excess diameter

[Frederick W. Schueler]

Everyone,

Since we're getting ready for an ice storm said to be of something like
the magnitude of the 1998 event, I'll remind the list of the measurement
of ice-storminess that originated then.

Forecasters are now saying "10-20 mm" of ice, but without saying how
this is to be measured. This is more quantitative than the forecasts or
descriptions were in 1998, but seeing the devastation that occurred
then, I began measuring storm ice as the "excess diameter" on twigs -
the caliper-measured diameter of the ice minus the diameter of the twig.
I've generally done this on the spreading branches of one of the
pollarded Manitoba Maples in front of the Weirs House, but that tree
blew down this summer, so I'll be measuring on another Manitoba Maple.

In 1998 this the excess diameter was generally about 50 mm, so we'll
have to see how things go tonight & tomorrow - and see if Hydro learned
the lessons of 1998 well enough to minimize power outages.

fred.
------------------------------------------------------------
---------Frederick W. Schueler & Aleta Karstad ------------
Fragile Inheritance Natural History - https://fragileinheritance.ca/
6 St-Lawrence Street Bishops Mills, RR#2 Oxford Station, Ontario K0G 1T0
on the Smiths Falls Limestone Plain 44.87156° N 75.70095° W
------------------------------------------------------------

[Steve Marks]

Best wishes for everyone! 

Stay safe n warm. 

💚

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NatureList" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to naturelist+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/naturelist/91fd0ecb-c586-4b9f-99db-ff40f4ca9d0c%40istar.ca.

[rmb...@istar.ca]

Just grab a couple of branches and stick them into some kind of
support and set it out in an easy to get to place in the yard. You
can pre-measure the branches.

The forecast for our area is freezing rain this afternoon and tonight,
then switching to rain towards morning and then rain, so grab your
measures before the rain starts to melt it off.

I am NOT looking forward to this. The birds at my feeders have been
frenzied since yesterday. The tree sparrow numbers jumped from about
11 to 27.

Lots of prep before this storm. 8 buckets of water for the toilet are
already filled, and I have a lot of juice bottles and pop bottles
still filled from last week. If it gets really bad we could be out of
power for 3 to 4 days, so I'll be filling the 5 big 5-gallon water
containers, and then the 4 slightly smaller ones that someone gave me
last summer, plus a few more containers. I'll be bringing in a 2 day
supply of firewood. I do keep a 10 day "emergency" stash on the
balcony, so that's available if weather conditions are bad. We made a
dash down to the grocery store this morning, got a good supply of milk
and other perishables, and stopped at the hardware store for some
batteries. All devices are about to be charged up, including the 5
rechargeable flashlights. It's been my experience that the more you
are prepared, the less severe the storm is.

Rose-Marie

[Frederick W. Schueler]

On 12/28/2025 8:23 AM, Frederick W. Schueler wrote:

> Since we're getting ready for an ice storm said to be of something like the magnitude of the 1998 event,

* oops, 1.5 mm of excess diameter on twigs now, and above freezing
temperatures forecast for the rest of the day here.

fred.
=============================================

> I'll remind the list of the measurement
> of ice-storminess that originated then.
>
> Forecasters are now saying "10-20 mm" of ice, but without saying how
> this is to be measured. This is more quantitative than the forecasts or
> descriptions were in 1998, but seeing the devastation that occurred
> then, I began measuring storm ice as the "excess diameter" on twigs -
> the caliper-measured diameter of the ice minus the diameter of the twig.
> I've generally done this on the spreading branches of one of the
> pollarded Manitoba Maples in front of the Weirs House, but that tree
> blew down this summer, so I'll be measuring on another Manitoba Maple.
>
> In 1998 this the excess diameter was generally about 50 mm, so we'll
> have to see how things go tonight & tomorrow - and see if Hydro learned
> the lessons of 1998 well enough to minimize power outages.

[rmb...@istar.ca]

I've been shining the big flashlight out of the window a couple of
times, doesn't look like "a lot of accumulation", but there is
definitely ice on the branches. I won't know until daylight lets me
see, and I sure as heck ain't going out there! I may be able to reach
some of the beech branches near the balcony. In the meantime I'm
going to sit here near the woodstove, sip my coffee, watch the news
when it comes on at 7:00 a.m., and celebrate that the power is still on.

Rose-Marie, in the boonies a few miles north of Perth Road Village

Quoting "Frederick W. Schueler" <bck...@istar.ca>:

[rmb...@istar.ca]

....and what little there was soon crumbled and blew off the trees.
+4C here now and the wind is getting stronger, just a wet dreary day,
more like March than end of December. Not many birds at the feeders,
and I'm surprised to see my two young Bambis out and about. No sign
of Mama Doe. Baxter (snowshoe hare) probably has the good sense to
remain holed up under the cabin where it's dry and sheltered. I'm glad
I brought in the extra supply of firewood yesterday, it's slippery out
there.

Rose-Marie

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "NatureList" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
> send an email to naturelist+...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion visit

> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/naturelist/20251229065129.12396usg2nzx4n5t%40webmail.ca.inter.net.
>