Freedom — March 17, 2010 — Since my last report on January 28, winter weather as been on a slow retreat and is almost gone. No plow truck since January and the only snow is a few piles in the shaded areas.

I drove past King Pine twice today.  The hills are covered in white but no cars in the parking lots or activity on the hills.  The lakes along Rt. 153 continue to be ice covered from shore to shore.  Frost heaves in the roads are also retreating.

The Ossipee Lake area has received very little of the rain and high winds being reported to the southern part of the state.  Water level was down to 404.5′ by the end of February (about as low as it goes in the winter.)  Then the warm weather and some light rain came in starting in late February.

In 6 days the water level went up about 2.5′ and was within 6″ of the 407.25 summer level. Warm weather continued so snowmelt kept the level above 406.2 until last Sunday/Monday when light rain returned.

In three days the level shot up almost 2′ and should crest out around 408.25′ early on Thursday. No rain predicted until sate Sunday or Monday.

I was at the dam late today. Everything is wide open and the water is flowing through as fast as laws of physics will allow.  No ice in the dam area.

If the average drop of 1.2″ from a high water mark holds true, the level will not be down to summer 407.25 until March 27th – and then there is the potential rain next Monday.

The good news in all of this is the frost has gone out of North Broad Bay Rd. and all of the standing water is gone.  Some of the future rain may sink in rather than run off.

ICE OUT:  Last year it was out at 11am on April 23rd.  Earliest Ice Out was Mar. 28, 1921 and latest was May 12, 1888.  This year we will be some place between these dates. (Ice has been out of the North end of Broad Bay for the last two days thanks to the flow from the Danforths.)

NEW DAM CONSTRUCTION:  The contractor did finally complete the test borings for the new dam. High water into late December kept the equipment out of the area until a cold, snowy day around New Years Day. Design of the new structure is scheduled for completion by the end of 2010.