The Big Snow…and Freeze!

Wow!  This week the Knoxville area was subjected to the worst snow storm and accumulation in the last 31 years.  Then it has been ‘backed up’ by a deep freeze, with temperatures overnight dropping to 3F!  That’s way too close to the record low for Loudon Tennessee...which still stands at -5F.

These photos were taken while it was still snowing.  The first is a view up the street and the second is of the still unsold home across the street.  That third photo is the view from Laurie’s ‘plant room’ between our attached garage and the house.  That magnolia tree is usually the favorite hang-out and shelter for our local cardinals.  It didn’t look to ‘sheltering’ when the photo was taken.

This photo shows part of our deck as well as the homes behind us and Tellico Lake in the distance.  The snow was coming down…and building up!

This picture was taken from our screened porch.  Both our table and the grill were heavily laden with snow.  At this point Laurie measured 8 inches of snow on the deck.  Note the clear area under the table…

‘Nextdoor’, our local gossip and complaint heavy Internet connection, did show that it has some value yesterday.  Almost everyone in East Tennessee uses heat pumps for heat and air conditioning.  With this much snow being a rarity, on neighbor posted a message telling the residents that they should clear the accumulated snow from the tops of the heat pumps so they could work efficiently.  Great tip!  Unfortunately for Laurie, the task was hers to undertake… Thanks honey!

There was one other clear area on the deck…under the grill!  This wren found it and repeatedly used it for shelter and as a good place to eat the seeds recovered from our feeder.

We had lots of hungry visitors at our ‘bird stations’.  That cardinal was so puffed up it looked like he was wearing a coat.  Not a great photo of the Flicker on the suet cake…but he was very appreciative of the high energy meal.  As for that robin…and a lot of them were hanging around before the storm…he looks confused.  Where’s the water he expected in this birdbath?!

We still have a wooded lot along one side of our home and it stretches back into a wooded common area.  In the late spring, summer and early fall, the deer like to bed down back here.  There’s not much shelter at this time of the year…but the snow revealed that a deer did bound through our back yard sometime after the storm.

Today…1/17/24…it is sunny and blue skies rule!  This photo shows the front edge of the wooded lot next to our house.

This post storm view of the snow is similar to the first photo in this post…looking up the street toward Steve and Sue’s home.  The difference is the blue skies and sunshine!

For those of you who live in ‘north country’, a snow storm like this one causes massive cancellations and closures here in East Tennessee.  All of our village offices, restaurants and recreation centers closed.  Local medical offices and of course, schools are closed.  Someone called the local Food Lion Grocery Store yesterday and the manager answered.  The store was open but he was the only employee on the premises!  He did say that another member of the staff was trying to come in to work…

…and of course I had to include a photo looking from our deck toward the lake.  Another positive resulting from the snow is the temporary covering of white over the ugly and muddy lot behind us where a new house is being built.

It’s too cold to melt much of the snow at the moment but we should be able to see some improvements over the next 2 days…and then we’re back in the deep freeze over the weekend.  Our Japanese maple tree with its icicles provides proof of some snow melting in the eves as the sun does its job.

What else will winter bring our way?

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by to see what’s going on in East Tennessee.

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave