topic Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April! in Garden

Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

PA Mom-mom — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 20:48:09 GMT

I'm never surprised about our April weather in PA. We had 70 + degree sunny weather earlier this week, but we had snow flurries today and there is a frost warning issued for tonight. I always think of this Robert Frost quote from Two Tramps in Mud Time my grandmother (an avid gardener) quoted nearly every April.

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.

You know how it is with an April day

When the sun is out and the wind is still,

You’re one month on in the middle of May.

But if you so much as dare to speak,

A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,

A wind comes off a frozen peak,

And you’re two months back in the middle of March.

I'll bet someone posts this every April. It's just so apropos!

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

SunnysMom — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 20:49:51 GMT

Sounds just like Kansas! I think you just get our weather about two days later

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

Peaches McPhee — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 20:52:22 GMT

Rochester NY had about 2 inches of snow fall last night and this AM. It is now 5 pm, and most of it is melted, but it is still chilly. 60 degrees on Sunday!

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

Mz iMac — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 20:54:07 GMT

South Joisey in da house!!!!!!

Currently it's strong winds, snow flurries (for the past hour), 56 degrees but feels like 40 - reason for the snow flurries.

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

gardenman — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 23:30:21 GMT

@Mz iMac wrote:
South Joisey in da house!!!!!!

Currently it's strong winds, snow flurries (for the past hour), 56 degrees but feels like 40 - reason for the snow flurries.

Strong winds is an understatement. The winds last night were enough to blow all kinds of stuff around. I live in Salem County and we've been nice and quiet most of the winter, but the winds last night were the strongest we've had since thunderstorms last summer. They were howling.

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

tototwo — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 11:46:29 GMT

I'm right here with you, @SunnysMom. It happens every spring. About the time all the trees are budded and perennials are up, we get a heavy frost. It was in the 70's for 3 days last week and I got to play out in the gardens doing general clean-up. It was joyous. But tonight ... freezing rain, sleet, and possible snow are forecast.

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

gardenman — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 13:06:34 GMT

Mother Nature likes to play games with us this time of year. My last official frost date is mid-May, but typically by the end of April, you're pretty safe. I watch those five, ten, and fifteen-day forecasts like a hawk this time of year to try and anticipate when I can start putting stuff out. Local garden centers are packed with tender annuals even now that will likely need to be replaced if you plant them outside just yet. I guess they think they can make more money by selling the same plant twice. I've got a bunch of plants out in my cold frame and they're doing great. I've got a whole lot more still under my plant lights and they'll be getting repotted very soon. I'll be shuffling trays of plants outside on warmer days then back inside on colder nights for a while. Hopefully, Mother Nature doesn't throw us too many more surprises.

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

gardenman — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 14:20:12 GMT

We had a warmish (though wet) winter and a coolish spring so far. We've barely hit 70 degrees so far this spring and there have been years where we've been in the 80's or even 90's already. The long-range forecast has us in the fifties and sixties most of the time. Oddly enough we were in the fifties much of the winter also. I could use it being a wee bit warmer this time of year. I've only had a window open one day so far and that's really odd for it being almost mid-April. It'll be interesting to see what summer brings.

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

tototwo — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 12:11:48 GMT

It's 21 degrees this morning. Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!? We had pingpong ball sized hail on Saturday afternoon. What perennials are not beaten down, are now frozen.

Ahhh.... spring on the Great Plains.

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

gardenman — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 12:17:13 GMT

Well below freezing here yesterday, a very heavy frost this morning. No 70 degree days in the ten-day forecast. The warmest day in the ten-day forecast is next Friday at 65. This has been a warm winter and a cold spring in Southern NJ. We spent much of the winter in the fifties and we're barely climbing out of the fifties this spring. I don't think we've hit the seventies more than three or four days so far this year and barely even hit the seventies then.

The National Weather Service says we're below average in rainfall. Okay. It's been raining a lot with many days of heavy rain, but they say we're eight-tenths of an inch below normal. I think they need a new rain gauge. I find it hard to believe we're below average in terms of rainfall. At least in my local area. It's been very wet. Only two days in the ten-day forecast have no chance for rain, those are today and Wednesday.

It's been a weird year for weather. Here's hoping it warms up in May. I'm tired of the fifties all the time.

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

drizzellla — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 16:22:35 GMT

@gardenman wrote:
Well below freezing here yesterday, a very heavy frost this morning. No 70 degree days in the ten-day forecast. The warmest day in the ten-day forecast is next Friday at 65. This has been a warm winter and a cold spring in Southern NJ. We spent much of the winter in the fifties and we're barely climbing out of the fifties this spring. I don't think we've hit the seventies more than three or four days so far this year and barely even hit the seventies then.

The National Weather Service says we're below average in rainfall. Okay. It's been raining a lot with many days of heavy rain, but they say we're eight-tenths of an inch below normal. I think they need a new rain gauge. I find it hard to believe we're below average in terms of rainfall. At least in my local area. It's been very wet. Only two days in the ten-day forecast have no chance for rain, those are today and Wednesday.

It's been a weird year for weather. Here's hoping it warms up in May. I'm tired of the fifties all the time.

Gardenman - I have to agree with you about all the rain. If I do any yardwork my shoes seem to get mud on them. Today it is supposed to rain all day. And furnances are still going.

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

chlema — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 17:24:39 GMT

@gardenman I'd like to know where they are measuring these rainfall amounts because I believe they are way wrong. By now all my windows should have been washed and screens installed but no, too cold. I have a windowsill and bay window full of plants that are frustrated by being inside and I join them in their frustration because I need to get outside and play in the dirt! And today's 7 week forecast is not making me happy.

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

PA Mom-mom — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 17:30:57 GMT

@gardenman I just saw your reply about the rain amounts. My neighbor told me we were below the average rainfall, and I told her she was crazy! I think it's fake news! Hahaha!

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

gardenman — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 18:43:28 GMT

Yeah, I think the weather service has a broken rain gauge. It's been wet all fall, winter, and spring, but they insist we're below normal. The last time it was this wet Noah built an ark. And it's cold! This has not been a great spring. We had two freeze warnings in the past week along with frost warnings. In a typical spring I'd be sneaking out some hardier plants, but this is just too cold.

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

emmygrace — Sun, 03 May 2020 15:28:11 GMT

@SunnysMom wrote:
Sounds just like Kansas! I think you just get our weather about two days later

Yep!

Re: Wacky Weather? It Must Be April!

gardenman — Mon, 04 May 2020 11:00:59 GMT

We're finally hitting the seventies for highs, but at the end of the week, Friday and Saturday, our nights are to be back in the 30's with daytime highs in the 50's. So, I still can't move stuff out just yet. Mid-May is our last frost date and Ma Nature is making me wait this year.