Foggy with a chance of potholes (Updated)

We got our February thaw this week, though the temperatures never got into the 50s as some forecasts promised. The warmer weather did melt some snow but there is still plenty left. On Thursday afternoon the moist, warm air met the cold snow and we had dense fog, something we have not seen for a while. It was pretty but with visibility down to a few hundred yards, it made driving dangerous.

 Something else making driving difficult are the ubiquitous potholes. Now that the roads have lost their layer of ice, the holes are more noticeable.

The pothole shown above looks like it had already been filled once.

The river has risen a bit but it is far from flood stage. We did not get enough rain or enough snow melting to cause serious problems. The forecast is for cooler weather in the days ahead, so we will still have lots of snow well into March.

Only four more weeks until spring--if the vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring.

Do you remember years when we had crocuses blooming in February?

A windmill in Benton County caught fire this morning. A video is here.

Update: (Friday evening) The pothole shown above was filled this afternoon when I passed by.

A train derailed in Newton County today.

I traveled over to Monticello this morning and was surprised by how much water was standing in the fields. Every low spot in the fields seemed to be flooded. There were a couple places along SR 114 east of Rensselaer where the water was running over the road. Below you can see a beautiful little lake that is not supposed to be there.

There seemed to be less snow on the ground by Monticello than there is in Rensselaer. Perhaps they started with a bit less, or perhaps they got a bit more melting.

The high water was apparently the reason that school was delayed for two hours this morning.

The Rensselaer Central School Board has decided to make up snow days with longer school days during most of the rest of the year.