful we live on top of a hill. Schools have been closed around here, we've got roads under water and some mud slides. Thank God today is sunny and it's suppose to stay that way at least till Tuesday. One beautiful thing about it is, the natural streams and the rivers coming out of the mountains are awesome when we've had this much rain. Gary, you can extend that umbrella down here to Tennessee. I don't want any snow!!!

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), January 25, 2002.

Annie, send it to Maryland.

In Central MD. they have called for water conservation already, after 4 months of low precip.

-- Rick (WV) (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002.

How 'bout this law: May in January; January in May. Never seen that one fail yet. At least the snow in March doesn't last as long as it usually does in the dead of winter. I reckon if I plant taters in March and we have a blizzard after that, it won't hurt 'em none. Might slow 'em down a mite.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002.

I just hope this weird winter weather we're having doesn't mean that it will be that much warmer this summer! We have highs in the 90 - 100 range regularly in August anyway. If you add another 10 degrees or so onto that, I'll be wanting to move to Ohio! I couldn't believe being there on the 4th of July one year it was only 75* in the middle of the afternoon!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), January 25, 2002.

Eastern Ontario has had one of the warmest, if not THE warmest, Januarys on record. Temps hovering right around freezing, rather than in the single digits (Fahrenheit). Not much snow; more rain than normal (rain at all in January is not normal; it has rained maybe 5-6 times that I can think of). We are definitely not complaining; we are enjoying the very low heating bills!

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), January 27, 2002.