The week started with high temperatures 30 to 35 degrees above normal this week, with low temperatures near normal to 10 to 15 degrees above normal. Temperatures dropped to below normal Thursday as a strong snowstorm dropped 11.1 inches of snow here. Soil temperatures at 2 inches depth had warmed to 63 degrees at a depth of 2 inches and 40 degrees at a depth of 8 inches on February 16. The ground is now frozen. The snow supplied 0.70 inch of liquid precipitation and 11 inches of snow cover. Snow cover has decreased to 6 inches today. Due to the snow storm and snow cover, conditions have improved to near normal. February precipitation is up to 0.71 inch (0.07 inch below normal, or 91 percent of normal). Precipitation here for the year is now 1.85 inch, which is 0.28 inch above normal (118 percent of normal). Precipitation for the water year is 1.22 inch below normal (82 percent of normal).

Plants and wildlife. 
The entire landscape is covered with 6 inches of snow. Bird visits to the heated bird bath remained steady this week due to the snow cover, with approximately 25 species of birds (about 150 to 160 birds each day). 

Water Supply
Water level in Standing Bear Lake (approximately 0.2 mile to the east of here) is slightly below normal. Area creeks and ponds are also slightly below normal.

We were in a fire danger warning the first half of the week, but conditions have improved with the snow cover and we are no longer in fire danger.