Flash Thaw

I last showed all of our streams filled and frozen solid. What comes next is interesting.

We finally got some snow. We probably had 8-10" but it was windy so there we had areas with no buildup and deeper drifts. The forecast was for ice after the storm so we cleared the driveway before the ice and then again before it froze solid.

That was a success and it was followed by another day of very cold temperatures.

Next was what I call a flash thaw. We had a day of heavy rain and temperatures in the high 50's. It's interesting to see where the water goes when the streams are frozen solid and everything suddenly melts. This has undoubtedly happened before but we had a trailer and brush (now cut) blocking our view.

Our basement has windows that are surrounded by stoned lined wells. We had a flash thaw last year where those wells filled with water which then poured into the basement (glad we have sump pumps). Last year, we solved the problem by plowing a ditch through the snow to redirect that water out to the road. That worked until this thaw. Rodents have, apparently, found those wells to be very attractive. There were holes that allowed the water to pour into the wells. Kristen noticed it almost immediately and I spent yesterday afternoon filling holes and redirecting water.

Looks like I'll be replacing those stacked stone wells with galvanized steel rings next summer.

-JC-

Our Own Glacier

Oakham is one of the Worcester County hill towns which means that the Town Center is at the top of a hill (and we're just a few houses from the Town Center). It seems strange that springs would be abundant at the the top of a hill but, historically, Oakham Town Center was known for its healthful sulphur springs.

Most of our property is uphill from the house and surrounding lawn. There are springs all over the hillside and, if we didn't have a ditch around the lawn, we'd have a very soggy lawn. Even as it is, we have some very good sump pumps deep under the garage to keep the basement dry.

We've noticed a phenomenon this winter that may be an every year occurrence but, this year's lack of snow is letting us see it. We would normally have quite a bit of snow by now but our only measurable snow so far was a week before Thanksgiving (that's due to change in the next few days).

Our ditch is normally very low flow except when it rains heavily. Right now, it's only being fed by the springs but it's freezing as it flows. With the continuous flow, it's getting deeper and deeper. Waterfalls have frozen and become dams. There are frozen pools where there didn't used to be pools (some on the lawn).

Here are some pictures before the snow buries it all.

The water normally falls through the rocks in this picture. That passage has frozen causing the water
 to find alternate routes (which have also frozen). One of those routes is the lawn on the top right.

Looking across the lawn toward the former fall.

The former waterfall.

Below the former waterfall. Fall is at the left.

Waterfall is at lower right. Ditch bordering lawn comes in from lower left. The rest of
this ice comes from springs that we've only been marginally aware of.

-JC-