Weather Update

Winter Weather Statistics

Through A.D. 2008 May 23:

Days with snow cover: 134
Days with complete snow cover: 60
Total snowfall: 147 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Greatest snow event: 15 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -19.5º Celsius (-3 degrees Fahrenheit)
Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2008 March 30
Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2008 April 13
Latest snowfall: A.D. 2008 April 13
Latest light frost: A.D. 2008 May 20
Latest hard frost: A.D. 2008 May 05

Well, I think we can put winter to bed.

We had one last frost on 2008 May 20 - a little late by our standards. While it didn't coat the ground white, it certainly would've killed any tomatoes that had been planted. Nonetheless, I didn't classify it as a "hard" frost - just a "light" one.

Now the question is how long will our growing season be? If I say that it began on May 06, I'm going to guess that it will be...161 days. That means that my guess for the first "hard" frost of autumn will be 2008 October 16.

Weather Update

Days with snow cover: 134
Days with complete snow cover: 60
Total snowfall: 147 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Greatest snow event: 15 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -19.5º Celsius (-3 degrees Fahrenheit)
Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2008 March 30
Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2008 April 02
Latest snowfall: A.D. 2008 April 13
Latest light frost: A.D. 2008 May 01
Latest hard frost: A.D. 2008 May 01


We received about 1 cm of snow on the morning of April 13. It lasted for an hour or two before melting, and it was beautiful.

I believe that we had a hard frost on May 01, but my statistics are elsewhere at the moment, so I'll have to double check that date.

We might get a light frost tonight, depending on what the cloud cover is like...

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 April 12:

Days with snow cover: 133
Days with complete snow cover: 60
Total snowfall: 146 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Greatest snow event: 15 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -19.5º Celsius (-3 degrees Fahrenheit)
Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2008 March 30
Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2008 April 02
Latest snowfall: A.D. 2008 April 02
Latest light frost: A.D. 2008 April ??
Latest hard frost: A.D. 2008 April ??

We actually had snow cover for about 135 or 136 days, but the last three or four the snow was confined to a single spot on our farm, and I didn't feel like it should count.

As soon as I started to think about our last frost, we stopped having them. It's been about two weeks since our last "killing" frost, and we've only had one light frost in that same time period. However, a cold front came through today and it looks like we're going to have a hard frost, and maybe some snow tonight.

As of today, we're only four weeks away from the start of the historical growing season.

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 April 02:

Days with snow cover: 130
Days with complete snow cover: 60
Total snowfall: 146 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Greatest snow event: 15 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -19.5º Celsius (-3 degrees Fahrenheit)
Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2008 March 30
Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2008 April 02
Latest snowfall: A.D. 2008 April 02

Spring is coming. All of the Croci are now in bloom. The Crocus vernus 'Jeanne d'Arc' started blooming on April 01 and the Crocus sieberi sublimus 'Tricolor' began blooming today (April 02).

Rain turned to snow overnight and I had a little bit on my windshield this morning. There is a little bit of snow left in the highest, shadiest spot on our farm, but it won't last more than a couple of days. If we have three more days with any snow cover we will have exceded last year's total by a third.

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 March 28:

Days with snow cover: 125
Days with complete snow cover: 58
Total snowfall: 146 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Greatest snow event: 15 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -19.5º Celsius (-3 degrees Fahrenheit)
Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2008 March 28
Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2008 March 28
Latest snowfall: A.D. 2008 March 28

15 cm of snow last night - tied for our largest snowfall of the winter! It's beautiful out this morning and great to see snow covering the ground again!

The snow turned to freezing rain before I left for work this morning - 11 times we've had freezing rain this year (7 times it resulted in significant icings).

The snow brings us to within 4 centimeters of last year's total - it is amazing how close the tallies are! Ironically, we've had almost an identical amount of snow and a lot more days with partial snow cover. Even more ironcially, we've had fewer days with complete snow cover.

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 March 20:

Days with snow cover: 117
Days with complete snow cover: 57
Total snowfall: 130 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Greatest snow event: 15 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -19.5º Celsius (-3 degrees Fahrenheit)
Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2008 March 20
Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2008 March 20
Latest snowfall: A.D. 2008 March 20

It's snowing very hard at the moment. We've already had one centimeter of accumulation, and we'll get a lot more if it keeps snowing like this. Anything more this evening will have to be added later.

The Crocus ancyrensis 'Golden Bunch' were about to start blooming on 2008 March 17, but two things happened: the [damned] chickens pecked the petals off of a few of them, and the weather turned nasty. The past few days have seen near constant precipitation: +1 degree C. with rain; 0+ degrees C. with rain; and now -2 degrees C. with snow. Nonetheless, the Croci should bloom the next sunny day above freezing.

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 March 13:

Days with snow cover: 110
Days with complete snow cover: 56
Total snowfall: 128 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Greatest snow event: 15 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -19.5º Celsius (-3 degrees Fahrenheit)
Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2008 March 13
Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2008 March 13
Latest snowfall: A.D. 2008 March 12

I thought that we were going to lose our complete snow cover today, but it's still here! It's thin in places, so we'll probably start seeing bare spots tomorrow.

As the snow melted today, it got shallow enough to see three snowdrops poking up through the white. They haven't opened yet, but they're fully budded out and waiting for a warm, sunny day!