View from a Rural Village

Last day of the month and, like most of the month it is cold.  Sub-zero last night.  Enough.  Beautiful morning though with clear sky and clean snow.  Very ready for warmer weather but not in any hurry for mud.

Above zero!  Ok. 2 degrees but the sun is bright and will warm things up to a balmy 15 or close to that.  No fresh snow today and one day left this month.

I heard this described as a freshening of snow cover.  Interesting,  but I was ok with stale snow.  I have 3 fresh inches in my yard.  Car is uncovered but windows are iced. Sidewalk shoveled but driveway not plowed.  Spring?  Hello?

Not as nippy as yesterday.  15 degrees and I heard a bird singing.  Singing softly and probably asking me why I was standing outside without a coat.  Snow in forecast so I was enjoying the view of clear pavement.

Drats.  Temperature predicted to hit 30 today but wind is gusting to 30 mph so it is dreadfully cold.

Very cold again with minus zero temps.  Sadly waiting for Spring with little encouragement from the weatherman.

I need to start a spring countdown here as I'm tiring of saying "cold", but cold it is and forecast is for more cold.

Warmer today and the snowstorm stayed in southern Illinois.   Yes.

Just above zero with a breeze and snow just to the west.

Brrrr.  Zero degrees now but had been 11 below over night.   Spring?

Cold front moving through.  Sub-zero tonight.  Brrr.

Pretty morning.   Cold, of course, but dry and sunny.  Clouds moving in now that afternoon is in place.  February.  Sigh.   Cold and then colder over the next few days.

Cold again but warmer than the last few days.  Spring is still down the road.

Cold winds let up but not warm yet.  I am thrilled sun was out for several hours but it is only 15 degrees so no thawing.  Sigh.

Sunny this morning but a northwest wind is gusting and temperature is dropping.  Brrrr

Cold wind blowing. Temperature is 22 but feels like 11. No sun today.  Longing for spring.

Sun!  Cold today with a fresh coating of snow.  Only a quarter of an inch but I would be fine with snow ending for this season.

I swear we do see the sun.  Looking back at the pictures so far it doesn't seem as if that happens.  There have been lots of storms passing close so we have actually been lucky to only have cloudy days.

Tuesday.  Cold in am but 30 degrees this afternoon.   One day closer to spring.

Colder today and thaw is over.  Sigh.

The thaw continues.

February thaw!  Anticipating a different scene tomorrow.

Warmer today and warm sun, too.  Snow on roof is melting but I have a wicked glacier on front stoop.   Caution must be taken as the ice is about 1/2" thick and covered with water.  Hoping that this is all thawed and gone within a couple of days.  In the meantime I will periodically chop away at the glacier.  February fun!

Sunny and chilly.  12 degrees right now but prediction is for just above freezing tomorrow.   Beautiful day today.  Amazing how much better one feels when the sun shines.

More snow in forecast.   Then cold.  Then warmer and maybe freezing drizzle.   Winter in the prairie.

Slowly we move toward clear.  For a winter that has been mild and bearable we jumped into the deep-end and have now received a heavy layer of snow and drifting and cold.  Sigh.  But the sun is out and the temperature is 20 degrees.  Not bad for 8:30 am.  Today's task is to dig out the mailbox.  The company that clears my driveway also cleared the mailbox...then the town and county plows filled that open space back with snow and ice.  No mail will be delivered until I get that cleared.  My shovel and I will go out soon and start.  Maybe by spring......

Blizzard is over but it left memories.  About 18" of snow, closed roads, cancelled events.  Sigh.  At least it is February so spring is closer.

Ten inches and still snowing.  Thirty degrees so snow is wet and heavy.  Oh, still snowing.  Sigh.