This week, my station received 0.42 inches of precipitation, up from 0.08 inches last week.  We’ve had several dry weeks in a row, but it snowed overnight and now there is about 6 inches of fluffy snow on the ground with more snow predicted.  At this point, conditions are on the dry side of Near Normal.   Ice shelves continue to build on the shores of Lake Michigan.  This week, the lake has either been totally iced or fairly clear depending on the direction of the wind.  The squirrels are active, but the birds have disappeared again.