Snow ... snow ... and more snow

If you live in Northeast (or northern) Michigan, have you run out of place to put the snow from your sidewalks and driveway? I think I just ran out this morning.

Sunday’s snowfall of 6.3 inches was a record in Alpena for Jan. 18. It brought our total accumulation for this season to 83.6, which is 42.4 inches above normal for this time of year. Last year was above normal too — by 2.9 inches.

We are 3 1/2 feet above normal snowfall for the year. The worst part (for those of us who no longer have anywhere to put it) is that it’s still only Jan. 19. Heaven help us if this keeps up for the next couple months.

For weeks I’ve been lugging the snow that gets thrown into my driveway by the snow plows about 15 feet and tossing it where there wasn’t as much snow alongside the house. I now have a snowbank along my driveway has run out of room. The next step is to throw it at the back of my driveway. The only problem with that would be the extra weight of the heavy snow might crush the shrubs I have along the patio.

We really could use some warmer weather (a sunny day at the very least) to help compact some of the snow. Unfortunately, snow is in the forecast for most of the days leading up to the weekend.