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Phenology is a compilation of events, human or natural, that are characteristic of the changing seasons. Some examples: the first robin in the yard or the first motorcyclist in the spring or the first frost or first junco in the fall. Harry and Dave Palmquist, naturalist at Whitewater State Park, share a radio spot on phenological events called “The Nature Show”on Thursday mornings at 7:45 a.m., KNXR, 97.5 FM.
Here are some of those sobering statistics from those records:
Sept. 16, 1880 — 12 inches of snow in northern Minnesota with 20-foot drifts that persisted until spring. (Harry didn’t actually witness that one, but official records tell of this event and also the next one.)
Sept. 11, 1893 — the Twin Cities experienced its earliest snowfall.
Sept. 28, 1945 — Winona recorded 17 degrees and snow. I have no memory of it, but I bet, as a sophomore at Winona Senior High, I walked to school barelegged with rolled down white bobby sox in penny loafers or those ugly black moccasins that left black marks on the floor. Slacks, jeans, pants of any kind weren’t acceptable for girls at school back then. We might have worn them under our skirts but took them off in the restrooms.
Sept. 30, 1961 — southeast Minnesota had a 4-inch snowfall. The same day the Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 6-4 at the old, cold outdoor Met Stadium. Looks like we’ll be going back to snow on our hot dogs at the new outdoor stadium in 2010. Brrrrr.
Sept. 30, 1962 — We saw the first junco of the fall.
Sept. 14 is the average date for the beginning of the Minnesota snow season. We are really lucky this year. As of Oct. 17, we hadn’t even suffered a real killing frost, let alone snow. Goody, goody.
For Harry, the earliest date for long johns this year was the opening of the duck season — Oct. 4. By noon that day, he wished he hadn’t worn them. The date to get out the winter togs has occurred later each year. Whether that’s global warming I won’t argue with anyone, but I do know the last couple years I’ve put away summer shorts and sweltered in winter apparel in early to middle October.
Apparently, the college coed I saw Oct. 16 crossing Main Street had the same problem. She too was confused by the weather gods because she was wearing a mixed ensemble of mittens, cap and flip flops.
Going south for a few weeks in mid-winter has allowed me to avoid stashing the summer duds entirely because we need them in Texas, sort of. Four years ago it hit 39 degrees and there were many blue knees around the village. Mostly on northern diehards.
On our trek south, we start out from Winona in layers — and I do mean layers. There’s long johns, undershirts, turtlenecks, woolen sweaters, wind breakers, caps, mittens and boots. The dog wears a long coat of fur that has to be shorn as soon as possible when we hit our destination. For us, by the time we reach Kansas City, we are tempted to shed a layer but keep in mind we need to walk the dog at those windswept I-35 rest stops. She’s not too eager to dawdle in the cold either, but the scents in the dog walk areas must anesthetize her cold button.
By northern Oklahoma we usually shed the long johns and the woolen sweaters — not always, though. One year we left southern Oklahoma at 17 degrees and ended in Laredo, Texas, the same day, at 90 degrees, long johns, woolies and all. Incidentally, the last rest stop on I-35 at Laredo, where we did a quick change, resembles nothing less than the Taj Mahal. Where the money to build that came from is anybody’s guess. It is ceramic tile, floor to ceiling, with the latest restroom doohickies. Outdoors there are pools and fountains, walkways over the ponds, gazebos, etc.
To further confuse my weather planning, we are still ripening tomatoes in the garden. Hopefully, this year we won’t have to try to save the few lingering green ones in the basement. That is always a dicey situation with some ripening and some rotting.
So, the lawn mower and snow blower have now traded places in the garage and garden shed; the snow shovels are lined up at the ready. Come on north winds, bring it on.
Katie Buck is a Community Columnist for the Winona Daily News.
