I am in Zone 7. Normally, our last frost is at the end of April and all garden vegetables can safely be planted by the first week of May (if not sooner).
Today, May 24, our high temp will only be 59-degrees which is 15 degrees lower than our AVERAGE temperature for this time of year. This low temperature is consistent for our spring this year. I am STILL heating my greenhouse at night.....
Our rainfall for spring was much below average until last week and yesterday. In just 7 days, there were 2 hard rains and we received over 2-inches of rain. It would seem to me that the majority of our spring rainfall just happened.....
Our overall weather pattern is critically off, and is following the tempo from last year where our spring and summer were both unseasonably wet and our water table rose high, making up for our deficit. Our winter was above normal for temperature, yet below normal for precipitation.
And so it goes, the cycle is seemingly very abnormal, yet predictable. Why does this not sit well with me?
What about your area? How abnormal is your weather?
How abnormal is your weather?
We actually had sage and oregano survive with no protection, so didn't get much of a winter. Daytime temperatures reached the mid-seventies in late March - early April, then dropped to 30s and 40s late April - early March. Everyone was running around in t-shirts and had to go back and pull their winter clothes out of storage again. It's been fairly wet as well, which is supposed to be normal, but then we just ended a 7 year drought a couple of summers ago.
We had some near-record highs over the weekend of around 100F, though it is not unusual to have a short hot spell before the hot weather sets in to stay in July. Winter temperatures, I think, were pretty much average, though nighttime lows may have been a tad bit above average. I don't recall many nights below 40F, but I haven't been working so I haven't had to get up as early. Rainfall was like three times the average from ~Nov to March. Now it hasn't rained much to speak of for about a month. That is pretty typical.
The sign of a bad day
LOL
Please tell me that wasn't in our South Bay, Scott!!!!!
Nope. Friend of mine from Pismo sent me that. I think I would just stay indoors if I looked up and saw that. Ha.
Our weather is totally messed up. Just over a week ago we had several days of 90*+ weather - it usually doesn't hit until mid June or later. This weekend and for the next few days our highs are supposed to be in the upper 50's. No wonder my plants are getting confused. Our camellia bloomed for almost 3 months off and on. One of our Rhodies has finally given up waiting for the right weather and is blooming now-a good month or so late. I have three tropical hibiscus liners that I keep in the house when it's too cold. After being able to stay outside 24 hours per day for two weeks, they now have to be inside as night times are going back into the 40's. Would like to get at least a couple of weeks in the 70's and another couple in the low 80's before it really gets hot, but I don't think its going to happen. Yipes! Dotti
Dotti, this weather we're having really keeps you guessing, doesn't it? LOL
Nadabigfarm, LOVE that pic! ;-)
We had 4 very hot days in March (upper 80s and very unseasonably warm). That heat-wave set all the trees into bud and everything bloomed at the same time: plum, cherry, peach...It was odd because all of them bloomed at the same time as our Forcythia. And Lilacs did not fare well this year, very few blooms on anyone's bushes.
That hot-streak ended and we went into 2 months of cold weather, without the typical springtime rains. We had frost in late May -- unheard of in this area. Every evening for weeks, we were covering and uncovering gardens!!
For the first time, my peonies bloomed on Memorial Day weekend. That has never happened before, as they normally bloom weeks earlier. And to date, we have only cut grass 3 times this year. THAT is just downright bizarre! The weather has played havoc on everything in this area. It is still not settling down and we are approaching summer. I am betting that our summer is not going to be a typical summer either.
I sure won't bet against you! Dotti
Here's a report from Northern California: Over the past several years, I've noticed the rainy season lasting longer and longer. It used to be pretty much done by April, but over the past few years we've had some really wet storms in May. And it's normally dry as a bone from then until late October, and last year we had rain in September (of course, we're responsible for that because we were remodeling and didn't have the roof on by the time it poured). We had barely any frost this last winter, and we usually get five or so nights of it. Which was fine with me and my plants, but still weird. We've been having unusually high winds, too. I think the weather pattern is definitely changing, and it's interesting to read from you all that it's all over the U.S.