2021/2022 Winter recap and what's ahead

How this winter compared to winters' past and a look ahead PLUS salmon release, DNR seeking input, and changes for the Ice Age Trail

Author

Forrest Koslowski
April 13, 2022

Good mornin' readers, hope this finds you warm and dry. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less.

This week's forecast:

  • Wisconsin winter recap ❄️

  • Salmon fingerlings released 🐟

  • DNR wants your input ✅ 

That's a wrap: Our winter in review and a look ahead

Note from the editor: We repeatedly and extensively 'knocked on wood' throughout the entire wordsmithing of this email. So if we wake up to 1-2 feet of snow tomorrow, don't blame us.

We made it folks. Another winter in the books. And with it, the countless ski trips, ice fishing excursions, sliding down ice-slicked stairs, winter bonfires, mitigating snot-sicles, scraping windshields, etc. Gotta love it!

To put a nice and neat little bow on the '21/'22 winter, we thought we'd review some stats and look ahead at the prediction for summer '22.

Wisconsin's "frosty flop" winter:

  • As predicted, we saw less snow this year across the state

  • Meanwhile, the number of freezing days was right on par in Madison. Oh great, all the cold weather, just not as much snow.

  • Our average winter temp is slowly rising, though the past few years have been less volatile than about a decade ago

  • We're trending toward more snowy seasons per decade than previously

  • Our lakes are trending towards later freeze-over dates and earlier thaw dates

S(no)wy stats

Snow - it's the only reason we didn't all vacate Wisconsin during the winter months. This year we saw less of the white stuff than average, unfortunately.

Summer sun ahead

Now... onto the good stuff. Spring and Summer.

You can almost smell the brats, with a hint of sunscreen.

Before we dive into the lake, let's dive into some predictions for the summer.

It's gonna be hot hot hot.

The Farmer's Almanac - dang near The Bible to Grandma Jean - says it'll be hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk during July and August.

Here's what else it prophesies:

  • Heavy storms as spring turns into summer

  • Peak thunderstorms around the summer solstice (June 21st)

  • Average rainfall (which for Wisco is about 33.5 inches)

  • ...which means the mosquitos will be horrendous you betcha

  • It will be unseasonably cold in September

And though the rain may the extend the mud season a bit longer, it'll help alleviate the drought going on in central Wisconsin right now. Not a bad tradeoff if you ask us.

What's got you pumped for summer? Drop us a line by responding to this email, forward it to your kayaking buddy, or Tweet this story across the ether for all to see.

Get out 'der!

It's official: we're on Twitter and Instagram.

Give us a follow for less-organized-yet-highly-informative tweets, as well as pics from the Wiscampsin community out and about.

Oh, and use #WiscampsinWeekly to start engaging with the rest of us folks!

Hipcamp find of the week ⛺️

Kimpel Cottage is your up nort' basecamp, believe you me. Located in Eagle River, just minutes away from The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, and a stone's throw from a chain of 28 lakes! Drea said "My friends and I had the absolute best time at this beautiful cottage!... Also, the heated toilet seat is something I never knew I needed until this cottage. " Starting to see a theme here with luxury bathroom appliances...

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🐟 Salmon release: Watch 20,000 Chinook salmon be released (read: blasted from a hose) into a Lake Michigan 'pen' in Kenosha Harbor. The fingerlings will be held till they are mature enough to be released into the open water. They grow up so fast...

🥾 More Ice Age Trail News: Alright we talk about the IAT quote a bit, but this one's important. The eastern terminus of the trail in Potawatomi State Park will be moved 0.3 miles to a less-confusing, more-scenic endpoint sometime in April. Godspeed.

🦌 Call up the peanut gallery: The DNR is seeking input on the upcoming 2022 deer hunting season in Wisconsin. You can submit feedback during the online comment period thru April 15. This is your time to shine, cousin Ed. 

Well, how'd we do this week?

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