In like a Lion, out like a Lamb?

You know the saying about the month that officially marks the start of spring. March comes “In like a Lion, out like a Lamb.” While this saying may hold true most years, 2009 was definitely an exception. The last three Tuesdays of the month have not been very Lamb-like. We should have predicted this I guess because it was “tournament time” after all. Three weeks ago on Tuesday the area received anywhere between 5-8 inches of snow. That snow was a welcome sight because it gave hope to many skiers the season would be prolonged for a few more weeks. A massive warm-up began after that as sunny temperatures in the low 50’s zapped ski trail bases thin and even bare in some spots. This weather buildup led to a severe ice storm two weeks ago on Tuesday, March 24th. Rain, sleet and strong winds whipped through Cook County leaving downed power lines, snapped trees and debris everywhere. Power outages throughout the county were reported as Arrowhead Electric Co-op and MN DOT scrambled to restore power and clean up the mess. Hardest hit were the towns of Silver Bay and Finland. Some residents were without power for several days. On Tuesday, March 31st another big storm coming from the Dakotas was barreling down on the Arrowhead Region. Initial reports suggested we were to receive between 5-8 inches of snow. As it grew closer that amount was increased to 8-12. It started snowing that morning at about 8:00am, growing stronger as the day went on. School was called off early at 1:30pm. Fueled by strong east winds off the lake, this storm turned into a two day event that dropped about 15-20 inches of heavy, wet, lake-effect snow! Ski conditions at Lutsen Mountains the next day were perfectly described by one skier… “Lots of Powder Man”! With all this new snow and no serious warm-ups in the near future, downhill skiing at Lutsen should be excellent right up through “Mountain Meltdown Weekend,” April 11-13th.