February 2023| Practical Self Reliance

Life in the Snow

February in Vermont is all about life in the snow and managing frost half a dozen ways. Moving snow is a frequent task, but it’s just one of the many things on the “to-do” list in February.

I drive the tractor, pushing snow out of the way in big swaths, while my husband runs the snow thrower cleaning up the edges I can’t reach.

Most people have never used a snow thrower, given that most of the population centers aren’t in heavy snowfall areas…and those that are tend to be densely populated…so the landlord takes care of that.

Given that, you probably don’t know just how tiring it is on your body. Sure, a small driveway is fine, but anything steep or twisty is a constant intense workout for your abs and quads.

Our driveway is just short of a quarter mile, and some sections don’t have any good snow-pushing spots…which means I can’t use the tractor, and it’s all done by a snow thrower.

We actually only recently got the snow thrower, and when we were in our 20’s we’d shovel it by hand, if you can believe that.

It’s a great way to keep in shape, but it’s also a great way to destroy your low back. A snow thrower on steep terrain is workout enough, and it’s a much more ergonomic way to get the job done and your workout at the same time.

While snow has its challenges, it’s manageable, especially with the right tools.

The real trouble comes when it’s “too cold to snow.”

When it gets below - 10 F (or -20 C), the air holds so little moisture that it’s difficult (though not impossible) for snow to form. Beyond that, the coldest days are often the clearest, and cloud cover usually acts as an insulating blanket on the atmosphere and keeps things a bit warmer.

This past weekend the temps dipped to -20 F (-29 C), with high winds and a windchill down to -40. It’s -40 in both Fahrenheit and Celsius, as that’s the point where both temperature measures converge and agree…and they’re agreeing that it’s darn cold.

Temperatures like that make me long for snow, an insulating blanket on the ground that keeps the frost from driving too deep into the soil and freezing things. And an insulating cloud layer that keeps things warmer than they’d otherwise be when these “arctic fronts” push through.

A foot of snow on the ground, and on top of our 2 ft deep raised beds, is enough to keep the frost from driving too deep.

A foot of snow on the ground, and on top of our 2 ft deep raised beds, is enough to keep the frost from driving too deep.

It’s a game of whack-a-mole, trying to keep most things from freezing up, while at the same time trying to keep the freezers frozen when ice storms knock out power.

At least this time of year, you can usually solve a thawing freezer by digging out your own homemade one in a snowbank.

This year has been a great year for power, and our off grid backup system has functioned flawlessly (knocks on wood). We haven’t had to worry about power, or keeping things frozen…but we have had trouble thawing things out.

That’s what you’d expect, frozen everything…and that’s what we get.

Cars need to be garaged if possible, or failing that, kept topped off with fuel. If your fuel tank is below half full, tiny ice crystals can form in the fuel lines and keep your car from starting until things warm up.

Tractors have trouble too, as diesel starts to gel at around 15 F (- 9 C). If you’ve had a humid summer, condensation can get into your hydraulic lines too, and cause them to freeze up when temps dip too low. The only way to fix that is to drain and purge the system several times.

Ask me how I know…

If there’s not a blanket of snow on the ground, the frost can drive deeper than usual and freeze water lines and septic lines. Frozen septic lines are not fun….ask me how I know.

There are other things to watch for, like frozen doors of all kinds.

House doors are frozen shut, so you can’t actually get out of your house (even when the doors open inward). Animal barns frozen shut, so you have to actually take a hammer or an axe to bash off the frost to get into the feed and water your animals. Car doors frozen shut, and trying to tap them open with a rubber mallet so you can get in…but without damage.

It’s been a while since we’ve had temps this cold—years, in fact.

When I was pregnant with my daughter eight years ago, we had a whole week where temps didn’t come above 0 F (-18 C), and the lows hit -27 F (-33 C).

My husband was out of town for work, and I was eight months pregnant, hauling feed to the animals and wood into the house. The only saving grace was it had snowed like heck that year, and there was close to 4 feet of snow on the ground in some places, which kept the ground insulated to keep the frost from driving too deep…at least here.

Still, in many places, where they’d plowed all the snow away, foundations cracked, water lines froze, and people were in trouble. One of the things you learn living here is that snow can be a blessing.

After all these years living here, I actually really love this time of year. There’s just enough to do outside to keep your blood pumping but no garden to tend to…so I can catch up on everything else indoors.

And it’s short-lived.

We’re just a week or two away from the start of sugaring season, and since we tap both Maple (early season) and Birch (late season), that’ll take us through into April. There will be buckets to haul and a sugaring arch to tend soon enough, and I’ll be thinking back to these cold days by the fire, sipping my coffee.

How are you holding up through winter in your part of the world?

Until Next Time,

Ashley at Practical Self Reliance