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pattyw5

Excuse me Mr. or Mrs. Winter

Have been able to plant here in the 3rd week of April since I can remember. It's nice when you can give new plants a jump on the hot weather. So the short range forecast is temps to stay in the 30s till the end of March. Long range forecast is much above normal May temps. That should give the soil about two weeks to warm up. Come April it may be time to call and have some shipments delayed. Time to move on winter!

This post was edited by pattyw5 on Fri, Mar 22, 13 at 15:40

Comments (15)

  • aachenelf z5 Mpls
    11 years ago

    Last year at this time we had temps at 80 or slightly below. I planted my lettuce, spinach, radish etc. by the end of March. I was picking spring flowers for Easter.

    It's 24 today, snow tonight and no signs of anything above 40 through the end of the month. Snow piles are still at the 3-4 foot level. I was going to plant my tomatoes today inside, but why bother. At this rate, it will be July before it's warm enough to plant them outside.

    I believe warm weather has officially been cancelled until 2014. I am not pleased. Nope. Not at all.

    Kevin

  • sunnyborders
    11 years ago

    First spring bulbs bit slow this year.

    Still, always say we see the first snowdrops by St Patrick's Day.

    Just made it.
    Today.

  • Karolina11
    11 years ago

    I definitely understand this thread. I'm in zone 6b and have had bulbs coming out and roses leafing out for about two weeks now. And guess what? 4 inches of snow yesterday and back to the 20s-low 30s for the next week. My parents in Chicago have had better temperature this year. I guess we are making up for the 80 degree March we had last year.

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    This does appear to be payback.

  • docmom_gw
    11 years ago

    I'm almost thankful, because I am not ready for spring quite yet. I still have lots of planting to do first. Though it is cold, I'm sure enjoying the brighter sunshine as the sun climbs higher in the sky. Mother Nature is just strutting her stuff--because she can.

    Martha

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    11 years ago

    All winter, I was hoping for snow (we teachers love snow days even more than the kids, I think!), but did we get any? Noooo. Now, I am done and want spring. Tonight's forecast? Snow overnight changing to cold rain by the afternoon. Aarrgghh. I was hoping this would be the year that the weather would cooperate to give me a productive spring break (last week in March). Looks like I will be out of luck again. :(

  • hostaholic2 z 4, MN
    11 years ago

    Well, I really don't want to see 80 degrees here in March, that came back to bite us last year with a hard freeze when the apricots and apples were in bloom and lots of my early rising perennials took a hit. I can even handle the blizzard warnings for tonight and tomorrow , but -2 this morning and 16 degree highs for the next two days!! Please Mother Nature, give us a break!!

  • franeli
    11 years ago

    Cold and snowy...more typical for March in Northern New England than the weather last year! We had too many plants die last year and the ski areas had to close too early!
    It's ski season until April here and I can't wait for more snow!

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Docmom- Are you ducking or getting hit with the popcorn I throwing?

  • funnthsun z7A - Southern VA
    11 years ago

    OMG, I am soooooo tired of winter!!!!! I have had spring fever since, uhhh, January? In NC, we get teased all winter long with spring days, which is better than the alternative, but sooo gets you wanting to see spring! I have been planting since January, but it's just not the same without the sun peeking out. We have had as close to zero snow as you can get without being zero. My kids are very sad about this! I, however, am counting the hours until we don't have to worry about another drop below freezing! Come on, spring!

  • mori1
    11 years ago

    Got to love this. We barely get a dusting of snow then after the groundhog doesn't see his shadow. We get 20 inches of snow in one week. Last Friday it was in the 80s and now the day before spring, its snowing with more snow to come later on in the week.

  • terrene
    11 years ago

    Was today the first day of Spring? You wouldn't have known it around here. We just got 8 more inches of snow yesterday and it's cold. The first half of winter was dryish, but that totally changed in February when we got 26 inches of snow and it hasn't let up since! Winter doesn't want to let go this year.

  • aachenelf z5 Mpls
    11 years ago

    Just found this forecast. Hope? Kind of?

    Kevin

    "The cold pattern should stay in place until the end of March, according to an online forecast from the climate center. But from April through June, "odds favor above-average temperatures across much of the continental United States, including drought-stricken areas of Texas, the Southwest and the Great Plains," says Laura Furgione, deputy director of the National Weather Service.

    Unfortunately, spring promises little drought relief for most of these areas, as well as in Florida, the weather service predicts. As of this week's U.S. Drought Monitor, a federal website that tracks drought, 51% of the U.S. is enduring some level of drought. This is the highest mid-March percentage since the Drought Monitor began in 2000.

    The two parts of the country that should see below-average temperatures from April through June are the Pacific Northwest and the extreme northern Great Plains.

    As for precipitation, odds favor wetter-than-normal conditions in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions. Drier-than-normal conditions are most likely in much of the West, the Rockies, parts of the Southwest, much of Texas, along the Gulf Coast and in Florida."

  • flora_uk
    11 years ago

    Foul weather here too. Cold, wet, windy. Walking to work today it could have been January except for the chilled looking daffodils and other spring flowers. Looks like around 40 f for the rest of the week. I am fed up with it and desperately need some sun.

  • funnthsun z7A - Southern VA
    10 years ago

    OK, we had a hard frost last night (that is so wierd for us this time of year) and my plants actually frosted through the plastic that I covered them with! Do you think the plastic wasn't thick enough? Man!

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