# So far it’s been a mild winter up here.



## WiscWoody (Nov 26, 2020)

I know it’s still fall but up here “winter” can come early, as early as mid-October and it can be brutal sometimes but so far this year winter has been mild and that means I’ve been nesting with LP more since there’s no chance of overheating the house then and LP is pretty cheap here too. Today it’s 33 out and I‘m on the second fire so far and my hound dog is thrilled that he can lay in front of the stove and moan groan like someone who’s getting a happy ending at some massage parlor lol.  it’s sickening to hear sometimes my goodness!


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## NickW (Nov 26, 2020)

Agreed! It's been cool enough for deer season to allow success to hang a couple of days unlike some years, but not cold enough to have to go full hardwood loads overnight other than a couple of times. I was burning earlier this year than usual, but this is also my first fall with the new stove and being able to get heat from softwoods. I used to wait with the old stove to conserve wood usage, but not anymore. 

I'm kinda waiting for cold weather to start burning my beech and hard maple. Been using silver maple during the day as needed and a mix of silver maple and ash overnight. Got decent shoulder season burning out of some pine and Aspen back in October. I've gone through a total of about 1/2 cord or so total so far...


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## WiscWoody (Nov 26, 2020)

NickW said:


> I'm kinda waiting for cold weather to start burning my beech


You got Beech here in Wisconsin? Oh I know, it’s what I call ironwood but I remember now it’s also called beech. Good wood, I have some of it too but not much. I have soo much wood I’m kinda waiting for some cold weather to get rid of the stuff lol.


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## Gearhead660 (Nov 26, 2020)

I dont think of it as winter until December, but it has been mild so far.  Just wait, the cold will come like someone flipped a switch.


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## NickW (Nov 26, 2020)

WiscWoody said:


> You got Beech here in Wisconsin? Oh I know, it’s what I call ironwood but I remember now it’s also called beech. Good wood, I have some of it too but not much. I have soo much wood I’m kinda waiting for some cold weather to get rid of the stuff lol.


Ironwood, hophornbeam and "blue" beech refer to basically the same tree from what I can find. American beech is different and grows in limited areas of eastern WI. I got some for the first time last fall from 2 different places - Oostburg and Wayne areas in SE WI. It's bark is very smooth, almost like Aspen, but darker grey. Very good coaler and burns hot, but not as many BTU's as the ironwood according to the charts.


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## WiscWoody (Nov 26, 2020)

I just looked at our 14 day and it’ll be near 45 on Saturday, that’s crazy warm for up here then it’s lower 30’s for highs all the way to the tenth With 36 and 37 for highs on the 5th and sixth. Wow. Maybe next summer I’ll have to find something else to do instead of collecting and splitting wood. For three years out of course...


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## NickW (Nov 27, 2020)

Not great photos since these logs were sitting in a pile since last fall, but here's my beech. Older guy I know doesn't burn, but sells firewood as a hobby. He doesn't like working with big stuff, so he saves it all for me...


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## SidecarFlip (Nov 27, 2020)

Be patient grasshopper, it's coming... always does.  Just put my big blower on one of the farm tractors.  Always be prepared is my motto.


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## begreen (Nov 27, 2020)

It's been relatively mild here too. No complaints. I like saving wood and the heatpump keeps us cozy on those 50º days.


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## SidecarFlip (Nov 27, 2020)

begreen said:


> It's been relatively mild here too. No complaints. I like saving wood and the heatpump keeps us cozy on those 50º days.


Isn't it pretty moderate there anyway?


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## begreen (Nov 27, 2020)

SidecarFlip said:


> Isn't it pretty moderate there anyway?


Compared to New England yes, but we haven't even had a frost yet this year.  A decade ago that would have happened in early October.  I would usually be burning 24/7 no later than Nov 1. That used to be around Oct. 15th two decades ago. There is no more normal anymore. We still have tomatoes growing in the greenhouse.


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## peakbagger (Nov 27, 2020)

I am back on my minisplit, no need to run the wood boiler with temps like these.


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## blades (Nov 27, 2020)

We are about due for the first plowable snow event here in SE WI. Mostly shows up about the first week of Dec. from past experience, never know though.  Once the snow is down and sticks temps will drop like rock falling out of orbit.


