It seems the new normal is extreme weather. In the first 19 days of the month, the average high temperature was 33°F, including four days that reached 48-52°F. In the last ten days, the average high has been 24°F, with several days in the single digits.
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| #18 fairway under 6" of snow |
The golf course currently sits under about 6" of snow. Walking around yesterday, I found several low areas on greens that are also under some ice.
Last Tuesday (1/23), temperatures reached 41°F and we accumulated .62" of rain. The warmer temperature and rain melted the 3" of snow that was on the ground. Needless to say, there was a large volume of standing water sitting on the turf. Tuesday's nighttime temperature dropped to 22°F, freezing all of that moisture before it could drain off the surface.
Last Tuesday (1/23), temperatures reached 41°F and we accumulated .62" of rain. The warmer temperature and rain melted the 3" of snow that was on the ground. Needless to say, there was a large volume of standing water sitting on the turf. Tuesday's nighttime temperature dropped to 22°F, freezing all of that moisture before it could drain off the surface.
I would never choose to have ice, however at this point, the snow and ice are protecting and insulating the turf from the bitter temperatures this week. The ice that I did find is cloudy in appearance, which tells me the ice is holding a lot of air bubbles. This is good, because it is not a solid sheet of ice covering the turf and it will melt faster once conditions cooperate.
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| cloudy ice on #18 green |
The extended forecast is calling for a couple warm days with more rain next week, followed by another freeze. We will keep monitoring conditions and report back next week to let you know how things look.