Summer Weather Update

Through A.D. 2009 May 25:

Days at or above 30º Celsius (86º Fahrenheit): 02

We had two days in April with temperatures at or above 30º Celsius. The first was 88º Fahrenheit and the second was 96º Fahrenheit. The latter marked the highest temperature EVER recorded in the month of April. It was ridiculous.

We had four consecutive days at or above 80º Fahrenheit until yesterday. As far as I'm concerned that's too hot - especially for May. Http://www.weather.com/ reported that Penn Yan, New York reached 30º Celsius two of those four days, but it didn't happen here. We reached 84º Fahrenheit twice, though.

I'm sick of the heat. I need to live (1) on a lake or (2) in northern Canada. Better yet, I could live on a lake in northern Canada! Too bad Canada's gun laws are terrible... Wait! So are New York's! ...

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2009 May 25:

Days with snow cover: 121

Days with complete snow cover: 65

Total snowfall: 144 centimeters

Maximum snow depth: 25 centimeters

Greatest snow event: 20 centimeters

Maximum low temperature: about -24.5º Celsius (-12º Fahrenheit)

Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2009 March 03

Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2009 April 08

Latest snowfall: A.D. 2009 April 23

Latest light frost: A.D. 2009 May 19

Latest hard frost: A.D. 2009 May 19

Latest date with a high temperature at or below 0º Celsius: A.D. 2009 April 07

We had our (presumably) final frost of the season on A.D. 2009 May 19 and it was a doozie. The temperature reached 27º Fahrenheit (about -3º Celsius) and the damage was incredible. The grapes suffered significant dieback. The garden plants suffered significant dieback. Small Black Walnuts (Juglans nigra) suffered potentially fatal dieback. Undoubtedly, there will be a significant reduction in tree fruit yields this year. Worst of all, our small grove of Chestnuts was hammered. Dieback ranged from 50 to 75%. I hope that the trees will survive (I can't imagine they won't), but we will be lucky to get ANY chestnuts this year.

This was, by far, the worst late frost that I have ever seen. (Not that I've seen that many.) The reason for the destruction was not the lateness of the frost - we've had frosts this late in recent years. The problem was that we had at least one month and two days of warm, completely frost free weather leading up to May 19. That was unprecedented. It was the first time since I've lived in New York that we had gone more than a week and a half without a frost leading up to the tenth of May. I was beginning to think that we weren't going to get another frost, but I figured that we still had a good chance for one. Sure enough, it came, it hit, and it killed. I was very happy to get one last frost; I just wish we hadn't gone a month+ without one leading up to it.

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2009 April 25:

Days with snow cover: 121

Days with complete snow cover: 65

Total snowfall: 144 centimeters

Maximum snow depth: 25 centimeters

Greatest snow event: 20 centimeters

Maximum low temperature: about -24.5º Celsius (-12º Fahrenheit)

Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2009 March 03

Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2009 April 08

Latest snowfall: A.D. 2009 April 23

Latest light frost: A.D. 2009 April 24

Latest hard frost: A.D. 2009 April 13

Latest date with a high temperature at or below 0º Celsius: A.D. 2009 April 07

F***ing hot. Three days ago the high temperature was between 8º and 9º Celsius (46º-48º F.). Two days ago it snowed. Yesterday morning we had a light frost. Today the temperature is already 30º Celsius (86º Fahrenheit) in the shade. The roads are clogged with people. Two thoughts have been bouncing around my mind: I forgot how much I dislike summer (too many people; too hot) and I want a sailboat.

I didn't start keeping track of the last hard frost until after we stopped having them. We had something like 11 hard frosts in 13 days so I decided to stop worrying until later in the month. We've only had one or two since then, so my statistics aren't perfect. It's very likely that we had a hard frost on A.D. 2009 April 16. It's a little less likely (but still likely) that we had one on A.D. 2009 April 17. I'm hoping that we'll have another one, but the long-term forecast doesn't look good. In any case, I'm leaving the date of April 13 for now.

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2009 April 13:

Days with snow cover: 121

Days with complete snow cover: 65

Total snowfall: 144 centimeters

Maximum snow depth: 25 centimeters

Greatest snow event: 20 centimeters

Maximum low temperature: about -24.5º Celsius (-12º Fahrenheit)

Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2009 March 03

Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2009 April 08

Latest snowfall: A.D. 2009 April 12

Latest light frost: A.D. 2009 April 13

Latest hard frost: A.D. 2009 April 13

Latest date with a high temperature at or below 0º Celsius: A.D. 2009 April 07

In my last post I mentioned that a snow "storm" had been forecast, but I didn't think that we were going to get much. Well, that turned out to be the case, but we did get a couple of centimeters over the course of a couple of days.

It snowed again on Easter morning (A.D. 2009 April 12). That day's high temperature was approximately 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

We had a VERY hard frost this morning (A.D. 2009 April 13).

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2009 April 06:

Days with snow cover: 119

Days with complete snow cover: 65

Total snowfall: 142 centimeters

Maximum snow depth: 25 centimeters

Greatest snow event: 20 centimeters

Maximum low temperature: about -24.5º Celsius (-12º Fahrenheit)

Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2009 March 03

Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2009 March 22

Latest snowfall: A.D. 2009 April 04

Latest light frost: NA

Latest hard frost: NA

Latest date with a high temperature at or below 0º Celsius: A.D. 2009 March 23

It snowed all day Saturday but nothing accumulated. Saturday's high temperature was less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Sunday was sunny and warm with a high temperature in the mid to upper 50s. It was amazing to think that such weather can occur on consecutive days.

The weathermen are saying snow tonight, tomorrow, and tomorrow night. Forecasts of up to 15 cm are circulating. I'm expecting that we'll be lucky to have any sticking snow, but I'm excited about the possibility.

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2009 March 30:

Days with snow cover: 119
Days with complete snow cover: 65
Total snowfall: 142 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 25 centimeters
Greatest snow event: 20 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: about -24.5º Celsius (-12º Fahrenheit)
Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2009 March 03
Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2009 March 22
Latest snowfall: A.D. 2009 March 30
Latest light frost: NA
Latest hard frost: NA
Latest date with a high temperature at or below 0º Celsius: A.D. 2009 March 23

A few snow flurries were seen this morning. Some places in the area received a dusting of snow overnight, but not us. Winter continues to evade us and it's beginning to become apparent that the second half of the winter of 2008/2009 is going to be the least snowiest winter period since I've lived here. We've had exactly six inches of snow (15 centimeters) in a time period in which we would normally have 40 inches (100 centimeters). It has been nuts. Since the eighth of February, the ground has been covered with snow a grand total of two days.

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2009 March 23:

Days with snow cover: 119
Days with complete snow cover: 65
Total snowfall: 142 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 25 centimeters
Greatest snow event: 20 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: about -24.5º Celsius (-12º Fahrenheit)
Latest date with complete snow cover: A.D. 2009 March 03
Latest date with any snow cover: A.D. 2009 March 22
Latest snowfall: A.D. 2009 March 22
Latest light frost: NA
Latest hard frost: NA
Latest date with a high temperature at or below 0º Celsius: A.D. 2009 March 23

Crocus sublimus 'Tricolor' - A.D. 2009 March 10
Galanthus nivalis - A.D. 2009 March 10
Crocus ancyrensis 'Golden Bunch' - A.D. 2009 March 14
Crocus tommasinianus 'Ruby Giant' - A.D. 2009 March 19

These represent very early dates compared to earlier years.