These accumulations of snow and ice would simply get bigger when the snow arrived the next winter and the next and the next. The whole process was a kind of “snowball” effect of accumulation. Eventually that pile of snow would grow into a glacier. Those glaciers and perpetual ice fields would merge into a continental ice sheet. In Ohio, the last ice sheet was a mile high.
Ever since I learned that, I’ve suspiciously watched those solitary drifts of snow on the perpetually shaded north side of wood lots. And I’ve always been relieved when they finally melted.
Summer lover that I am, I’m worried this year about a particular potential glacier. There is a pile of snow at Young’s’ Jersey Dairy that just is not giving up.
“The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.” was the post on Young’s' Facebook Page on February 4.
The big snow pile had begun with our winter storm on Jan 7. It began as a pile of all the snow scraped off that large parking lot.
Over the last month of sunny afternoons and rainy days, it’s been getting smaller. However, now that more snow is expected this coming week, more of that icy mixture will be scraped off the parking lots and added to the pile. The snow pile will essentially be rebooted. Uh oh.
I’m not the only one watching.
In January, the word went out that Young’s was taking guesses on when their snow mountain would melt. More than 4,000 customers recorded their predictions on the exact date and time that the snow pile will finally melt. The person with the closest guess to when the last little chunk of ice melts will be getting a free club Cowvin’s Pass for an adult or child. (Unlimited Merry go Round rides, miniature golf, fast slide rides, batting cages, and much more.)
“This … contest continues to blow our mind each year with all the comments and guesses,” said John Young. “Who would have thought that a snow pile picture could get people so excited?!
I asked him how long the snow has lasted in previous years.
“It’s melted anywhere from early January to middle of March and I believe it went into April one year. Of course, if we get one of those famous late season Ohio snows, it really puts us into a flurry (ha!) of activity. We did have snow not too long ago on Easter Sunday while we were laying eggs, so hopefully with it (Easter) being so late this year, we won’t have to deal with that too.”
Just like when the ice sheet receded in Greenland, all sorts of recent history is being revealed as the melt happens. I expected that some dropped ice cream cones might be part of the snow pile, but I was wrong.
“No ice cream in the pile that we’ve found… did find a few gloves and we know a customer dropped their phone in the lot when it was snowing. So we’re hoping to locate that for him at some point.”
And when will that point be? When will the snow pile be totally gone? The weatherman doesn’t even know.