It's been a weird winter

By Patrick Fisher, Staff Writer

While there are several people who have liked the weather we've had recently this winter, I'm not one of them.

I realize there are positives for the very un-winter like weather. With no snowstorms or ice travel has been easier and safer; people, cities and the state are saving money since they haven't had to use snowblowers or snowplows as much as in past years and a few golf clubs are making use of the unusually warm temperatures to allow for golfing.

On the other side of the coin, snow provides a cover for fields to make sure the wind doesn't blow away the top soil and it provides moisture in the spring. Also, this weather isn't helping the snowmobile industry and ski areas.

I know ski areas can make snow. It was also impressive to recently drive past Buck Hill one night and see a man-made snowstorm covering their hills. But not all ski areas have equipment to cover every run.

I don't think we've had a winter like this since the 1980s. Even then we were lucky enough to have some snow and didn't have a brown Christmas. Thankfully those have been few and far between, at least for where I grew up. From what I understand there was one in the 1950s and another a decade later.

I'm one of those who enjoys seeing snow on the ground during the winter. To me it's a far prettier site than the hard brown ground and left over dead leaves. The crystalline beauty of freshly frosted trees is grander than the bare branches we're seeing now.

I know that after last winter, some people don't mind this weather, but forgive me if I'm hoping to see a little something closer to what winter is supposed to be like. At least through the rest of January and ending in March.