• Tuesday-What'sUP January 6 - 03:22 pm

I'm not sure if Lois Haglund was photographing the beautiful blue sky in the top photo or the logging truck passing by, but either way, I like them both in that shot. The snow and cold we're getting right now, helps the loggers get their truck loads to the mill, since the freezing temperatures make the logging roads drivable in the woods. It also keeps the bugs down for them too. ;-)

Lois' third picture is also a beauty, with the clouds in the distance and the brilliant, blue sky above them. It's so nice to see the bare roads in these photos, too, but that can change in a matter of minutes when the snow flurries start up again.

Her bottom two photos are definitely not bare roads, but what the country roads here UP North look like this time of year. That's some heavy snow on those tree branches, dragging them right down to the road like that. Someone needs to come along and knock the snow off, so the branches can go back up to where they should be. Hope you enjoyed a glimpse at the various driving conditions you encounter here in the U.P. winters.

FOOTNOTE: Yesterday's shots from Emma Stout were pretty interesting. If you missed them, just click here: Monday, January 5th, to take a look at them!

Love those blue skies!

My wife's cousins family has a logging operation in
Iron River. I've seen many of their trucks while up
there.

the roads here in Houghton look like the last two pictures

not completely covered, but covered. this is winter here.;O)

great shots lois..love the last 3...beautiful!!!

Beautiful Winter scenes! Even the log trucks are pretty in the snow.

Thanks for the link to Emma's pics. They are all
outstanding and perfect for framing. I also enjoyed
the blue skies in todays pics. I wonder when we will
see blue skies again.

Love the way the snow rests on the pine trees.

Ahhh, the memories!

Having spent so many decades in the Airyzony desert, I'm not sure I could handle the UP winters any more! :-(

Speaking of UP winters: here are some interesting items I just found yesterday:

From FiveThirtyEight.com, Dec 4, 2014: "Which City Has The Most Unpredictable Weather?", quoted here in part:

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Quote:

"The Most Predictable for Temperature: Phoenix
• • •
The Least Predictable for Precipitation: Houghton, MI
Nothing tops Houghton (MI), which gets about twice as much snow as any other city we evaluated and can also be reasonably rainy in the summer."

"… the huge amounts of lake-effect snow in Houghton, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (about twice as much as in notoriously snowy Buffalo, New York)."

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Quote:

"#3. Hancock, Mich.

"There's something to be said for a place east of the Rockies that not only endures long, harsh winters but, in some ways, celebrates them.

"As Exhibit A, I submit Upper Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula.

"Look, it's easy to get snow-weary up there.

"The town averages a whopping 56" of snow in December alone, and almost 66" in January! That's more than the average annual snowfall in both Minneapolis and Denver!

"They once had over 2 feet of snowfall on a March day (Mar. 4, 1985), and had 2" of wet snow on June 2, 1945.

"Of course, a lot of this can not only be blamed on the northern latitude, but also nearby Lake Superior.

"Winds with a northerly component elsewhere in the Upper Midwest may simply be cold, but in this part of Upper Michigan, they generate more snow, as they pick up moisture from the lake.

"Hancock's sister city across the Portage Canal, Houghton, is home to Michigan Tech. University. The school's alumni website tracks both current snowfall and historical records. What other school without a meteorology department tracks this? They also mention "snowball fights across Highway 41" and have an annual "guess the season snowfall" contest.

"Just up the road in Keweenaw County, there's a roadside marker that clearly illustrates how much snow can fall. In the 1978-79 snow season, a whopping 390" of snow fell at this location. That's over 32 feet!

"See ... it's a mindset. The snowiest location east of the Rockies. No problem, embrace it!"

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Looks like it's safe to say the black flies have
pretty much died out. Maybe a hardy skeeter or two
still buzzing about the woodshed after it warms up
just a tad in the afternoon.

Hi
FRNash, I found your quotes really interesting. Sisu is a good thing to have regardless of your environment.

I see one of those log trucks at least three times
a day on 41 at Tech. At first it was a surprise
to see so many, being raised as a "troll," from
the Detroit area. But, I have got used to seeing
them. Every time I see one as I cross 41, I throw
a wave. I can't wait to get back up there.