With January coming to an end, we saw our share of sporadic weather. Frigid weather, rain and record amounts of snow kept it interesting. January snow accumulations totaled 39.1". This total was well above the 12.5" average snowfall accumulation for the month of January.
The snow accumulation for January makes it the snowiest month ever for metro Detroit. The previous record occurred in February 1904 with snow accumulations totaling 38.5".
We continue to evaluate and inspect the turf on a consistent basis. The turf appears in good shape, however rain during mid December and January have created some ice conditions underneath the snow. Most of the ice is porous in nature, which is good because it is still allowing some oxygen to get to the plants.
As always, when and how fast the snow melts is our biggest concern. The worst case scenario is that the snow melts and does not have enough time to move off of the turf surface before it refreezes again, possibly causing turf damage.
We continue to monitor weather conditions and have the portable generators and pumps ready to help remove excess water once the thaw begins. Dealing with the winter weather is proving to be as challenging as the heat during the summer months.
The snow accumulation for January makes it the snowiest month ever for metro Detroit. The previous record occurred in February 1904 with snow accumulations totaling 38.5".
We continue to evaluate and inspect the turf on a consistent basis. The turf appears in good shape, however rain during mid December and January have created some ice conditions underneath the snow. Most of the ice is porous in nature, which is good because it is still allowing some oxygen to get to the plants.
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| ice pulled from #2 green contains a significant amount of air pores |
As always, when and how fast the snow melts is our biggest concern. The worst case scenario is that the snow melts and does not have enough time to move off of the turf surface before it refreezes again, possibly causing turf damage.
We continue to monitor weather conditions and have the portable generators and pumps ready to help remove excess water once the thaw begins. Dealing with the winter weather is proving to be as challenging as the heat during the summer months.