Collapsed Snow Fence

When the howling winds laden with lake effect snow loosen their grip on northwest Indiana, we begin to take stock. Shoveling the walk, deicing the car, and an appreciation for the calm winter world left behind. Those who go through storms around here are all too aware that location is an important factor in the severity of weather. Lake County, Indiana experienced heavy winds and snow concurrent with much of the Midwest through the weekend. But in the more eastern Porter county the fun was just beginning. A steady stream of North/Northwest winds brought howling winds and near white out conditions. As you move north towards the lake it only grew more intense. Howling winds pushed lake waters inland as if a cannonball dive had been executed off of the shores of the Upper Peninsula. The surge had dramatic consequences to the dunes, which heretofore held the furious elements from the succession ecosystems beyond.

Roots meet elements; Marram Grass roots hold what’s left of this dune in place.

Walking next to these truncated dunes conjures images of excavation sites; sheer walls of sand carefully blown into position season upon season now boasting vertical transects. But other features give clues to the turbulent ride with which these natural pylons endured. Marram grass caked with ice, terraces of frozen sand, and debris strewn across the entirety of the shoreline.

Wave of snow

Just as the dark vale of the blizzard lifts, the sun occasionally punctures through the clouds for the first time in days. The estranged light laps across the stranded surge waters that sit frozen far from shore and greet you like an old friend. With the sun falls back behind sporadic cumulus clouds you once again press forward only to have your attention pulled back to the sight of light falling upon distant tree lines.

Truncated Dune at the Indiana Dunes State Park; This particular dune is typically greeted with punishing waves during storms throughout the year- though this one proved especially troublesome.

The returning sun provides for a rejuvenating resistance against the ever present winds which, lacking snow, now carry the bitter bight of the season. The mass erosion seen at Porter Beach is certainly intense, but the dunes there were always of close proximity to the lake waters. But a venture east into the center of the Indiana Dunes State Park shows dunes which were still blasted by the lake surge despite being upwards of 100 feet from the water. The mixed sand/grass/snow sculptures offer an impressive look into the furry of large scale climate events and the precarious building style of sand dunes. Webs of intertwined grass rhizomes (roots) still hold firm and will, with little fanfare, begin the laborious task of restabilizing and expanding these ever changing features.

Soon the dunes will find refuge from the harsh lake behind a familiar winter barrier.

New Beginnings; Waters remain warm so its unclear if these will materialize into the familiar ice fields of Lake Michigan

See the entire “After the Blizzard” set at Flickr.