Well, this fall has had some of the most uncommon weather anyone, and certainly I, remember. Capped off last week by a classic Nor’easter.
This fall has been especially long. We just did not get a hard frost until after Halloween! Golden day followed golden day… it was amazing! Though the days were shortening, the weather remained warm.
This meant the leaves did not fall off of the trees as they usually do. Only about 60% of them were off by the end of October.
And, then, last week three things happened. On Friday, Halloween, it was so warm children were trick or treating without coats- something I never remember seeing. On Saturday, the temperature dropped, the wind picked up, and it started raining, a wet, cold rain. On Sunday, the time was changed to daylight savings time. I got up, as everyone does, at a normal time, to find the temperature hovering right around 32 degrees F. And at 7 am it was snowing… a wet, heavy snow, that slowly built over the day. The wind picked up, and it started to really blow.
By mid afternoon there was about 3″ on the ground, and ice was coating the trees, leaves, and wires. Trees were bent over with the weight of the snow on the leaves.
We do a fall clean up when most leaves are down. But, we had not done it yet, and there was a layer of leaves at the bottom of the driveway. Wet snow and ice on top of leaves is not a good thing. Wind and snow continued as dusk fell. I went part way down the drive way to check the condition of it, and there were trees down across it. I went back inside and called the plow guy to tell him to not come as a chain saw was going to be needed, and to wait until morning.
It snowed all night, with a lot of wind. But, the temperature was rising, in the morning, and things were beginning to melt. The plow guy came, and removed the trees from the driveway, and plowed us out.
The house is near the hospital grid and we do not lose power often. But, out and about it looked like a snowy tornado had hit. Trees had sheered in half with the weight of the snow, and fallen on power lines. There were broken electrical poles with dangling wires everywhere. It was a mess.
The snow was heaviest further north, and that is where the power company started. Down here people went around with chain saws to cut others out, offered extra generators to those that needed them. And for those on streets totally blocked by trees, offered places to stay or to take them to the market… helping hands were everywhere.
Some were out of power for six days. Thank goodness it was not February!
Between the time change, the storm, and full moon the last week has been extraordinary! One day it is below 30 degrees F. and the next, like today is over 50! And, now finally, the last of the leaves are falling.
Fall of 2014 has been an extra-ordinary time!