Winter Weather

2/10/15 Weather Update

Date of Storm	Total snowfall	Man-Hours
November 26	5”	20 hours
January 3rd	3”	23 hours
January 9th	2”	15 hours
January 24th	5”	23 hours
January 27th	33”	56 hours
February 2nd	14”	46 hours
February 5th	4”	23 hours
February 7-9th	16”	46 hours
Total	82”	252 hours

• Our records indicate the total snowfall for last winter (2013-2014) was approx. 86 inches
• This year we are on pace for much more, as of Feb. 10, 2015 we have received over 6 feet in the past 2.5 weeks alone, with many forecasts predicting more snow. 
• The above chart, produced by local news before the storm had even ended, indicates the record snowfall in a very short window, noting both records broken for the 20 day and 30 day.  Furthermore, we are on pace to beat the 40 day record.
• The high winds have also been a factor with large snow drifts which results in more time spent plowing.

ANOTHER HISTORIC & EXTREME WINTER IN THE MAKING

@ Vesper-Country Club

Below is more info on the weather-related issues we are currently experiencing at Vesper:

Ice: Small pockets of minor ice formed on the course January 4^th, but this was not a significant concern. However, major ice formation occurred following 0.8 inches of rain and a brief warm-up on January 18^th.

·         (More about) Snow: We were optimistic that we would get some more melting of the ice pictured above, after all it had been a relatively snow-less winter. That hope was lost on January 27^th. The historic Blizzard, Juno, dumped close to 3 feet on Vesper and the snow has not stopped since. This winter to date, we have received about 82 inches of snow! (Average for the entire winter is 52 inches) The City of Boston and the National Weather Service just announced that it has been the snowiest 30 day period in the history of the City, beating the previous record set in 1978!

·         Temperature: The months of January and February have also set record lows, on Jan. 8^th it was -6⁰F, on Feb. 4^th it was    -2⁰F, and Feb. 6^th was -5⁰F. Wind-chill values as low as -20 below have been felt at Vesper. Recent forecast suggests that the temperatures over the next 10 days may be the coldest observed in many years.

·         What are our current concerns with turfgrass health?

First to refresh our memories of last winter. We had significant damage to our weak grasses, (Poa annua and perennial ryegrass), but no noticeable damage to our bentgrass putting green surfaces. We know last winter was also extreme in nature, but the type and timing of the weather events are distinctly different from last year to this year.

-Winter 2013-14: Ice encasement duration was 11.5 weeks (Dec. 23^rd-March 15^th)

-Winter 2014-15 Ice encasement duration is 4 weeks and counting…

We are confident that ice encasement caused damage last year, but most agronomists and peer superintendents also agree that the majority of the turfgrass in our region was compromised when temperatures rose to nearly 60 degrees, followed by sudden flash freezes. This scenario occurred several times last winter. Thankfully this has not been the case this winter.

·         Are we going to remove snow from the putting greens this winter?

As most are aware, we removed snow and applied black sand to help melt the ice on many of the putting greens last winter. We performed this procedure several times. We were able to do this because we had the opportunity (meaning an extended period of warmer temps, conducive to melting.) Also, the moderate snow depth allowed us to access the greens with our equipment. We needed to do this because we were approaching 90 days under ice. Research has suggested that modern bentgrass can survive 90-120 days under ice encasement. Our weaker grasses, Poa annua and Perennial Ryegrass can only survive for about 45 days.

At this point, if we follow the 90 day theory, we would need to consider taking action as we approach the last week of March. If snow depths remain this extreme all the way to the end of March, we would need to consider acquiring large industrial snow removal equipment to assist in the process. Our equipment is no match for the current snow-pack.