We've had the second-highest February dump of snow on record and March sometimes brings blizzards that writers of fiction wouldn't get away with.
The annual flood watch has begun, for the Red River (of the north) frequently wreaks havoc from at least Fargo, N.D., north to Lake Manitoba, the south end of which is about 60 miles north of Winnipeg and into which the Red ultimately drains. It's a giant flood plain.
Whether the river floods depends on the flood plain's winter and "spring" accumulation of snow, and I think North Dakota received more than Manitoba did — and March awaits.
Nearly all of Winnipeg is protected from flooding by the floodway, built in the '60s, a big ditch to the west of Winnipeg from the Red south of the city to about 20 or 25 miles north of it where it rejoins the Red.
But Manitoba towns and farms south of Winnipeg are not so protected, and neither are any municipalities in North Dakota. Fargo's been devastated at least twice in recent memory, as has Grand Forks.
Winter hangs around until April, with snowfall often in May. Then with a boing the leaves spring out and it can hit 100°F, as it did last August 8, at which point I half-heartedly wished for snow.
Winter has a long way to go yet but, hopefully, with no more snow.
![[Linked Image]](https://gozamite.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/1uv6l0.jpg "[Linked Image]")
