Ahhh.... Spring time, Finally!

[tcmtech]

About time mother nature flipped the switch from winter to not winter!

Been a well below average temperature and longer duration winter again this year. Local lakes are still froze over 2 - 3 feet thick (topped out at 4 - 5+ feet this winter which is unheard of) when they should be nearly clear by now and the farmer's can't work their fields bause the frost is not out of ground everywhere either.

We've got yard and stock water hydrants that were buried at ~ 5 feet line depths that are still froze too. Never had that happen in my life either so now when things do thaw out all the way I have to dig them up and lower them another 12 - 18 inches or more.

At least the top foot of my driveway and most of my yard is thawed out well enough that I could start stipping off my driveway and the area in front of my small workshed so that I can lay down new crushed asphalt this year.

Beyond that I have a list of spring time work projects that should keep me busy until at least the middle of next winter.

 

[Grossel]

Heh - live in a small town myself in a residental neighbourhood, så not too many places to left the snow. The spring season is now at about week 3 of melting, but still have two piles of shuffeled snow on both sides of my house, both towering two meters plus. Last piece of ice fell off the roof this day (jay . . not worried to get ice taps in my head any more).

Despite of the climatic conditions, not all buildings is made with proper ventilation beyond the roof, resulting in huge horisontal ice walls sticking out from the roof at spring time, making it terrible dangerous to go under there.
Last week I would not risk my own healt entering under such an ice wall at one storage buildings at job - it litterally poked out like two meters out from the end of the roof, and potentially deadly because of the weight.

That is my spring time . . .

 

[tcmtech]

Despite of the climatic conditions, not all buildings is made with proper ventilation beyond the roof, resulting in huge horisontal ice walls sticking out from the roof at spring time, making it terrible dangerous to go under there.
Last week I would not risk my own healt entering under such an ice wall at one storage buildings at job - it litterally poked out like two meters out from the end of the roof, and potentially deadly because of the weight.

Over the last 20 years in my area there has been a gradual change from asphalt shingles to metal roofs to help alleviate that ice buildup issue given that metal roofs with any pitch to them at all tend to shed snow fairly well on their own in these parts.

I have never had major long term snow buildup issues here on my metal roofs simply because the stuff slowly slides off over the winter being any slightly sunny day seems to be enough to get it to start shifting downward being if its warm enough to get water to collect at the lower part of the roof it's enough to make it slide too.

Downside is on occasion a whole side of a building will let go and dump a few tons of snow on the ground at once which means that its good practice to not have items that are possibly crushed set within a few feet of the building. My main shop has done that pretty much every year after a big snow storm and it makes quite a rumble in the shop when it happens!

In rare occasions we do get those ice overhangs that stick way out but anyone who has that problem tends to own a long pole or similar roof snow rake tool to knock them off with as they from.

 

[tcmtech]

Now we're looking at possibly 80F by the weekend!

Guess I will have to finish reinstalling the central air A coil and getting the whole house AC fixed up this week!

I had it out last winter to put a new and larger heat exchanger under the furnace for the hot water heat system plus repair the bad flooring and old air ducting.

 

[Grossel]

3 months with virtually no sunlight so ice doesn't tend to slide off the roof. So usually two or tree times a season I have to climb up to my roof, tie a rope to secure myself from falling, and then spend some hour exercising.

About ground conditions: nothing valuable that can be destroyed, but late season the amout of snow from the foof make the pile eventually grow outside my property - so in order to be frendly with my neighbours, I hamered down some wood plates downto the pile of snow to stop the pile from growing the wrong way.

 

[tcmtech]

Ah, You're in Norway! I didn't catch that. So yea. You get the limited winter light thing even worse than we do here. I can see where thats different.

I can relate to the rope on the roof thing too, except I never got a rope.

The house I grew up in had shingles and clearing snow off was common. Bad storms would make the back side drift in deeper than I was tall the first year or two I got the 'privilege' of doing it.


Upside was when it was cleared off I could jump off the roof into the piles!

 

[Grossel]

Upside was when it was cleared off I could jump off the roof into the piles!

That wakes childhood memories, I still remember the tall barn that was considered a cool thing to do to jump off the roof. Felt like forever in the air before touching the pile far beyond.

 

[Reloadron]

Last trip to the doctor for routine visit the usual blood work revealed the same Vitamin D deficiency so I got my usual prescription for a vitamin D supplement. While not as cold as Sawyer ND the Cleveland, Ohio winters suck and this winter was no exception. The lake (Lake Erie) is about 10 degrees below normal and the few 70 degree days we had were a wet 70 degrees. Today was mid 50s but at least blue skies and sunshine. On the bright side I got my bike in early to get it ready for summer, on the off chance summer happens, and I picked up the bike today. Next year the new garage will be insulated and heated. If things don't improve soon I am taking the bike and going in search of sunshine and warm days!

Ron

 

[tcmtech]

I started taking vitamin D pills a few winters ago and I was skeptical at first but I think they did make a difference. They seemed to need to have to be taken in fairly high doses to get a noticeable effect though so I apparently either have very low levels during the winter of they just don't transfer efficiently as a edible supplement.

 

[Reloadron]

Currently about 39 F and it did stop raining but let's get real, April is about over. Monday and Tuesday are looking good and if that holds for 70 F weather me and the bike are taking a ride. Yeah, lack of sunshine and it was a few years ago we started the vitamin D game which seems to help. Makes for better looking blood work anyway. I am just so burned out with this winter. Early June we should be in NC for a week on the beach so I have that going.

Ron

 

[Grossel]

Have to admit I complete lost it when you guys over the pond talking about degrees in terms of temperature (like omfg!! 70+ that is like the hottest day in sahara dessert ever recorded or something like that - before the first halv of a second is passed and I realized you guys obviously doesn't talking celsius, no no).

So a tool like this is needed
http://www.projectrho.com/nomogram/2var.html

Ye' about that - 70 F (~22 C) is unlikely to occur at here, 60 F peak in may is normal.