29. A relaxing weekend; storms Sunday night across northern Wisconsin.
I was able to spend a great weekend with friends down near Rib Lake, with perfect weather as a bonus.
We took some time and went to Big Falls County Park, technically in Price County but in reality only a little ways northwest of Medford.
Big Falls hasn't changed much since I visited it four years ago, but the water was a little higher with recent rainfall.
Pictures from my previous visit can be found on my website, here.In addition, I found a great set of photographs and information from Big Falls County Park on this website, from CentralWisconsin.net.
Big Falls is a series of rapids on the South Fork of the Jump River. The southern fork starts near the Price/Oneida county border and flows southwest, joins up with the North Fork, and eventually empties into the Chippewa River at Holcombe Flowage.
The source of the river's name is the source of minor local controversy. Some say that the name comes from the many rapids which mark nearly the upper half of its course, while others maintain that the river was so-named because a 19th century forest fire jumped the river. Its name in Ojibwe does not shed light to its present name either, since the Ojibwa call this stream Manidoons-ziibi ("Little Spirit River").
Sunday evening hail.
As I was travelling north on Highway 13 through Price and Ashland counties, storm clouds were building.
In-between dark cloud bases, cumulus congestus and a few small cumulonimbi were visible in the distance to the north and west.
The pavement was wet and a few sprinkles fell on the windshield, but the main storms held off until I was north of the region. I was entering the city of Ashland when Duluth's radar scanned this image (above). Three reports of hail triggered Severe Thunderstorm Warnings across Sawyer, Ashland, and Price counties.
16:55. 0.75" hail. Springbrook (2W), Washburn Co. 17:00. 0.75" hail. Stone Lake, Sawyer Co. 17:55. 0.75" hail. Park Falls (1W), Price Co.
The storms were ongoing from earlier in the day across northeast Minnesota, but briefly flared up in strength across northwestern Wisconsin in the late-afternoon heating. These storms continued their trek southeast, but continued to weaken as the sun began setting.
Pictures from my previous visit can be found on my website, here. In addition, I found a great set of photographs and information from Big Falls County Park on this website, from CentralWisconsin.net.
Sunday evening hail.