Phenology

Observations by Gary Fewless for Green Bay WI (Lat.N 44.51° Long. W 88.02° ), except as noted. For flowers lacking conspicuous petals or sepals I define "anthesis" as release of pollen by mature anthers.

January 2003

Observations by Gary Fewless, except as noted

Date	Observation (Click on links for photos)
Jan 31	We are currently in the midst of our first substantial snow of the winter, by my standards at least. Area forecasters are predicting 4-7 inches, Green Bay (Gary Fewless). [we got 5.4 inches]gf Total snowfall for the month was 9.6 inches. The average snowfall for January is 13.9 inches. Total snowfall for the winter so far is 15.6 inches compared to the average of 32.1.
Jan 30	There is still a large area of open water at the mouth of the Fox River, City of Green Bay. Numerous geese and ducks are attracted to the area (Gary Fewless).
Jan 28	Low precipitation and high evaporation are contributing to a continued decline in the water level of Lake Michigan. The level is down about 0.3 ft in January and is now about 0.5 ft below the level of January last year.
Jan 27	This mornings low temperature of -10F is the coldest to date in Green Bay.
Jan 26	New low temperature for the winter of -7F, Green Bay (Gary Fewless).
Jan 25	We received 0.4 inches of snow, but the winter total to date is over 20 inches below the average, Green Bay (Gary Fewless).
Jan 21	This morning's low temperature of -4 is our lowest temperature of the winter to date, Green Bay (Gary Fewless). Northeastern Wisconsin is essentially snow free, as shown in this photo of the Lake Michigan shoreline in Door County (Gary Fewless).
Jan 20	Coming back from a cold snap weekend, black ice has formed over the Fox river. Finches singing. Neville Public Museum (Matt Welter).
Jan 11	Very little snow on the ground as shown here at Marinette County, Cauldron Falls area where the ground is essentially snow-free in sites open to the sun (Gary Fewless).
Jan 09	Yesterday's high temperature of 49F was a record for that date (previous record 43!). There is a large area of open water at the mouth of the Fox River (Gary Fewless).
Jan 08	A second day of unseasonably warm weather has melted most of the little snow we had (high temperature of 41 yesterday). The ground is basically snow-free at UWGB, although the ponds remain frozen. Even most of northern Wisconsin is reporting no more than 2-3 inches of snow and many areas are essentially snow-free(Gary Fewless). The warm weather has also resulted in thinner ice than usual and 5 people have drowned on Wisconsin lakes in the last week or so. The WIDNR urges extreme caution.
Jan 07	The water level of Lake Michigan (and Green Bay) normally rises and falls about 1 foot over the course of each year, reaching a peak in about July and a low point in February. The decline this year was about 70% greater than the long term average for the period of July-Dec (15.5 inches versus 9 inches). The December water level is only about 4 inches above the December level of 2001, the year in which Lake Michigan later reached the lowest water level in over 30 years. Lack of ice cover on the lake and warmer winter temperatures increase the loss of water through evaporation, and precipitation in the Lake Michigan Basin in 2002 was about 2 inches (6%) lower than the long term annual average. About 225,000 Canada Geese (not a typo) reported from the Christmas bird count (Jan 4) on Green Lake!! (wisbirdnet). The high temperature for today was 41F (the record high is 44) and the low was 27, compared to the averages of 24 and 6 respectively.
Jan 06	Green Bay received a total of about 1.5 inches of snow on Saturday and Sunday.
Jan 03	It seems to me that there are more Canade Geese than usual this winter in the Green Bay Area (Gary Fewless). Canada Geese at the mouth of the Fox River.
Jan 02	Several Double-crested Cormorants have been reported in the Fox River below the Depere dam (wisbirdnet).
Jan 01	December 2002 temperatures were a little above average. See the attached graph of Green Bay high and low temperatures for 2002 and the long term average highs and lows. Both highs and lows were above average every day after the 9th.