kdskidoo

I think last year surprisingly they did ok with the weather, although I heard they had some labor issues. 2022 was pretty much a disaster for most orchards around central PA. usually the most vulnerable buds/ blossoms are cherries, peaches and plums. that year even the apple crop was hit hard, if my memory is correct.

if the fruit tree buds/ blossoms freeze this year it'll be 3 out of the last 5 years orchards in my area will have suffered severe losses due to freezing temps. I am probably more aware of these facts than most because, although I don't have an orchard, i do grow other produce for sale at our local roadside stand and do buy fruit from a local orchard to resell. last year our 300 tomato and 500 pepper plants were hit with that late freeze in May and I even covered them with row cover. most everybody loves these early warm temps not realizing how detrimental they can be until they go to buy local fruits and veggies and realize either they can't get them or the price is 5 times what it should be because of severely limited supply.

this is going to be a disaster for the local fruit crop

we saw that same consistency back in Feb. and we all know how that ended. but now that we are heading into spring and most everybody, even some of us snow weenies are ready for this winter to end there's absolutely no doubt in my mind the pattern will flip to a wintry one and probably will have staying power right through April and into May. i ok either way. what I don't want is windy rainy days in the 40's, which I'm sure will be on tap for April and May.

we're good here hope you and the family are also well. we could have went up a few more times but I'm not into running circles on top the mountain. we're trying to plan a trip for the first week in March to either Maine or Ontario. Maine isn't looking good at this time and although Ontario just got some good snow I'm not sure what to think for that area by then either. just have to wait and see I guess. I do miss TC. there's a group on facebook that kinda took the place and its a good place to go for trail info but facebook isn't my favorite site to visit.

we were up once back in Jan. and it was better than I anticipated. a little thin in the low areas but pretty nice on top. worth the trip.

razor thin edge for us on the southern edge of the reds and purples. need a last minute shift south of 50-75 miles for me to feel "comfortable" with warning level totals.

I believe one of JB's old sayings was thunder in March and expect snow within a week. I wonder if that applies to Feb as well.

in order for something to be over it needs to start. this winter never started.

in March nonetheless

we should have all expected this. winter delayed not denied. just as we head towards spring and want to think about baseball, planting gardens and other spring activities we enter a winter type pattern. I fear the fruit crop in many parts of the state may be lost or severely damaged for the 3rd year out of the last 4.

unfortunately, we've had our spring for the past 2 months.

the 3 words I hate most as we head into March in a virtually snowless winter are "front end thump". maybe some of you will disagree just to pad stats but at this point to me its go big or give me spring.

we all know how this is gonna go. we've had pretty much nothing but spring weather all winter except for a few days. now that we're heading towards spring the weather pattern we all wanted for the last 2 months will start establishing itself and last well into May, if not June.

unless it was reversed and then we all know the gfs would win and the euro would cave. just how things work out for our area most of the time.

we're doing ok, been kind of a rough year for us, we both lost our mothers this past summer. but we're dealing with it best we can. hope everything is good with you. yes still riding. just upgraded the sleds last season. the wife and I now have the same sleds again, (2) 2021 600R's. I thought we'd be good to go, but when we took the battery tenders off the other day and started them hers didn't want to turn over very good. got the jumper pack and it fired right up so I'm not sure what's going on. can't imagine a 2 year old battery would go bad especially with a tender on. maybe the tender is bad, IDK but we ordered a new battery and is supposed to arrive before the weekend so maybe we'll head up. looks like there'll be enough up north to get the first ride in. lets hope for a cold and snowy winter, start to finish.

take the sleds and head to Potter county

temp made up up to 45 a little bit ago then it started to snow and we're down to 41 now with flakes in the air.

stayed in the area a few years ago on a snowmobile trip. they dig holes in the ice and put small pine trees in the holes so they freeze in the lake for trail markers. good thing because the one day we were there there was high winds and blizzard conditions and without those trees for markers it would have been very easy to get lost on the lake.

measured 5" about an hour ago near Sunbury

with the big storm we had up here the middle of December central PA was in the bullseye for about 3 straight days on most guidance. then when within 24 hours all the models started moving the heaviest north. ended up about 150 miles further north into southern New York state when all was said and done.

I think 14" is easily doable. all depends on the warm layer. keeps moving north with most models. my concern is a change to sleet at some point later tonight.

snowing near Sunbury. 28 degrees.

this can't be real life. I must be dreaming. most models have my area in the "zone". that never happens. looks like enough up north for some pre Christmas riding.

I've been in that range or better on every one of those maps this entire winter and the result has been a whopping 9" and most of that came in Nov. and early Dec.