Holy cow jel,
Is that you?
We thought WE had a lot of snow,hubby is running out of palces to pile it, our drive way is getting smaller,and smaller,but Nothing like yours.Whew!
Oh, your question, ha ha
i do place mine on top of the snow,no place else to put them,i just keep an eye on them,last month,a couple were tiddering on a little ice pryamid,i just left it, it straighted out on its own.
I am sure others will have more to say,nice seeing you over here.
Carol

wow, I think I would make a snow tunnel!
how is your car so clean? gees with the last ice storms and snow then -10 degrees my white car is a filthy mess!

Okay, no complaints about the amount of snow I have ever had in my yard, even on the record snow years. Can't imagine how you can get new snow on top of those piles. I always thought that those lake effect snows melted away before the next storm.

If they were placed in an area that only had the snow that naturally fell and not anything that was added by you then I think it's all good. After all that is what Ma Nature would be dealing with as well.

WOW!!

Hopefully lblack will respond to your post. She has to deal with the same kinds of snowfalls and a couple of years back - if not last year - she had a humongous amount. Being a seasoned winter sower she would be the best person to answer your question.

I cannot fathom dealing with that amount of snow on a continuous basis...

I can relate, somewhat. I used to live in Marquette, but I wasn't into wintersowing then. I'm in Grand Rapids now, and I've already had some containers go tumbling when the snow under them melted. I was hoping that the "soil" inside would be frozen solid and prevent much shifting as they fell, but it must have been warm enough to melt the soil as well. There was quite a bit of upheaval inside the containers. I've been wondering if I could just put my containers in the garage until the snow melted enough to clear off some flat surfaces. I can't imagine that the seeds have any need of sunlight at this point. Fortunately, I can still kick my way down to my deck and set my containers there. They should be safe. Do you have any room in a garage?

Martha

All I can think of is digging a tunnel. Do you have kids? I know my son would love to build a fort in all that snow! Every year his father helps to build an igloo/fort, and every year it gets bigger and bigger.

I don't have to deal with quite the extent of show you are however, plenty with lots of drifting.

I do just plunk them in the snowbanks. I put a lot of my containers in bread crates so I can move a group at a time. This does help them from toppling over too bad when the snow melts as well.

When the snow does melt in the spring I do have to check daily to make sure the containers are not falling over, or that I have not piled them on top of each other. The good news is that usually the snow does not melt that fast under the containers so I can catch them in time. Also, they tend to be pretty frozen yet at that point so those that do tip a little don't spill.

I hope that helps you some :)

jel48 - I can relate to your problem. We were once stationed at K I Sawyer AFB in the UP and it was just like that. Our last winter there was the worst one and we had 304 inches. If you are careful how you shovel, you can lay plywood across the top and park under it. LOL Some mornings we would have to go out the back door to shovel our way to the front door and the next time reverse that process, depending on which way the wind was blowing. We had moved there from Alaska so my children were not new to cold temps but they had always played outdoors in winter. They would try to play out in Michigan, but they would take two steps on top of the snow, then bury up to their neck on the third step, etc. There was no stablity to it at all unless it was in an area that was packed down daily.

We not only had to clear a space for our car to be parked next to the house to plug in the heater, but we had to shovel the small neighborhood streets so we could get to the main streets where the snow plows worked. I worked in government contracting and at times we had to hire contractors to haul the snow away because you just ran out of places to put it. They kept hospital parkings and business lots plowed, but it was impossible for them to do parking lots in the housing areas. I feel your pain.

Looks a lot like my house, Jel. I live on the east side of Lake Ontario, so Lake Effect is a way of life here too. (They say us folks that grew up and live around the Great Lakes have our own culture. God knows we have our own weather! :-)

My Method of Dealing with Jugs,Drifts,Snowpack:
I put my jugs on the ground. And I also put bunches of them in large, clear plastic bags:

1# because it keeps them together and easy to drag around the yard
2# it keeps the dogs from dragging them off
3# I can toss the whole thing outside on a snow drift without worrying about them blowing away.
In all, it's "Safety-- and strength-- in numbers".

