Wetlands midwinter meltdown

For the second day in row now, Warsaw has basked in temperatures of up to +6C. This means a major thaw, the snow that's been covering the ground (with a partial thaw over Christmas) since late-November is in full retreat. Round Jeziorki way, this means flooding will be inevitable. After last winter's heavy snowfalls, a wet spring and June's deluge, the ground is still waterlogged and the meltwater has nowhere to go but towards the wetlands between the end of ul. Trombity and ul. Dumki.

Above: looking towards the railway line from ul. Kórnicka. An empty coal train makes its way past thawing fields from Siekierki power station to Okęcie sidings. When all the snow in the foreground melts, ul. Kórnicka will again be under water.

Above: Looking along ul. Dumki - yes, this is a Warsaw street, well within the city limits and clearly marked on maps of the capital. Below: A screenshot of Google Maps, the area in the photo above circled in red. Click on the map for detail - you'll see Dumki shown as a road equal in stature to the asphalted ul. Trombity.

While the ice on the broader expanses of water had frozen sufficiently solid to bear my weight, further along ul. Dumki, where ice covered the rutted surface of the muddy track - I found myself above my ankles in icy mud. Good wellies and long, thick socks kept my feet dry and warm.

Below: looking from ul. Dumki towards the houses on ul. Trombity. Late afternoon sun breaking through the heavy cloud cover. Today is nearly 20 minutes longer than the shortest day, with sunset now being 17 minutes later than it was on 22 December. I can't yet say it's noticeable.

Left: the drainage ditch that crosses under ul. Dumki. There is so much more snow and ice left to melt around here (as I write I can hear the drip-drip-drip of snow off the roof) that when it does, water levels locally will rise above where they were last spring. More flooding is inevitable for houses and fields in lower-lying parts of Jeziorki.
Below: the path linking ul. Dumki with ul. Trombity.


This time last year:
Winter's walk to work

This time two years ago:
Winter drivetime, Jeziorki North