Late Jan. 2026: Snow where you are?

Glenn MacGrady said:

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56.1% of the USA is covered by snow today, compared to 19.1% last month.

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See how the blue (storm) skirts the southwest corner of Idaho there? That strip of green next to it is the Snake River basin - where I live. That has been the pattern all this winter. I'm looking at the lowest total snowfall I think I've ever seen. Only had one day worth skiing, an hour and a half away into the mountains. You guys are hoarding all our snow. Stop it.

Gamma1214 said:

I've always thought (perhaps wrongly) that extreme cold without snow cover was better to kill some of them off.

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I hope you're right.

Gamma1214 said:

I'm not normally pessimistic but I'll make an exception: Snow is a pretty good insulator so those beasts are probably fine. I've always thought (perhaps wrongly) that extreme cold without snow cover was better to kill some of them off.

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yknpdlr said:

That is exactly what I have understood is true also. Don't count on my 5 feet of snow depth to do anything but to protect them over winter hiding in the dead grass below

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Those little suckers also need a host so deep snow with bitter cold can help control their population if enough deer starve to death. Seems cruel, but that's how nature works.

The way the deer are eating the shrubbery around our house they must be hungry due to the snow we have gotten in the last week or so. Normally they don’t come this close to the house.
Jim

We have about 15-18” on the ground and supposed to get another 5” today here in Soldotna, Alaska. I don’t use a snow shovel. I have a snow plow blade on my ATV.

Here are some pics of the snow.




Jim

Five hours out on the Kubota tractor got the snow cleared from my parking slab and 600' upsloping driveway, although once when my wheels slipped I damaged the wheel well of my non-functional canoe van. It was very cold but my January paddling clothing helped a lot: Medium weight Merino thermal underwear, water resistant mittens, balaclava, Sealskinz socks over wool socks inside insulated Sorel pac boots, and a new Sealskinz waterproof beanie cuff hat.

The town street plow had piled up a five foot wall of snow at the end of my driveway that buried my mailbox. My W.R. Long jawed 4-in-1 bucket took care of that.