Most people visit Lily Dale during the summer months and some people visit during spring and autumn, but it is truly a rare person who decides to brave the drive to Lily Dale in the thick of winter. Why is that? Well today is your lucky day because, in this blogpost, I intend to give you a real sense of the variety of weather that Lily Dale experiences in the off-season...
Yesterday we took a walk - Before we left the house, I recall remarking to my husband to hurry because it was going to rain and he replied that the weather forecast wasn't calling for rain. As we set out, it was mildly cold with cloudy skies. Two streets later, the rain came (of medium intensity, not enough to put us off our walk). Then the rain cleared off and we walked a few more streets without precipitation.
Eventually, we arrived at the pavillion on the lake to watch the swans mingling with a group of visiting geese. The sun peeked out and a beautiful rainbow beamed across the lake, one leg of the colorful arc was on the far side of Glasgow Rd and the other leg was in Mud Lake. We felt blessed to be there in that serene and brilliant moment, especially because it was an unseasonably warm January 1st and the beginning of a New Year.
Within in a couple hours, the wind picked up and we were experiencing the high winds that weathermen had predicted. The wind blew so hard that it must have blown a snowstorm our way because by dinnertime the snow was falling. And this morning, we had six inches of ultra white snow with another 7-11 inches expected tonight.
One of the ways I typically describe the winters in Lily Dale to other people: You have to GET HARDY or GET OUT! *smile*
After each snowfall I try to remember to utilize my snow shoveling meditation. [Yes, I have a snow shoveling meditation.] I often tease that the official winter sport of Lily Dale is snowshovelling with snowblowing a close second. My son (now age 3) even has his own blue snowshovel. And thank goodness he helps with the snow tasks because last year the snow pile in front of my house was as tall as my porch roof.
Because the houses are closed together, we sometimes have difficulty finding places to put the snow. For you see, Lily Dale was originally established as a summer camp in 1879, but within a few years some folks desired to stay year-round (God bless them). In those early years, there was also a private business that harvested ice from Cassadaga Lake using draft horses. And for those who adore snow and wintersports (skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, skating), the areas surrounding Lily Dale have much to offer.
Honestly, I am not complaining --- it has been unseasonably warm and snow free here. In fact, today's weather is the first real sign of snow that we have had this year - which is very peculiar because we typically have had a snow storm or two or three by now. We didn't even have a 'White Christmas'.
Why is this peculiar? Lily Dale is frequently in the path of snow because it is located along the Chautauqua Ridge. When winter arrives, lake effect storms drop an average of more than 200 inches of snowfall along the Chautauqua Ridge, and the landscape becomes a winter lover’s paradise. Typically, from December through late March, snowmobilers, cross country enthusiasts, and downhill skiers are in snow heaven.
Geographically speaking, two of the more well-known towns near Lily Dale are Jamestown (25 minutes) and Fredonia (15 minutes). Why is this important? Usually if Fredonia has snow, then Jamestown does not have snow; and vice versa, if Jamestown has snow, then Fredonia does not have snow. And because Lily Dale is located between the two towns, whenever Fredonia or Jamestown have snow then Lily Dale has MORE SNOW, especially if both towns miraculously have snow. People in this area joke about how there is a particular stretch of a few miles along Route 60 between Jamestown and Fredonia and that when you cross the invisible line you are in the Weather Zone.
So that is what a typical winter is like here in Lily Dale --- Jack Frost will be here tomorrow morning with windchills of -5. Welcome to winter in Lily Dale!
Yesterday we took a walk - Before we left the house, I recall remarking to my husband to hurry because it was going to rain and he replied that the weather forecast wasn't calling for rain. As we set out, it was mildly cold with cloudy skies. Two streets later, the rain came (of medium intensity, not enough to put us off our walk). Then the rain cleared off and we walked a few more streets without precipitation.
Eventually, we arrived at the pavillion on the lake to watch the swans mingling with a group of visiting geese. The sun peeked out and a beautiful rainbow beamed across the lake, one leg of the colorful arc was on the far side of Glasgow Rd and the other leg was in Mud Lake. We felt blessed to be there in that serene and brilliant moment, especially because it was an unseasonably warm January 1st and the beginning of a New Year.
Within in a couple hours, the wind picked up and we were experiencing the high winds that weathermen had predicted. The wind blew so hard that it must have blown a snowstorm our way because by dinnertime the snow was falling. And this morning, we had six inches of ultra white snow with another 7-11 inches expected tonight.
One of the ways I typically describe the winters in Lily Dale to other people: You have to GET HARDY or GET OUT! *smile*
After each snowfall I try to remember to utilize my snow shoveling meditation. [Yes, I have a snow shoveling meditation.] I often tease that the official winter sport of Lily Dale is snowshovelling with snowblowing a close second. My son (now age 3) even has his own blue snowshovel. And thank goodness he helps with the snow tasks because last year the snow pile in front of my house was as tall as my porch roof.
Because the houses are closed together, we sometimes have difficulty finding places to put the snow. For you see, Lily Dale was originally established as a summer camp in 1879, but within a few years some folks desired to stay year-round (God bless them). In those early years, there was also a private business that harvested ice from Cassadaga Lake using draft horses. And for those who adore snow and wintersports (skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, skating), the areas surrounding Lily Dale have much to offer.
Honestly, I am not complaining --- it has been unseasonably warm and snow free here. In fact, today's weather is the first real sign of snow that we have had this year - which is very peculiar because we typically have had a snow storm or two or three by now. We didn't even have a 'White Christmas'.
Why is this peculiar? Lily Dale is frequently in the path of snow because it is located along the Chautauqua Ridge. When winter arrives, lake effect storms drop an average of more than 200 inches of snowfall along the Chautauqua Ridge, and the landscape becomes a winter lover’s paradise. Typically, from December through late March, snowmobilers, cross country enthusiasts, and downhill skiers are in snow heaven.
Geographically speaking, two of the more well-known towns near Lily Dale are Jamestown (25 minutes) and Fredonia (15 minutes). Why is this important? Usually if Fredonia has snow, then Jamestown does not have snow; and vice versa, if Jamestown has snow, then Fredonia does not have snow. And because Lily Dale is located between the two towns, whenever Fredonia or Jamestown have snow then Lily Dale has MORE SNOW, especially if both towns miraculously have snow. People in this area joke about how there is a particular stretch of a few miles along Route 60 between Jamestown and Fredonia and that when you cross the invisible line you are in the Weather Zone.
So that is what a typical winter is like here in Lily Dale --- Jack Frost will be here tomorrow morning with windchills of -5. Welcome to winter in Lily Dale!
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