>We've been seeing alot of reports of the terrible snow and ice you guys are
>having up there. Is it really as bad as it looks?
>
>Concerned,
>
>Peggi
>Ben & Peggi Rodgers
>Aptos, CA (near Santa Cruz)
>USA
>woodduck at cruzio.com
>
>"A bird does not sing because it has an answer,
> It sings because it has a song"


Ben & Peggi,

I can't speak for western Washington and Oregon because I'm an Eastsider
(near Yakima Wa). Here we have had twice the annual snowfall so far this
year. Three storms have brought more than a foot of snow each; season total
now at 55"+. Yesterday saw an all-time record snowdepth of 27." The first
storm in November brought along a little bonus - we were without power for
68 hours too.

As I write this, its pouring with rain at 32 F. There's a glaze 2" thick on
top of the fluffy stuff. We are worried as our afternoon test of snow loads
showed between 24 and 28 lbs per sq. foot in a region where the code is 30
lbs per sq. foot. We got into high gear getting the stuff off our homes and
warehouses.

I can't imagine being a junco or a White-crowned Sparrow or any other ground
feeder in this snowy land less I had in inside skinny on a great feeder.
Surely this is crunch time out in the wilds - with many thousands of birds
and other critters succumbing every day right in our little area.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA