Mud Season Introduction

January 1st brings us above normal temperatures, rain and...mud! I haven't experienced Spring or Mud Season here in New England yet, but I think I just got my first glimpse into the future.

The definition of Mud Season, as described by Wikipedia:

A term used to denote a time period in late Winter and early Spring. The name comes from dirt paths such as roads and hiking trails which become muddy from melting snow and rain. When the muddy paths and roads are traveled over by wheels, they develop. It is regarded in some northeastern states within the as both a curse and a blessing because, although it is generally a messy time of year, it is an interlude between the standard tourist seasons of summer, fall, and winter.

Mud season occurs only in places where the ground freezes deeply in winter, is covered by snow, and thaws in spring. Dirt roads and paths become muddy because the deeply frozen ground thaws from the surface down as the air temperature warms above freezing. The snow melts but the frozen lower layers of ground prevent water from percolating into the soil so the surface layers of soil become saturated with water and turn to mud.

The warmer temps brought us rain last night that melted a foot of snow. The pasture and paddock are muddy swamps. I can only imagine what it'll be like in the Spring. I was reading on this horse blog what might be a possible solution to the mud issue in the paddock. I guess I have a few months to figure it out. I'm sure our current warm-up won't last. I just hope the standing water in front of the paddock has a chance to dry up before the temp drops below freezing again or I'll have to get ice skates for the horses!