The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge.
We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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January 13 — 16, 2020
Pacific Northwest
My previous bucket left off on Sunday afternoon. Our big January storm had started with gale west winds and big waves. By Sunday night the wind shifted around, blowing from the north and the temp dropped to below freezing. Precip was graupel, which collected in a frozen layer on the ground, crunching underfoot.
Monday
The morning was cold but fairly calm. Light north wind. We decided to grab the break in the weather to take our trip over to a neighboring island to pick up a new washer (old one was crumbling into rust and leaking badly). There was light snow at times, with some snow on road, but drivable. Not much traffic on the ferry either.
That night it got colder, with light snow.
Tuesday
Temp had dropped to 22° by morning. Light N wind. Everything was frozen and the birdies were out searching for food and water.
Starting midday it began snowing in earnest. Temp rose to 26° . By sunset there was 4” snow. The forecast had been for much colder and windier, so we were relieved to see what looked like the end of the storm. Wind lightened over the day.
Cotoneaster berries are not theIr favorites among the birds, but the robins were munching down on them since the snow began. One reason is that they are accessible. They jump around on the branches knocking snow off, and then eat as many berries as they want. There are still some left over.
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Wednesday
By morning we discovered it had snowed all night. There was a 10” snow accumulation. Continuing cold, with a light wind.
We fixed up our hummingbird feeder with xmas lights on the bottom to keep the fluid thawed. The sock helps too.
Our seed and suet feeders were busy too. Juncos, chickadees, house finches, nuthatches, golden-crowned sparrows, towhees mostly, but also fox and song and white crowned sparrows, downy and hairy woodpeckers, a flicker, redwing blackbirds, starlings and a few others. Seemed like everybody came that day.
By midday we had a sunbreak, with temp up to freezing, then snow again in aft. But by nightfall, the wind picked up. WAY up. It was a warm east wind, blowing 40+ knots and gusting, couldn’t open door. The trees were waving dangerously. We stayed inside.
Thursday
In the morning, the snow had mostly turned to slush. Temp was in mid to upper 30s all day, which felt comparatively warm. Snow slipped off the roof in big chunks.
I went for walkies for the first time in a few days, walking carefully through slush on the back road. Temp still hovering in the 30s but the main road was clear by afternoon, after steady plowing by our local road crew since the start of this. It felt like a really long time, but in fact the whole snow event was only a few days.
Still, this kind of storm is unusual for the PacificNorthwest, maybe once a year. This weekend we’ll be back to our usual winter downpour of rain.
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Currently 33° with patches of blue sky in the PNW islands. Got a little more snow last night, about half an inch, now frozen and crunchy on surfaces. Light SE wind. Forecast is for very windy tonight and rain.
What’s up in nature in your area today?
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