Volume 12 , Issue 4

Duchess' Snowy Domain

As we round the last corner of January 2010, we have had a couple or three days of reprieve from snow storms here in the San Juan mountains of Southwest Colorado, but it has been downright chilly with temps in the high 20s and low 30s during the day and dropping to negative figures at night. BUT . . . Isn't that to be expected during Wintertime?

Last Monday evening the snow began to fall here in the San Juan mountains of Southwest Colorado. With twelve hour breaks, it snowed for the next four days, adding an additional twenty-six (26) inches of fresh snow North of Bayfield. Our snow gauge at the end of Friday evening and into Saturday measured a total of 43 inches, of which 17 inches was the compacted base of the December 2009 snow. Do I have you confused yet?

Anyway . . . as of Sunday our 43 inches of snow compacted down to 38 inches. Thursday and Friday's snow were of the heavy, wet variety. There were some reports of avalanches and short power outages around Vallecito, and others areas near Durango.

They say that the 35 inches that fell in Durango is also Durango's total for January, which is more than twice the average January snowfall of 16.9 inches.

The historical record for snowfall in January occurred in 1916 when 74 inches fell. The 2nd- and 3rd-highest snowfalls for January occurred in 1980 when 58-inches fell -- in 1957 when 58 inches fell.

The photo above, taken by Robert L. Wagner, 22 January 2010, shows a panorama view from the backside of a cabin up at Vallecito Lake where the snow slid down the cliffs onto the back patio blocking the occupants from opening the backdoor.

There were other avalanches around here and near Durango, Colorado as well. On County Road (CR) 500, south of what some referr to as Wits Ends there was an avalance of snow measuring eight feet deep and 800 feet length that blocked CR 500.

The sun did come out, finally, Saturday, Sunday and Today, Monday. Looks like we have another snowstorm waiting on the horizon for Wednesday of this week. Southwest Colorado's average snowfall for January is usually around 16.9 inches. So . . . We have practically doubled that amount so far and January is not over yet. The skiers and resorts are loving, though.

As to this week's OkieLegacy ezine, we are exploring and sharing some history of that famous "Westpoint of the West," known as Kemper Military School, that our Uncle Robert Lee McGill attended in 1937 and 1938 before he advanced to University of Kentucky.

By the way, one of the students during that time was from a town in Oklahoma called "Wolco." Where is/was Wolco, Oklahoma? In Osage county? This NW Okie had never heard of Wolco. Can someone enlighten us and share some legacies of Wolco, Osage county, Oklahoma? Thanks for your help!
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