We might have a bit of a melt around late Jan/Early Feb - but the snow and ice never completely goes away until the full spring thaw.

We have way too much snow right now to melt it before spring.

 

We did have about a week of above average temps that did some melting. But then we got another 5 inches.

@casts_by_fly -- I grew up in MA and then lived in Upstate NY before moving to MN -- in MA and Upstate NY you might get big dumps of snow, but as you mentioned you also always get cycles of warmth (above 32 degrees) and thus snow melt, a reprieve from the cold/snow -- here in MN there is no such thing.

My experience here in MN (20 years here, I am 2.5 hours Northwest of the Twin Cities which means I am over 100 miles north of Toronto, to give you perspective) is that once snow hits the ground in October/November -- that same snow is here in March -- a vast white, snow blind ground cover for 4 to 5 months -- once there is snow pack/snow cover it draws cold air (and when I say cold I mean frigid arctic air, as in double digit MINUS temps) down from Canadaville -- it's brutally cold, literally it cannot get this cold for you in NJ because the ocean moderates the temp -- here it is cut to the bone cold, then add the wind in and you are deep in to the MINUS temps -- I never, ever, ever considered getting back in to the truck when I was pumping gas -- but when the wind is screaming and it's MINUS 37 wind chill, I now sit in the truck as the gas pumps -- I never, ever, ever would have considered leaving my car running when I run in to the store to get milk/bread -- but when it's MINUS 40 wind chill I do it -- I never, ever, ever considered heated seats for the truck -- but now I have them -- I thought people here were insane when they said you can drive your truck and a huge 22' ice fishing house on to the lake, but you can because the ice is many feet thick -- the cold here can literally kill you, so you need to gear up and make good choices -- Outside of the top of Mt. Washington (NH) and perhaps far northern interior ME no place in the Northeast even comes close to the cold here in MN -- the body is an amazing machine, it adapts, but you better be smart and wear the right gear or you can get in real trouble -- spring/summer and fall (although relatively short in duration) are wonderful -- but winter, it's brutal 

Adding on to what @WaskaCrank12 stated.

 

Those thaws that occur in the northeast are becoming more common here. We’re in the midst of one this week and it’s raining here. On January 8.

 

Growing up here these periods of warmth were rare. Now they happen more frequently.

 

Also, September used to be more of a fall month. It’s been much more of a summer month in recent memory.

 

I spend a week in my deer stand every November. It’s the same week every year, outside in the elements for days on end. I’ve been doing it for 31 years. It’s clearly gotten warmer/milder during that time span. I can recall some bitter cold with lots of snow when I was younger. Nowadays, warmth is a bigger problem during the season.

1 hour ago, gim said:

We’re in the midst of one this week and it’s raining here. On January 8.

We’ve got quite the thunderstorm going on right now. Nice light show too.

56* when I left the house this morning and it’s 37* now.

Accumulating snow continued to spread across northern Michigan from Saturday into Sunday. Accumulations of 3-6” for most of the area and localized 7”+ possible with the heaviest snowfalls this evening and tonight directly on A-Jay’s roof.

I'm logging some very respectable hours behind the snowblower so far this winter.

Good Times.

A-Jay

@A-Jay - My next door neighbor’s mentality when it comes to moving snow is ‘embrace the suck’. He refuses to get a blower because it’s an intermittent need here in NJ and also a little physical work doesn’t hurt anyone. He’s not wrong on both counts. He also has a 10’ wide x 100’ long black topped driveway that is about as smooth as a baby’s butt so sliding a shovel across it is pretty easy (unlike my pavers). With as much snow as you get in a year or in any given event (measured in feet not inches!) any reason you haven’t gotten an even bigger removal tool like a plow or tractor mounted blower? I know your blower is a monster, but when you’re looking at feet of snow…

3 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

@A-Jay - My next door neighbor’s mentality when it comes to moving snow is ‘embrace the suck’. He refuses to get a blower because it’s an intermittent need here in NJ and also a little physical work doesn’t hurt anyone. He’s not wrong on both counts. He also has a 10’ wide x 100’ long black topped driveway that is about as smooth as a baby’s butt so sliding a shovel across it is pretty easy (unlike my pavers). With as much snow as you get in a year or in any given event (measured in feet not inches!) any reason you haven’t gotten an even bigger removal tool like a plow or tractor mounted blower? I know your blower is a monster, but when you’re looking at feet of snow…

No need for anything more than I have now.

