Wisconsin's Winter Preview

Mornin' to everyone celebrating that sweet Packers victory over the Cowboys this past weekend. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

FREE STICKER: That's right, we capitalized it, 'cause while it may not sound all that fancy, it can be yours for just 1 referral (aka - helping us grow Wiscampsin!). See your referral link below!

Gettin' a bit nipply this week...

• Wisconsin Winter Outlook ❄️

• Deer donation program 🦌 

• Driftless Area 🏔

Wisconsin's Winter Preview

It's that time of year again, when we all start looking for our ice scrapers, stuff our glove box with actual gloves, and start busting out 'Sconisms like "wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the wind!"

Queue the meme, 'cause winter is coming. Might be here already tbh.

So while we bundle up for Shoulder Season (in between Fall Colors activities and Winter sports), here's a preview of what you (and your frozen keister) can expect this winter.

This email's forecast

• Wisconsin's winter may be colder than usual

• Two out of the three premier sources predict a wetter-than-normal winter

• Things affecting our winter: La Niña and an underwater volcano eruption last January

A look ahead

Predicting Wisconsin's winter is like when a Badger basketball player shoots a free throw - overall, pretty accurate, but occasionally things do go awry.

The Big Three sources most 'Scons turn to to predict the long term winter are AccuWeather, the Old Farmer's Almanac and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

In summary, they all think Wisconsin will be a bit colder this year than usual. Oh wonderful.

But AccuWeather and NOAA think that we'll also have a wetter winter - AKA snow? Oh, wonderful!

La Niña and an underwater volcano

The first force at play is La Niña - or "a cooling of the water in the equatorial Pacific... associated with widespread changes in weather patterns."

We've had a La Niña winter for the past 2 years, which is why Accuweather calls this winter the "triple dip La Niña."

"These third-year La Niñas are very tricky," Accuweather said, because apparently no two La Niñas are the same.

The nation's winter weather will be "one of the most complicated and dynamic in recent memory" due to a multitude of factors at play: one being an underwater volcano that erupted last January 2,200 miles northeast of Australia.

This "once in a lifetime" eruption rocked the globe and sent water vapor into the atmosphere, raising the amount present by as much as 5%.

Unlike volcanic ash, this water vapor will trap sunlight, keeping conditions warmer than normal. Better get those beers on ice, honey.

But, researchers are not confident that the effects of the eruption last January will be carry over into this winter.

Getting winter ready

In addition to the upcoming deer season, there's another season going on this week (no, not sitting-in-a-tree-drinking-beer season).

Winter Weather Awareness Week.

Last year saw 92 cold-related deaths and 38 car-collision deaths (with 3,000+ injured) due to our devilish winter conditions.

The best way to head off the danger is to 1) stay informed by checking the National Weather Service before traveling and 2) be prepared with an emergency car kit.

Include food, water (which, if it's zero degrees may just be ice for the Old Fashioneds at that point, but regardless), snow shovel, extra gloves and hats, cell phone charger, and kitty litter or sand.

The latter will help you drive on ice - a lesson Wiscampsin founder Kevin found out last year in the Nicolet National Forest.

So pack up those winter kits, check the weather reports and get out 'der!

"Holy Cripes" Moment of the Week

Holy criminy cripes, co-founder Forrest's hometown of West Bend, WI has something that makes the place worth visitin.' The Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary has a herd of rare Piebald/Calico whitetail deer! Just don't let Uncle Joe go in there with his deer rifle...

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🦌 That's a lot of deer jerky: The Wisconsin DNR is encouraging hunters to donate their deer carcasses to help stock local food pantries. Last year, over 100,000 deer (equalling almost 3.8 million pounds of venison) were donated. Now if only someone could donate their deer to Uncle Joe...

⛰ Where does the Driftless Area get its name?: The "not so fast" for when people claim Wisconsin to be flat, the Driftless Area is a piece of prehistoric nature. Its saga predates the receding glaciers of the Ice Age, which missed this area, giving it its name. Check out WPR's coverage of the 8,500 square miles that make up the Driftless Area.

🦌 Oh deer: A local school up by Steven's Point had an unexpected visitor when a 6-point buck came crashing through the office window. Though the deer knocked an employee from their chair, everyone - including the deer - made it out of the office in one piece. Fingers crossed we'll see him again opening mornin'!

Meme of the Week 😂 

A review from the Trail... Hey we'll take that, gotta keep us humble :)