Snow and More Snow

I'm eating my words. I posted this yesterday: "No more snow has fallen!" Within hours of blogging that, the snow began and continued into the evening to add another 4.3 inches (11 cm) to our already record-setting snowfall total.

As of today, we've had 61.1 inches (155 cm) of snow, and another storm is predicted this weekend. At this point some Iowans have resorted to actively cheering on the possibility of breaking the 72 inch (182 cm) record set in 1911-1912. After all, it's only February.

On the more serious side, the potential for spring flooding increases with every additional inch of snow. With the ground saturated, and mountains of spring-melting snow, flooding is a concern, especially in river cities like Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. Who can forget our flood of 1993 when Des Moines drinking water was contaminated, we sand-bagged our water treatment facility in West Des Moines, and everyone experienced water-rationing?

This photo was taken by a KCCI-TV photographer. Someone has a wonderful sense of humor about pot-holes.

For those who haven't had this Iowa experience, it's holes that happens when a crack in the road fills with water (snow or ice) and repeatedly freezes and thaws. Some streets offer a pretty bumpy ride!

Here's Dan, doing his regular duty as snow removal expert!

The retired men in the neighborhood are occasionally outdoors, removing snow at the same time.

Tom, Dan and Tom display the tools of trade. Tom on the right is brandishing his homemade roof rake, for scraping the heavy snow off the roof.

Our house and big snow piles.

I'd guess that most postal delivery people are more than tired of having to put mail into boxes buried in snow.

That's Hogan, watching the world from his window perch. Indoors is about the best place to be these days.