We had a hail storm today.

We had a hail storm today. It lasted about 10 minutes. With pea size to marble size hailstones.

We didn't appear to suffer any damage. For more info on hail storms click here.

Wait a day..... the weather will change.

Sunny and warm 65 degrees . First day of 2012 (03/11/12) outside at the Black Cat.

Cooler, raining with fog around the Chequamegon Bay 03/11/12. View looking NE.

Cooler, raining with fog around the Chequamegon Bay 03/11/12. View looking NW.

Hail. A somewhat rare weather occurrence in Ashland.

 We had a quick weather front pass through Ashland yesterday. For less than five minutes we had a hail shower.

At least for the day there is ice on the bay.

Colder weather and light winds help make ice on the bay.  

Colder weather and no winds will help keep the ice on the bay.

Now we need some extended cold weather to make more ice.

This research vessel is settled in it's winter berth on the west side of the oredock.

The campground is also in winter mode.

The boats are up on land and on their cradles.

These two visitors to the bay I think have seen enough ice for the day.  Maybe if I were from West Palm Beach Florida I would feel the same way.  I invited them to stay and try ice fishing.  No takers.

First winter storm 2010.

What a difference 24 hours makes. See the post below. Yesterday was warm and calm along the waterfront. Today was not.

 

It wasn't a blizzard but it's no longer summer.

Two great days on Lake Superior shore. Herbster Campground.

Campsite.
Hint: Click on the photos to see a larger version.

Brewing morning coffee. A great time of the day. Just after sunrise with the first cup of coffee.

Fall colors... not quite peak colors.

Beach flora.

Beach flora.

Beach flora.

Beach flora. Donna's photo.

Beach flora. Donna's photo.

Coho caught across from the campsite.

Coho caught across from the campsite.

Donna picking rocks on Herbster beach.

Sunrise beach.

Sunrise beach.

Driftwood on Herbster beach.

Setting sun. This alone makes the trip to Herbster well worth the trip.

Watch the sunset "into Lake Superior".

Duluth MN skyline photographed from Herbster WI. Thirty to thirty five mile across Lake Superior. Handheld photo with 400mm telephoto lens. A tripod would have made it a far better photo. You can see the tall (red) communication towers in this photo.

Herbster ("tornado alley") camping 2010.

We felt slightly out of place. The small guy on the block. The little brother.

This was the great part of the two days we spent in Herbster on the beach.
Sunny and quiet. 

 

Additional proof the summer is not over.

 

The next morning. The campground was emptying and the rain was falling.

The weather forecast called for occasional showers. We held out until 5:00 p.m.
  We waited for a break in the showers. Packed and headed home.

Leaving for this trip.  Hoping for one more trip before the snow flies. Donna and I decided we have been camping at Herbster for thirty years. On one of the first trips we gave the campground it's nickname 'tornado alley'. It probably should have been called water spout alley. But tornado alley sounded better.

TORNADO ALLEY... how it gots it's name.

On one trip in the mid 1980's. We had setup camp with two popup tent campers. We faced the campers door to door about 10 feet apart. In one camper were the two older boys and their grandmother.  In the other camper mom, dad and kids.

At some point in the late afternoon early evening the weather started to turn cloudy and windy. The skies darkened and the winds built. Across the lake we could see an approaching wall of rain with an occasional lighting flash. 

The storm was coming out of the northwest across Lake Superior. It is approximately 30 miles across Lake Superior to the Minnesota shore.

As the storm approached the winds had the canvas on the campers shaking and the roof swaying side to side.  Everyone had moved inside by now.  Inside our respective campers.  As we watch the approaching storm (not our first in the campers) we notice what appeared to be water spout building....... this was a definite first.

At that moment we realized we were committed there was no where to go. The winds continued to build and the rains intensified while we watched through the windows.

At a point grandma decided it was time for her to move to the other camper with us. As she crossed between the two campers I met her in the middle and asked where the boys were. She said they were sleeping and didn't want to get up. Sleeping! Who could sleep through this? Howling winds driving rains and what sure looked like a water spout...tornado coming across the lake toward us. I jumped in the camper grab the two boys and pushed them out the door toward the our camper. 

Once inside we all huddled together while the storm passed through. At the high point it tore off the canopy on one camper and blew tree branched and other debris through the campsite. 

It was gone as quickly as it had come. No one was hurt and the damage to equipment was minor and repairable. We all got out of the camper and surveyed the damage to the campground.

To this day we don't know if the "eye" of the storm passed through the campground. But on that day as we sat there recovering from the experience my mom said "well this is the last time I'm coming to this tornado alley to camp". 

So Hebster campground on that day became tornado alley to our family. 

My mom didn't stick to her promise to never return to tornado alley. We would often take her there on her summer visits. Sometime just a ride and a picnic. On a few occasions an overnight camp over.  

Now that she has passed she is still with us on our trips to "tornado alley". 

It always brings a smile to my face and a tear to my eye when I remember her saying "well this is the last time I'm coming to this tornado alley to camp".

This is not "our" water spout but it sure looks like what I remember crossing toward us that day. 

Hail in the northwoods.

This hail storm hit south of Ashland about 20 miles. Thanks T for emailing me the photo.

Unbelievable weather for March 15th.

National Weather source.

16:00 CST

Temperature on the shady north side of the house.

Temperature on the west side of the house.

Overnight camping trip to Medford WI. Saturday A.M. travel.

We decided to cut our weekend camping trip a little short. Although we did spend a very comfortable warm night in the camper once we were off the road. Finding a spot to park was quite an adventure. An early snow storm made camping in a state, county, city or private camp ground a little more difficult than planned.

With the weather forecast projecting additional snow and with the option of heading south to the gulf coast for the winter out of the question. We decided to head north to home.

We enjoyed our overnight adventure and have decided to set a new goal in our retired (semi) life. Our goal for this winter is to camp at least one night each month between now and June 30, 2010 in the camper. With a little planning I think we can do it.

Anyone have a heated garage we can pull the camper into for the January-March adventures?

If not could someone remind me.....what are the signs of early onset frost bite?

It should be an adventure.






The snow line on Saturday was just south of Mellen. From Abbotsford to Mellen we drove through snow and slush. The night before left a half a dozen cars in the ditch.

Deer camp or wedding guests?

Hint: Do you see any guns?