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Phenology with local naturalist Larry Weber every Friday morning at 8:20 on Northland Morning.

Backyard Almanac: Migration and Winter Continue

A rough grouse perched on a bare tree branch, daytime in winter
Isobel Lamarche [via Flickr]

“I don’t know if everyone is going to appreciate it,” says Larry Weber of the new ice and snow that’s covering the branches of trees. “It’s quite beautiful.”

Although some might be over the long winter, there's still some interesting talk regarding snow. "Mother nature decided she didn’t want to be number three,” says Weber about the seasonal snowfall - last week the total snowfall had the 22-23 season in third place all-time for Duluth. “As of this morning, the snowfall total… was 138.3 inches.” That piles three inches onto the previous record.

April is known as the Fire Month due to grass fires being common, but Weber is anticipating that the heavy precipitation and saturated ground will keep fires to a minimum. Ticks may also likely be limited for the same reason.

It'll soon be time for Vernal ponds; these are ponds that show up in the spring after the melt and serve an important function especially for frogs. Sometimes ice can still be present in portions of the pond while frogs begin to thrive on the other side.

“Just enjoy," says Weber. "Enjoy what we do have."

Luke Moravec is the host for Northland Morning on The North 103.3. He’s also a local actor, musician and writer. He loves puzzles, riddles and fun mysteries.
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