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## peakbagger (Nov 27, 2020)

I have seen years like this in past that are El Nino influenced. This up and down weather pattern with any precip being rain versus snow has in the past have hung around until January. Most of the long term weather models indicate temps above average for the Northeast.

I personally have some blame as I bought a new snowblower late last winter.  By the time it got delivered I never needed to start it up.


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## SidecarFlip (Nov 27, 2020)

begreen said:


> Compared to New England yes, but we haven't even had a frost yet this year.  A decade ago that would have happened in early October.  I would usually be burning 24/7 no later than Nov 1. That used to be around Oct. 15th two decades ago. There is no more normal anymore. We still have tomatoes growing in the greenhouse.




Well, my wife likes the stove on and in as much as my fuel (dried field corn) is basically free, it's been running for a month now and the central condensing furnace has not been on one time.  I am using propane however because my shop's floor heat is running.  Once I get the slab up to 70, I never turn it off.  Uses way too much fuel heating a 40 x 60 concrete slab, 8" thick, back up.

68 in the shop and 71 in the house.  Good for her and fine with me.  I'm in the Midwest anyway, not New England.  I cannot afford to live out there, at least not owning the land I do.


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## SidecarFlip (Nov 27, 2020)

Have my 84" rear mount Lucknow in the shop right now, servicing it.  The front 10 foot power angle snowplow is read to go, All I need to do is put it on the SSQA mount on the front end loader and hook up the hydraulic hoses.  When I get everything ready...  It never snows (fine with me).  Is nice to have a large 4 wheel drive farm tractor with a climate controlled cab so I never get cold...


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## WiscWoody (Nov 27, 2020)

SidecarFlip said:


> Well, my wife likes the stove on and in as much as my fuel (dried field corn) is basically free, it's been running for a month now and the central condensing furnace has not been on one time.  I am using propane however because my shop's floor heat is running.  Once I get the slab up to 70, I never turn it off.  Uses way too much fuel heating a 40 x 60 concrete slab, 8" thick, back up.
> 
> 68 in the shop and 71 in the house.  Good for her and fine with me.  I'm in the Midwest anyway, not New England.  I cannot afford to live out there, at least not owning the land I do.


That is a real big slab to heat. I’m getting ready to build a 40x56 pole shed with a 5" slab but I can’t heat it, Can’t afford to but I might put the Wersbo tubing in for resale someday even though I’ll probably never sell it, my relatives will, when I leave here it’ll be in a bag Lol. But I will insulate the shed and put a wood stove in it and I’ll maybe want to hear it sometimes in the shoulder seasons. I doubt I’d be able to in the depths of winter up here. And BTW, I’m still waiting for the excavator to came and do the sand and gravel lift for the shed and extend my driveway. I booked him in June and he’s still not here But the mild weather will have him working well into December I bet.


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## firefighterjake (Nov 30, 2020)

Mild fall here as well so far . . . and I suspect we will not have a huge year for snow based on my grandfather's old saying "If the farm ponds are full, it will be a low snow year; and if the farm ponds are low, we will get a lot of snow." Despite the drought from the summer, most of the farm ponds I am seeing look pretty darned full. Drats . . . I was looking forward to a good winter of snowmobiling.


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## fbelec (Dec 1, 2020)

last time i checked the outside temp was at almost 1:00 am it said 60 degrees here in mass. on the cape it's in the sixty's


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## Medic21 (Dec 1, 2020)

We’ve had more winter in northern Indiana this year already than in the previous few years.  Hoping we actually have a winter this year.  Need the ground to freeze badly.


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## Easy Livin’ 3000 (Dec 2, 2020)

WiscWoody said:


> I know it’s still fall but up here “winter” can come early, as early as mid-October and it can be brutal sometimes but so far this year winter has been mild and that means I’ve been nesting with LP more since there’s no chance of overheating the house then and LP is pretty cheap here too. Today it’s 33 out and I‘m on the second fire so far and my hound dog is thrilled that he can lay in front of the stove and moan groan like someone who’s getting a happy ending at some massage parlor lol.  it’s sickening to hear sometimes my goodness!


Mild down here, too.

 If this keeps up, our wood supply will stretch out for many more years.  I am not complaining, six months of cold (brutal for three or four) isn't getting any easier.  And I don't like to shovel snow.


