There were a lot of questions about how the weather might have impacted the Valmont Owl nest. The owls nested later and the first clutch of eggs failed. At this point, we don't know whether or not there will be a second. I looked up the weather records online at one of NOAA's fine sites.
December 2006 through February 2007 saw considerably more snowfall than the preceding year:
Snowfall December January February
2005/06 6.3" 5.5" 11.42"
2006/07 45.5" 27.5" 15.3"
2005/2006 saw a snowfall total of 23.22 inches. 2006/2007 saw a snowfall total of 88.3 inches.
Snow depth was deeper in 2007 than in 2006. On February 1, 2006, the snow depth was 0". On the same date in February 2007, it was 13". However, snow depth did drop in February of 2007. By the 16th of 2007, it was down to 2". By the 19th, it was listed as 'Trace'. It stayed Trace until the 28th, when the next wave of storms arrived. Could the deep snow and stormy weather have caused the owls to nest later? It seems possible. However, while there was considerably deeper snowpack in February this year, the overall snow storms, according to the weather data, weren't that much worse in February 2007 than February 2006 - it was January that made the difference. Deeper snowpack could have made it harder for the owls to find food in February 2007, but it doesn't look like stormy weather made it too much harder to get out and look for it. The eagles, who nest in the same region, also nested later but didn't get hit by the last storm.
Mean temperature fluctuated - it was much colder in January 2007 than in 2006, but slighly warmer in February 2007 than in 2006.
Mean Temp December January February
2005/06 33.3 40.7 33.7
2006/07 33.5 27.2 34.6
It seems unlikely that temperature extremes played a role in when they started nesting.
The March records haven't been published yet (I suspect they dump monthly), but I've got a comparision of February 2006 and 2007 at the bottom of the post, for anyone who wants to download it.
I'll go ahead and look up the March records when they become available. I can say that March 2006 looked pretty balmy compared to what we observed in March 2007.
Amy Ries
Boulder Weather Data (word doc)
December 2006 through February 2007 saw considerably more snowfall than the preceding year:
Snowfall December January February
2005/06 6.3" 5.5" 11.42"
2006/07 45.5" 27.5" 15.3"
2005/2006 saw a snowfall total of 23.22 inches. 2006/2007 saw a snowfall total of 88.3 inches.
Snow depth was deeper in 2007 than in 2006. On February 1, 2006, the snow depth was 0". On the same date in February 2007, it was 13". However, snow depth did drop in February of 2007. By the 16th of 2007, it was down to 2". By the 19th, it was listed as 'Trace'. It stayed Trace until the 28th, when the next wave of storms arrived. Could the deep snow and stormy weather have caused the owls to nest later? It seems possible. However, while there was considerably deeper snowpack in February this year, the overall snow storms, according to the weather data, weren't that much worse in February 2007 than February 2006 - it was January that made the difference. Deeper snowpack could have made it harder for the owls to find food in February 2007, but it doesn't look like stormy weather made it too much harder to get out and look for it. The eagles, who nest in the same region, also nested later but didn't get hit by the last storm.
Mean temperature fluctuated - it was much colder in January 2007 than in 2006, but slighly warmer in February 2007 than in 2006.
Mean Temp December January February
2005/06 33.3 40.7 33.7
2006/07 33.5 27.2 34.6
It seems unlikely that temperature extremes played a role in when they started nesting.
The March records haven't been published yet (I suspect they dump monthly), but I've got a comparision of February 2006 and 2007 at the bottom of the post, for anyone who wants to download it.
I'll go ahead and look up the March records when they become available. I can say that March 2006 looked pretty balmy compared to what we observed in March 2007.
Amy Ries
Boulder Weather Data (word doc)
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