Plus it helps keep me in shape.

A-Jay

https://youtube.com/shorts/5iwFpbwvQ9s?si=zDttaDL_8u2OVJ71

The temps have been all over this winter. We'll warm up into the 40's, 50's, or maybe 60's for a few days and then the arctic blast will come and we'll be frozen for maybe a week. Rinse and repeat.

Winter in January here is often pretty nippy

We are seeing that play out this week.

#longjohns

🥶

A-Jay

Been coming down pretty good all day today. Several inches so far. Everything had been such a muddy mess that a nice fresh coating of snow will help things not look so unsightly, including my floors from dog paws.

Down to single digits at night here in Southwest Missouri. But getting back in the 40 s in a few days

We were supposed to get 2” today. Then 1.5”. I just blew 4-6” now that it has just stopped. Good thing I didn’t really have any plans.

Also, I’m going fishing tomorrow morning. 30 degrees but zero wind. Fresh snow on the hills. Should at least be pretty.

The combination of wind and colder temperatures pumps up the lake effect snow enhancement between tonight and early Tuesday morning for northern Michigan.

A-Jay

It has snowed for 32 hrs straight here. Accumulation hasn’t been a lot thankfully. The wind is making it brutally cold but not as cold as it’s going to get early this week.

Not a single day in the forecast here above freezing the rest of the month.

It's not that unusual for the second half of January though. Historically, it's the coldest period of the entire year.

Still snowing!

We are far enough inland that it will stay as snow but it is right at 31-34 degrees all day today so it is this damp misty fine snow. By the time the temps start to drop the precipitation will be out of the air so the 8” we have is about what we’re going to get here I think. But like you guys, it is going to get cold here to the point of everything freezing so i needed to get it all sorted before it did.

Anyone but me lose tolerance for cold weather as the years go by? I've lived in 5 states, with my final stop being here, in northern Arkansas, the furthest south I've called home. Hunting, trapping, fishing, and partying, cold weather would not slow me down; until now. The winters here are shorter and more moderate than anywhere I've lived before, but I seldom place a rod and reel in my hand when the temps drop below 50, and never below 45.

12 minutes ago, Tackleholic said:

I seldom place a rod and reel in my hand when the temps drop below 50, and never below 45.

Air temps early season up here, which is prime time for plus-size fish,

often start out a little on the cool side.

I hate wearing gloves while fishing, so I grin and bear it.

A-Jay

1 hour ago, Tackleholic said:

Anyone but me lose tolerance for cold weather as the years go by? I've lived in 5 states, with my final stop being here, in northern Arkansas, the furthest south I've called home. Hunting, trapping, fishing, and partying, cold weather would not slow me down; until now. The winters here are shorter and more moderate than anywhere I've lived before, but I seldom place a rod and reel in my hand when the temps drop below 50, and never below 45.

I’ve become less tolerant of the cold as I get older more so once February rolls around. The payoff, spring, summer, and fall in Michigan are pretty nice!

Same here. As I get older, I don't like the cold. I'm not a fan of winter.

Cold is only a state of mind.

-Bud Grant

8 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

I’ve become less tolerant of the cold as I get older more so once February rolls around. The payoff, spring, summer, and fall in Michigan are pretty nice!

I lived in southwestern Michigan for about 5 years, right on the lake's edge. You are right about "certain" seasons being pretty nice, but I also remember the "not so nice"; mostly resulting from extreme snowfalls. After living in Arkansas for two years I sold my snowblower to a friend who was going to give it to his kids in Michigan.