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## Grizzerbear (Dec 2, 2020)

It's been warm here as well. Heck just two weeks ago I was deer hunting in a t shirt. 25 years ago I never would have conceived such a thing. I have three kids and two of them have never seen so much as an inch of snow whereas when I was a youngster we regularly got 4-8 inch snows  often and a twelve incher wasn't impossible. I guess warm is actually the norm now and my perception of a normal winter is the rarity now. Makes me cringe that my kids don't get to enjoy the snow.....and probably won't really ever get to. O well.....like stated......I guess the wood piles will benefit.


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## peakbagger (Dec 2, 2020)

I saw a December long range forecast for Northern New England, warmer than average and wetter than average.


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## fbelec (Dec 3, 2020)

peakbagger said:


> I saw a December long range forecast for Northern New England, warmer than average and wetter than average.


that's what i seen also


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## peakbagger (Dec 3, 2020)

I still expect some "sloppy" events  for the month and the potential power issues that can come along with it but it sure looks like the wet coastal storms are going to dominate.  It definitely helps on the wood supply and plowing bill.


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## begreen (Dec 8, 2020)

50º when I woke up this morning and the temp stayed there all day. Burning electrons in the heat pump for the duration. Looks like we'll be cooling down by tomorrow evening, so that's the likely time for the next fire.


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## Wood1Dennis (Dec 8, 2020)

No sign of winter here. I haven't even had to put the driveway markers in yet. If I waited this late in a normal year i would have to drill through the frost. It does look like more normal temps are coming this weekend so its time to get the plow out, markers in, load up the wood furnace!


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## ABMax24 (Dec 8, 2020)

It's been abnormally warm here as well, it even rained this morning which isn't normal at all. The frost really hasn't penetrated deep into the ground yet, most of the industrial roads should be froze rock hard by now but I was out in the field yesterday and the potholes and mud were everywhere. Even seen a picture of a  trackhoe south of town stuck in the mud, he used 3 rigmats to walk down a right-of-way, found a soft spot and sank to the bottom of the counterweight while still sitting on the mat. That'll be fun to get out, over a 1/2 mile to the nearest road.

On the upside cold weather is on the way, tomorrow is the last foreseeable day above freezing.


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## WiscWoody (Dec 10, 2020)

It was 46 up here today and it’s still 44 out. It’s downright weird.


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## peakbagger (Dec 10, 2020)

The next two weeks forecast for New England is warmer and wetter.


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## Grizzerbear (Dec 10, 2020)

72 here today.....new record high. It's only going down to the low 50s tonight. Now I know I'm quite a bit south of y'all Yankees but dang....that's still extremely warm for here compared to normal.


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## Gearhead660 (Dec 10, 2020)

Out working in a sweatshirt today.   Beautiful.   Got some seasonal stuff headed our way tomorrow night.


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## fbelec (Dec 11, 2020)

i was in dennis ma this weekend (cape cod) during what was suppose to be a 10 15 inch snow storm here in chelmsford but ran at the cape. well the sun came out in the middle of the storm and it wasn't suppose to and warmed up to the mid to upper 50's so the wife and i took a walk on the beach. this truly is a weird winter so far


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## mcdougy (Dec 13, 2020)

Still no frost here, looking very similar to last season, except using even less wood it seems to keep the house nice and toasty. I nice big fire a night is doing the trick most days.


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## fbelec (Dec 14, 2020)

yikes----balmy


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## WiscWoody (Dec 14, 2020)

I have 10 above right now, the coldest so far this winter and today’s high will be around 14 so I’ll have a few fires today. We have no snow at all so yesterday I got some straw to put over some of my septic system, I get nervous if it gets this late in the winter and there’s no snow yet.... freeze ups are expensive!


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## kennyp2339 (Dec 14, 2020)

Looks like winter is coming in with vengence after an "easy 2 years" for our area, I'm painted 18-24" of snow, preliminary forecasts are already saying the snow will have a higher moisture content then typical storms, ie: expect tree damage and power outages.
I cleaned the garage yesterday, topped off the indoor wood rack, took the backhoe off the tractor and attached the grader blade and front snow pusher, so I'm ready to rock and roll here.


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## mcdougy (Dec 14, 2020)

WiscWoody said:


> I have 10 above right now, the coldest so far this winter and today’s high will be around 14 so I’ll have a few fires today. We have no snow at all so yesterday I got some straw to put over some of my septic system, I get nervous if it gets this late in the winter and there’s no snow yet.... freeze ups are expensive!


