Leader-Herald |
Christmas is over, and the long, slow slog to spring is just beginning.
March is evidence that Mother Nature is a liar, promising a spring that doesn’t usually come until mid-April, or maybe June. July, anyone?
So, you could curl up and hide under your covers for the next four months, or you could haul your sorry carcass out from whatever rock you’re under and get busy with the winter. You could head to Schenectady, or Saratoga Springs. Maybe Aruba.
Or you could stick close to Fulton County. So, here’s what can get you out of the house:
Wednesday: The County Liners will host a free New Year’s Eve Hoedown and line dancing party from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Johnstown Moose Lodge, 109 S. Comrie Ave., Johnstown.
Thursday: The third annual First Day Hike at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter will be 1 p.m., starting at the visitor center, 129 Schoharie St.
The 1 1/2-mile loop along the Erie Canal will be followed by a marshmallow roast. Bring water and snacks, and maybe snowshoes if the snow builds up. It’s sponsored by the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Jan. 17: Amsterdam’s Soupfest will take place from noon to 5 p.m. at bars and restaurants across the city. Participants can pay $1 for 3-ounce soup samples and vote on their favorites. Prizes will be awarded for the most unique and the best.
Jan. 30 to Feb. 1: You have permission to curl up for a couple of weeks, but store some energy for the three-day Caroga Winter Carnival. It will include sleigh races, cornhole, a tug-o-war, live music, fireworks and more.
The weekend will include a vintage snowmobile show on Saturday, a lighted snowmobile parade on West Caroga Lake and fireworks. On Sunday, you can watch or take part in the outhouse races, with information at the Caroga Lakeview Store.
Expect an ice-fishing clinic for kids, a chili cook-off, a snow-volleyball tournament and other activities. Royal Mountain Ski Area and Wheelerville Trails expect to be open.
The Caroga Arts Collective will offer ice skating, carousel rides and beverages from Stump City Brewing, and a Grammy watch party will be Sunday at the Nick Stoner Inn.
Jan. 31: Decisions, decisions. The Johnstown Winter Carnival begins at noon at Recreation Park on Briggs Street, organized by the Johnstown Tourism Committee.
Expect a snow sculpture contest, or take part in the Spirits and Spoonfuls tasting event.
Feb. 15: True story: In 1791, then-Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson toured northeastern New York with his good friend, future president James Madison. On this tour of botanical specimens, Jefferson brought his enslaved chef, James Hemings. Hemings was trained in Paris, where he learned to make a bechamel sauce with cheese to be served with pasta: macaroni and cheese.
Whether that’s the inspiration for the I Heart Mac & Cheese Cookoff from noon to 4 p.m. at the Johnstown Area Community Center is a matter to consider, but the event is a fundraiser for the Johnstown Historical Society, which plans a number of events in 2026 to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Tickets are $15 in advance at Mysteries on Main Street, McLemon’s Boutique or the Drumm House Gift Shop. You can sample or compete in four categories — traditional, protein added, vegetable added and vegan. Prizes and trophies will be awarded.
If you can pry yourself off the couch, you can compete here: https://tinyurl.com/mrxk7vjm.
A sampler shows off his selection, two cups of creamed spinach and gnocchi soup inside Herk’s Tavern in Amsterdam on Jan. 13, 2024, during Soup Fest.
Amsterdam Soup Fest
A powerful winter storm was sweeping east from the Plains on Sunday, driven by what meteorologists describe as an intense cyclone that is expected to impact much of the country with a mixture of snow, ice, rain and strong winds.
“Part of the storm system is getting heavy snow, other parts of the storm along the cold front are getting higher winds and much colder temperatures as the front passes,” said Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster at the National Weather Service office in College Park, Maryland. “They’re all related to each other — different parts of the country will be receiving different effects from this storm.”
Snow and strengthening winds spread Sunday across the Upper Midwest, where the National Weather Service warned of whiteout conditions and possible blizzard conditions that could make travel impossible in some areas. Snowfall totals were expected to exceed a foot across parts of the upper Great Lakes, with up to 2 feet possible along the south shore of Lake Superior.
Waves on Lake Superior will likely top 25 feet by dawn Monday, with towering waves also projected for the other Great Lakes, forecasters said.“Since the infamous Edmund Fitzgerald storm in ’75, we’ve had zero major incidents on the lake,” said Ben Warren, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Marquette, Michigan.
Forecasts have improved substantially since 29 people perished when the Edmund Fitzgerald iron ore freighter was swallowed by Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975. The weather service had forecast waves of up to 16 feet shortly before the Edmund Fitzgerald sank.In the South, meteorologists warned of severe thunderstorms expected to signal the arrival of a sharp cold front — sometimes referred to as a “Blue Norther” — bringing a sudden plunge in temperatures and strong north winds that will end days of record warmth around the region.
The snowy holiday season in the........