I'm thankful that the snow pack is deep and growing,

[LWolf]

and I'm hoping it will stay there long enough to be helpful to our forests and water shed later in the year, I say, as I watch the heavy snow falling and realize I haven't had a full, uninterrupted week in my classroom since the week of December 5th, and my district SHOULD have called school and/or delayed the school start like every single other district around us did even then. We may be in school well beyond our scheduled last day next June.

For the first time in my decades-long career, I had to take emergency leave yesterday because I couldn't get out; my driveway is 100 yds long. I got stuck trying. It took all day and a bunch of help to get me unstuck and get the driveway plowed; now it's falling again, and who knows if I'll be able to make it out tomorrow.

For today, though, I'm good. I've got groceries, the wood stove is going, I've done the barn chores, and I'm got a pot of tea steaming and a stack of books.

[Rollo]

1. It could be too much of a good thing...

Goggle "Megaflood of 1861), in which successive atmospheric rivers caused widespread flood along the entire west coast, including Oregon and Washington. In California, it created a vast lake covering the entire Sacramento and Central Valleys. Many homes and lives were lost, and the California cattle based ranchero economy was destroyed. The ones who were safe were the native Americans who saw the signs, knew from tribal lore what was coming, and relocated to high ground before the flooding.

Hopefully it won't happen again, but from what I've read it's a 100 to 200 year flood syndrome, and 1861 is 156 years ago, which puts us right in the middle of a return.

Since then, there are many dams on major watersheds, which might help manage the deluge if it happens. On the other hand, at a certain point, the dams have to release their captured water.

Keeping fingers crossed.

[progressoid]

3. I wish we had some snow.

We've barely had an inch this year in my part of Iowa. It's worryingly warm and dry.

[LWolf]

6. The last decade

has seen our snow pack decrease every year, until the last couple of years the Cascades were bare in the summer and our forests were at risk; our rivers were low and farmers who depend on irrigation water were getting less and less.

This year we're restoring our losses...unless it gets too warm, too early this spring. Then we could have some trouble with all that snow melting too quickly.

I hope some of our bounty heads your way.

[CanonRay]

4. I'm on the coast...5" of rain the last 3 days

[Rollo]

5. San Francisco received as much rain in the past 10 days as it did in the entire year of 2013...