Typically I've never heard of a septic system freeze up, I wouldn't think you have much to worry about,  that being said, you could be using some sort of system that isn't the typical we see here?


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## NickW (Dec 14, 2020)

It definitely happens. Neighbors up the road had to replace their whole system a few years back because it froze out. Don't know if it's more common with mounds...?


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## peakbagger (Dec 14, 2020)

mcdougy said:


> Typically I've never heard of a septic system freeze up, I wouldn't think you have much to worry about,  that being said, you could be using some sort of system that isn't the typical we see here?


My former girlfriend in VT had a frozen septic system. She corralled her horses on top of the field so the snow never built up which acts as insulation. It was an elevated system where the house went by gravity to a tank and then there was pump that pumped up hill to the leach field. The pumps had a discharge check valve on the outlet so the line to the field is always full. I think her distribution box actually froze in the leach field. Me neighbors gravity system froze once during a really cold winter. Its mounded system and my guess was over 20 years the pipes may have settled so that there were low points in the piping that froze. 

My neighbor on the other side of me also had a field replaced in the middle of the winter after the holidays but my guess is that it was undersized for the house.


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## WiscWoody (Dec 14, 2020)

mcdougy said:


> Typically I've never heard of a septic system freeze up, I wouldn't think you have much to worry about,  that being said, you could be using some sort of system that isn't the typical we see here?


Oh sure it happens if there’s not any or much snow cover and the frost goes deep. The frost line up here on a road or bare ground is 4 feet Deep. I’ve seen holding tanks freeze up as well as the 4" pipes going to the septic or holding tanks. It happens more in compacted and clayish soil like ours here is. I see your in Ontario Province and I’m sure it gets quite cold up there but possibly you always have a good snow cover before the bitter cold comes or you have more insulated septic systems up there and possibly some wastewater system codes that make that happen?


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## mcdougy (Dec 14, 2020)

Not sure fellas, in my 27 year career of mainly residential construction and maintaince i have never heard of a system freeze up. I asked my dad who has 57 years on the tools and he just gave me "the look" and said no. The systems you are describing are mainly raised beds or thats what they are referred to here, which are somewhat newish systems in  the last 15-20 years , but are required more often than a conventional trench bed due to T times in the hard clay in  many areas. As far as precaution steps, I don't see any of those either. Same old concrete tanks and 4" tile.if the tanks are deep, risers are added to get the topmto ground level. Which must let the cold penetrate  easier. Now frozen ,snapped water lines 4-6feet below grade happen all the time when a winter with lack of snow shows its ugly side. Definitely not saying a frozen bed cant/doesn't happen but it sure isn't common and I've never seen anyone spread straw over the bed or tank to try and prevent it.


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## ABMax24 (Dec 14, 2020)

Septic system freeze ups do happen here, it all depends on how deep they are buried. Some friends had theirs freeze up a few times, there line from the tank to the mound runs directly under a sidewalk, it always froze under there as the frost could penetrate deeper. That section of sidewalk is no longer used in the winter. Long hot showers or hot baths also help to prevent freeze ups.

We actually have it better than in the southern portion of the province, 4-6 ft is pretty average, but our snow stays most of the winter. Where southern Alberta has lots of warming periods (called Chinooks) that tend to melt the snow and allow the frost to penetrate once it cools off again. Last winter the city of Calgary had lots of issues with this, in areas the frost went as deep as 10 feet, freezing lots of water lines as 10 feet is a pretty standard depth for water lines in this area.


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## WiscWoody (Dec 14, 2020)

I know for a fact the they can and do freeze here if there’s no snow cover and it gets damned cold out. I remember when my 4" pipe to the tank froze once in that situation and I looked in the tank and that was froze too. I think it got down to -30f the night before. I called my friend 50 miles west in Trego Wisconsin and he said his system was froze up too. I asked him if he was going to get it steamed open and he said nope, him and his wife were going to Florida for a few months as it was a good excuse to go south lol. A neighbor once had to have his pipes stemmed and his holding tank was too full to effectively do it, he had to use his ice fishing auger to cut a hole in the ice cap on top of the frozen tank So the pump truck could pump out the tank. No lie.