Right now, I can 't see any of the containers I put outside because they are covered in snow. One batch is on the ground, the other batch is on top of a snow drift and because of Saturday's storm, its completely covered with snow on top as well.
I find that in the Spring, as the snow melts, the containers that are on top of snow drifts ease down gradually. Occasionally, I might have to go out and readjust them, but usually not.
--We're supposed to be getting more snow today. It took three hours plus for my husband to clear the driveway and make a path to the back of the house. I'd better get my jugs of Tomato seeds out there before the door gets snowed close again!

Linda

It might also not be a bad idea (because you mention the lots are small there), to dig a hole in a drift and sink the jugs in there. If you're starting to WS after you already have a significant amount of snow, I don't think it would hurt to pile the crates of jugs on top of each other. Do you have crates or pallets? That might work pretty well that way.

Linda

Snowblow a tunnel.

Or put them along the leeward side of a heated building. You should have less snow drifted there.

I was thinking of putting mine in cardboard boxes just to give them some stand up support. I don't think they will fall apart till spring so when the snow melts hopefully they won't tip over.

Stay away from the husband! Lol

I truly cannot even imagine snow like that. The car door is open in the photo?! I would think winter sowing would be the least of your problems in weather like this!! WOW!

Our trip to sunny Arizona was canceled due to DH taking up with...the flu.
Had to return here to see your photo again to remind myself that it could be worse.

OH MY GOSH Joyce!! That is AMAZING!! I can't imagine how you could get yer jugs on top of that Mountain!! I think I would have to try the tunnel in the snowbank approach- but where would you put the snow??
Soonergrandmom- what a great visual- I love the snow garage image! I couldn't help chuckle out loud at the poor kids playing in the DEEP snow- I have been there myself!
MN Wintersow Gal- Sorry to hear about your canceled vacation- I do hope he feels better soon- and that you don't get it!
Julie

Greetings Yooper! I found this post and thought of you!

Posted by dirtbert z4 (My Page) on Thu, Jan 1, 09 at 21:27

wahooo just started today. 15 or so different perennials, about 32 containers.
Worst part was having to shovel a spot near the greenhouse to put the buggers out. Learned the hard way last year just plopping them in the snow bank when the snow melted unevenly and the containers toppled over.
now I'll just have to wait a bit yet before wsing the annuals...

At least in answers the question what happens when the snow melts!
-B

That is so funny brandymulvaine that you dug that up :)

I went out to clear a space for some more and now the snow has covered what I already had out there. Started shoveling and found some pots of ws perennials from last year that didn't make it out to the garden.

So, I'm just going to stack the crates/boxes of wsing jugs on top of the snow bank where I suspect a few others are under the snow.

The snow melts slowly enough in the spring I can rearrange before everything topples over in a big mess.

I certainly don't have the snow that jel is contending with, well not yet anyways!

You know, I've had to come back and read this post again and again. It's finally registering with me...15 feet of snow. 15 feet of snow.
What to do when the snow is that deep? HIDE IN THE HOUSE.
Now I know there's a place worse than here. I feel better already.

Linda

Jel48,
I live just a little south of you :-)
In Northwestern Lower Michigan not quite that much snow but I did have a heated debate with the snowplow driver about where I wanted to put all the snow he was piling in the driveway!!LOL!! Not really his fault, we live on a corner so we get "leftovers" from the busy road next to us-did you know it's a law in Michigan that you can't throw the snow back into the street?(trying to remember WHY I agreed to move up here!)
-B

Great Picture I showed my 17 year old son he said "wow cool I'd like to live there"
Ya right can't get him to shovel out a decent amount for mail man to drive up to box. We've only got about a foot of snow!! lol

When we lived in the UP, I would tell people that I considered suicide by jumping from my second story window until I learned it was only three feet to the snow. LOL

Now that you have a picture of the snow to view.....think about spring thaw.....and dealing with that mud. Nope, the UP isn't for sissies.