Astronomy

In the early morning on Friday the 3rd look toward the Big Dipper in the northern part of the sky for the Quadrantid Meteor Shower. The 3rd is the peak day but the shower persists through January 12th, so keep getting up early to check for shooting stars!

On Saturday the 10th look for the planet Jupiter near the Moon. Monday the 13th brings the Full Wolf Moon. Wolves tend to howl more often in the winter months, perhaps because the nights are longer. This Full Moon is extra-special, because on the night of the 13th the Moon will pass in front of the planet Mars! This is called an “occultation”. The occultation of Mars will begin a little after 8:00 p.m., when the planet Mars will disappear behind the Moon! It will reappear on the other side of the Moon at about ten minutes after 9:00 p.m. Finally, on Wednesday the 15th, Mars will be in opposition, which means that the Sun, Earth, and Mars will all be lined up. Mars will rise at sunset, and will be relatively close to the Earth and very bright in the night sky.

Birds

In the fall and winter bald eagles follow open water south, with many wintering along rivers in the Mississippi system, including the St. Croix. Look for them perched on trees along the river, or standing on the ice looking into open water for fish.

If you’re out walking in the evening or very early morning, you might hear Great Horned Owls! At this time of year they “duet hoot” to establish territories and pair bonds, and will soon be nesting. They nest earlier in the year than any other bird in Minnesota, and will have eggs in the nest by mid-February.

Mammals

Raccoons and opossums are not true hibernators but are active on mild days. The opossum photo here was taken in January of 2008, when the opossum was foraging beneath the bird feeder at the Afton Visitor Center. Opossum and raccoon tracks both look like little hands. Opossum tracks are easy to distinguish because the outer toes on both feet splay outward, and there is often a line between the tracks made by the opossum’s tail dragging on the ground. The hind feet of opossums are about two inches long, and the front feet are about one and a half inches long. Raccoon tracks will usually have the track of the right front foot next to that of the left hind foot, and of the left front foot next to the right hind foot. The hind feet of raccoons are about four inches long, and the front feet about two and a half inches long, which is quite a bit longer than the feet of the opossum.

Insects

Remember the Monarch butterflies that left Minnesota last August and September to go south? Those that survived the 3,000 mile journey are spending the winter in the Oyamel Fir Forests of Mexico. They’ll stay there until mid-March.

Trees

And remember the golden-yellow leaves of American Basswood trees in the fall? Those leaves have all dropped. But if you are out hiking you may still be able to identify a basswood tree by its bark, and by the reddish-colored buds on its twigs. The buds are quite prominent and provide a splash of color in the winter landscape. Red squirrels who eat all the conifer seeds they’ve stored up in their middens may snack on basswood buds during the winter. They’re said to be quite sweet and tasty.

Weather observations

Here are some weather observations from the Afton State Park area from past years.

Friday, January 3	2013: high in 20s
Saturday, January 4	2023: record snowfall of 8.4 inches; 2019: record high of 47°; 2014: temperature falls through day from 20s to single digits
Sunday, January 5	2019: record high of 47°
Monday, January 6	2014: record low high temperature, in the teens below zero. Low of minus 22°
Tuesday, January 7	2021: 20s, with rime ice on trees; 2003: record high of 52°
Wednesday, January 8	2015: record snowfall of 3.0 inches; 2003: record high of 54°
Thursday, January 9	2002 and 2012: record high of 49°
Friday, January 10	2024: gray in the 20s; 2012: record high of 52°
Saturday, January 11	2018: 2 ½” snow
Sunday, January 12	2024: teens with light snow in afternoon and evening; 2022: partly sunny and in the 40s; 2000: Record snowfall of 8.7”
Monday, January 13	2024: About 2” snow overnight; 2022: gray day in the 30s; 2017: 7° below at sunrise
Tuesday, January 14	2022: light snow through the day, very dry; 2019: low 30s in the morning
Wednesday, January 15	2022: sunny and in the teens; 2017: high in the 30s and sunny
Thursday, January 16	2024: Cold and sunny, single digits with gusty winds; 2020: single digits through day and sunny

Photo/Image credits

All photos copyright Nina Manzi, except:

• Keith Henjum: Raccoon
• Gary Sater: center Bald Eagle, Juvenile Great-Horned Owl; Full Moon
• Tammy Wolfe, MN Conservation Volunteer: Great-horned owl and nestling.