In like a lion, out like a lamb.  That’s the cliché we all like to associate with March, although to be fair, your mileage will vary based on your experience with the two animals.  This past week, however, has been a fair demonstration of the underlying principle.  From wildly vacillating temperatures and winds, to the upsetting of events calendars, the season is off to a predictably unpredictable start.  While spring doesn’t officially begin until after the weekend, it’s fair to say that the long winter has whetted most people’s appetites for a change.  And so far, the signs have been mixed.

Signs of the season

Frost Law

The Frost Law is in effect in Oneida County until it is revoked by the county administration.  The Frost Law is designed to save wear and tear on the county roadways during the period of thawing, when local road surfaces tend to “soften” due to the expansion and increased flexibility of the asphalt.  The current Oneida County Frost Law designations are for vehicles with a total weight of 10K lbs (including buses, which have an average weight of over twice that limit), as well as tractor trailers, and large livestock trailers.  The Frost Law also includes vehicles with a per axle weight of 14K lbs, which includes semis.  The speed limit for vehicles fitting into that designation is 30 mph on county roads.  The restrictions generally stay in place for the duration of the spring months with a significant amount of freeze/thaw.  Higher speeds on roads can cause a certain amount of buckling and rippling on asphalt roads, especially during braking at stop signs.

Come-and-Go weather

Spring is typically the season of getting back outside for sports, and baseball and softball are certainly the iconic outdoor spring sports in the area. Last week’s opening baseball and softball events in American Falls had to be canceled as a result of weather that, with the wind chill, sunk into the single digits.  Luckily, this weekend’s events were able to move forward under much nicer weather just a few days later.

Lingering Snow and Upcoming Flooding

Once the weather makes a full turn around the corner, flooding from uphill runoff and mud from the water-logged ground will become a familiar seasonal hazard.  During the warmer days of the last few weeks, anyone who had reason to visit the Oneida County Event Center or the parking lot near the city park ballfields has direct experience with the potential for deep and clinging mud.  The snow collection areas around the city have also started to melt, leaving a number of watery zones to be wary of.  The water is very welcome, of course, though some of the accompanying puddles are less so.  The city and the county have both been in recent discussions regarding flood abatement, with a number of projects underway that it is hoped will reduce some of the flooding issues in the future—especially on Bannock Street, which is the subject of the city’s major public works project underway—though this spring is likely to be another wet one and muddy one.

Spring Break Approaches

It can be hard to think of Spring Break while snow is still on the ground, but nonetheless, the yearly school holiday approaches.  This year’s Spring Break is scheduled for the week of Monday the 28.  Spring Break often also marks the beginning of the increasing gas prices that are a feature of modern life.  This year, of course, the problem is exacerbated by the global oil market, which has led to record-high gas prices across much of the world.  As of press time, Malad’s gas prices are at $4.39/gallon for Regular, which is likely to increase at least somewhat over the next several weeks.  A recent announcement by OPEC about potentially releasing more oil into the market has held prices relatively steady for the last several days, but the future is nothing if not unpredictable.  

If the current gas situation makes a trip to the beaches of Florida or California (or even Bear Lake) less likely, consider some of the local possibilities.  The Ag Extension Office will be hosting a week of “Intro to 4-H” classes during the week, to introduce those interested to the kinds of activities and information 4-H provides.

The Iron Door Playhouse will kick off Spring Break weekend with a Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival, featuring performers from the Cowboy Poets of Idaho and International Western Music Association on Friday the 25 and Saturday the 26.

Regionally, Lagoon will hold its opening weekend on the 26 and 27.  The park will also be open on the 2 and 3 of April.  The Park officially opens full time the first week of May.

Pebble Creek Ski Mountain outside of Inkom, Idaho will be holding its Kings Pond Skim event, where skiers and snowboarders can attempt to traverse the thawing Kings Pond with their gear.  Even for spectators, the event is generally very entertaining.