Worst is over...until next nor'easter

View of the icy Delaware River at top of Hendrick Island - Valentines Day 2007


Preliminary reports from locations upriver indicate that a few areas may have received around 10 inches of grainy snow, but most of the watershed received 5" or less. The NOAA Satellite Information Service maintains "US Snow Monitoring" maps that indicate one-day snowfalls; data for Feb. 14 is not in yet. All-in-all we fared well with this nor'easter.

For now it's back to the deep freeze. Here's to hoping that the next few weeks will bring moderate temps and some slow melting of all that water that is now covering the landscape in a variety of frozen forms.

In a few days we are heading to Canaan Valley, West Virginia, which is high up in the Allegheny Mountains and surrounded by Monongahela National Forest, and features the nationa's newest wildlife refuge "Canaan National Wildlife Refuge." Joining my Parsons cousins for a memorial service for my late cousin Jack of Portland Oregon, and a celebration of Aunt Ginny's 95th b-day (Jack's mother), who is a lifelong resident of the valley. They have a fresh foot of snow. Check out the realtime view from Dolly Sods National Wilderness Area. I recommend waiting until tomorrow to visit this US Forest Service webpage, they appear to be in the middle of a snow squall - total whiteout at this hour.

This is arguably the most scenic area in West Virginia. My mothers family (Parsons) were early settlers in Tucker County, which to this day still has but one traffic light, located in Parsons WVA, the County Seat. My father trained with US Army in artillery reconnaissance up in these mountains. They met, they danced, they got married, and he shipped out to England, stepped onto Omaha Beach (fortunately day 2) and traveled all over Belgium, France, and Germany, directing artillery fire at the enemy, some of whom were likely distant relations. Classic WWII tale. I digress. Tucker County WVA, it is very beautiful. In lieu of canoeing, I'll take three days by the fireplace and some snowy adventures!