After a record-setting snowy April, Duluth fell behind the frozen precipitation curve in the month of May.
The airport has seen just a trace of snow this month. In a typical May, we see four-tenths of an inch of accumulation, according to the National Weather Service.
Duluth received 129.4 inches of snow for the season, and a record 50.8 inches in April alone. May snow or not, this past winter will be talked about for a long time to come.
How good is the urban snowboarding in Duluth?
Good enough to help a crew of local snowboarders advance to the finals of the Arnette Crew Clash, a snowboard video editing competition at yobeat.com.
Footage includes Dan Spooner, Danny Kiolbasa, Brian Wilson and Hunter Gulan riding rails snowboarding in spots in the Central Hillside (including Cascade Park), and at Enger Tower and the University of Minnesota Duluth.
The two-plus-minute video helped the Hill City Squad advance to the finals. Last week they were flown out to Mt. Bachelor in Oregon for more snowboarding and more video making. They’re up against a crew from Colorado for the big prize: $1,000.
Go to yobeat.com to vote in the Arnette Crew Clash 3 final. Voting is open through Monday.
We at Eh? love numbers and stats, and the Department of Public Safety provided us with some about Saturday’s snowstorm. These stats pertain only to the Minnesota State Patrol for the Duluth District and are courtesy of Sgt. Curt S. Mowers.
Well, hell hasn’t frozen over. But you’ll see we do have a snowfall report for Superior.
So rare is it for Superior totals to appear in a local snowfall report that the crowd of critics and cynics who populate the Internet long considered it to be a conspiracy against the Twin Ports city.
But it’s not.
The National Weather Service relies on volunteer weather spotters for most of its rain and snowfall reports from around the Northland. There are some spotters in Superior, but many happen not to be available to send reports for the early morning rain and snow roundups.
However, on Tuesday, Superior was well represented. The city saw 6 inches of snow by Tuesday afternoon, according to the NWS Duluth office’s local storm report.
To the person who reported Tuesday’s total: We salute you.
If you live in Superior or any other town and want to be a volunteer weather spotter, sign up at CoCoRaHS.
We’re begging for some courtesy. Help keep the city’s cross-country ski trails in good condition by taking hikes and walks elsewhere. Footprints and other impressions (even angels) ruin the trails, so the Duluth Parks and Recreation staff would like to remind you that it’s prohibited to use them for non-skiing activities.
It’s one thing to walk on them when there’s no snow and conditions are dry, but now the trails are packed and tracked for skiers, not for walking with Fido (and who names their dog Fido these days, anyway?)
Here’s how to keep ski trails in tiptop shape:
For ambulatory excursions, use the Lakewalk and other clear-of-snow paths. Skiers will thank you.
Chester Bowl ski hill has announced its winter break and winter carnival schedule for the week. The hill’s lift will be open from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. In addition:
Race registration will be open from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday; the race starts at 1:15 p.m. with all participants receiving trophies.
Chester Bowl is at 1800 E. Skyline Parkway. Daily lift tickets for all ages are $5.25. Go to chesterbowl.org for more information.
If you knock at the door of the new Grand Avenue Chalet at Spirit Mountain today and no one answers, don’t be offended. The chalet will be closed for a one-time private event related to its recent opening. It will reopen to the public Thursday morning.
Here’s another unconventional way to mark Valentine’s Day: by taking a ride on a ski lift with a Duluth City Council member.
Councilors Emily Larson and Patrick Boyle will be going round and round on the chair lift at Chester Bowl from 5:30-6:15 p.m. During that time you can hop on with one of them and bend their ear without any danger of them walking away. Then you can ski or snowboard back down feeling good about your civic engagement.
Larson has the Parks and Recreation portfolio on the City Council, and Boyle represents the district that includes Chester Bowl.
If you don’t feel like skiing, Larson and Boyle will go from riding the lift at 6:15 to serving cocoa and other goodies until 8:30 p.m. in the chalet.
Aside from the terrible play on words above, we’re serious when it comes to smart and responsible snow removal. And the Duluth Police Department is, too.
That’s why they’re reminding residents that it’s illegal to move snow from private property onto any city streets, sidewalks, alleys or other public grounds.
“A lot of people have forgotten that,” Kelly Fleissner, city manager of maintenance operations, said. “We have had lots of calls about people moving snow from their property to somebody else’s, or people moving snow from private property onto public streets or right-of-ways.”
Plus, it’s just plain rude to your neighbors and those using roads, walkways and driveways.
“It seems that with the mild winter last year everyone forgot what it’s like to have snow and how to deal with it and be patient and good neighbors,” he said.
People illegally disposing of snow in Duluth can face a fine of up to $200, police spokesman Jim Hansen said.
When a roundup of rain or snowfall totals is listed after a Northland storm, it’s rare to see a number from Superior.
Why’s that?
It’s because we hate Superior, right? No. We love our sister by the unsalted sea.
The National Weather Service relies on volunteer weather spotters for most of its snowfall reports from around the Northland. There are some spotters in Superior, but they happen not to be available to send reports for the early morning rain and snow roundups.
If you live in Superior or any other town and want to be a volunteer weather spotter, go to CoCoRaHS to sign up.
