Winter?  What winter?

So far this has been the least snowy winter we’ve ever had.  We’ve had less than 6″ of snow here all season.  But even worse than the dearth of snow has been the warm temperatures since January.  The average temperature has been well above normal, so much so that we’re seeing record dates for early blooming trees.

We heard our first spring peeper frogs on 2/28, an incredible week ahead of last years’ record.  Apricots started blooming yesterday a week ahead of their record from 2012 (the year that most of the orchards east of the Mississippi lost their crops because of the weather).  Plums are at a very delicate bud stage, but not yet blooming.  Cherries, peaches, and apples remain tight.

And tight is good, because the weather roller coaster is headed downhill fast.  It snowed last night, and low temperatures are forecasted to be in the teens for the next few nights.  A significant snow storm is on tap for next week.  The good news here is that the sudden cool weather may have arrived just in time to slow the rest of the trees.

Time will tell…