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## begreen (Dec 20, 2020)

Woke up to 50º this morning and it's been the same all day long and now into the night.


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## MTY (Dec 20, 2020)

I am wanting to start working on a shop, but it is too warm and muddy to do much but slip and slide in the slop.


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## ABMax24 (Dec 21, 2020)

It feels like winter here, temps are around freezing which is warmer than normal, but the snow is falling like crazy. Spent the day sledding, probably the earliest I've ever been out.


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## firefighterjake (Dec 21, 2020)

Took my sled out yesterday to finish clearing the feeder trail to the ITS trail system . . . but it was marginal snow . . . just enough to cool the sliders, not enough that you would want to hit the trails. I took the sled since it was either that or walk several miles.


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## kennyp2339 (Dec 21, 2020)

Hitting the local ski mountain after work today, going to do a few runs, first time out all year and one of the better starts to the season around here, last 2 winters were marginal at best, it did get cold here and there, but every time a storm came, we were on the warm side of it, here's to hoping for a good winter for once.


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## peakbagger (Dec 21, 2020)

Heavy wind and rain  for coastal Maine and NH on Christmas Eve into Christmas day. I expect the folks along the coast will be having a candlelight Christmas


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## fbelec (Dec 22, 2020)

peakbagger i hope your wrong on this one. electric oven that has to cook my spoon roast


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## firefighterjake (Dec 22, 2020)

peakbagger said:


> Heavy wind and rain  for coastal Maine and NH on Christmas Eve into Christmas day. I expect the folks along the coast will be having a candlelight Christmas



And there goes what little snow we had . . .


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## begreen (Dec 22, 2020)

The chill is on here, temp dropped 20º in a few hours. This will be heading east, so enjoy the warmth while you've got it. At least it's sunny now. Maybe we will get to see the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction tonight.


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## WiscWoody (Dec 25, 2020)

We had 2 above for a high yesterday but today it got up to 13 So it’s more seasonable now. I like it.


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## firefighterjake (Dec 25, 2020)

I think we set a record up here in Maine today . . . national weather map showed that we were warmer than Orlando, Florida. All the snow we had as a nice base is gone.


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## Bad LP (Dec 25, 2020)

firefighterjake said:


> I think we set a record up here in Maine today . . . national weather map showed that we were warmer than Orlando, Florida. All the snow we had as a nice base is gone.






Saw this sow deer today while watching a pond grow in the low yard. Not starting out as a good snowmobile year at Moosehead.
The winds last night must have separated these 2 from Santa.


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## firefighterjake (Dec 27, 2020)

Bad LP said:


> View attachment 270311
> 
> Saw this sow deer today while watching a pond grow in the low yard. Not starting out as a good snowmobile year at Moosehead.
> The winds last night must have separated these 2 from Santa.



I hear ya . . . sump pump has been running to beat the band.


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## Bad LP (Dec 27, 2020)

firefighterjake said:


> I hear ya . . . sump pump has been running to beat the band.


When the day comes that water is in my basement the entire area is going to be a lot more screwed than I can ever be but damn that was some serious rain.


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## WiscWoody (Dec 28, 2020)

I have 5 above now and the stove is going good. I have plenty of good dry wood so let it be cold.


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## peakbagger (Dec 29, 2020)

Northern New England is predicted to be above normal temps until Mid January.Still cold enough at night to make snow at ski slopes but rain predicted the end of the week. Mid January is normally the coldest stretch.


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## WiscWoody (Dec 29, 2020)

I woke up to -11 so winter is here!


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## fbelec (Dec 30, 2020)

i know jake might not want to hear this but, wiscwoody i hope winter stays there.


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## firefighterjake (Dec 30, 2020)

fbelec said:


> i know jake might not want to hear this but, wiscwoody i hope winter stays there.



Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
I've already registered my snowmobile.

How about a compromise . . . a cold, snowy winter up here and into New Hampshire and Vermont . . . ending at the Massachusetts state line where it can be a balmy 72 degrees?


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## fbelec (Dec 31, 2020)

firefighterjake said:


> Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
> I've already registered my snowmobile.
> 
> How about a compromise . . . a cold, snowy winter up here and into New Hampshire and Vermont . . . ending at the Massachusetts state line where it can be a balmy 72 degrees?


sold


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