For US visitors, is this the most drawn out winter in years?

Discussion in 'The Village Square' started by Frank, Feb 27, 2015.

  1. Frank

    Frank GardenStew Founder Staff Member Administrator

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    Just curious about this. Normally around this time of the year web traffic starts to pick up to the Stew. This year it's different though as the traffic levels are below normal. I'd get worried about this only for the messages here from members talking about continual snowfalls and most of our visitors are from the US.

    Would you mark this as an unusual winter?
     
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  3. TheBip

    TheBip Young Pine

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    Seems about normal to me for our area. Now, if it were April and still snowing I might be concerned ;)
    Although we have been known to get snow right into May...my uncle has a video on his Facebook page from May '89 I think it was, and it was snowing that day!
     
  4. Donna S

    Donna S Hardy Maple

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    Not a normal winter here. More snow and very cold temps more that I've seen in 25 years. I don't think my gardens will get planted by April 1st. this year.
     
  5. 2ofus

    2ofus Hardy Maple

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    It's been a little warmer winter here with much less snow. Our normal planting dates are May for the hardier vegetables and June for the tender ones.
     



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  6. Netty

    Netty Chaotic Gardener Plants Contributor

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    It has been a record breaking (cold) February here in Southern Ontario. Having said that, we are usually still under a carpet of snow anyway, and planting out doesn't begin until mid May.
    It may be different this year for some of the US that is wrapped under the 'Polar Vortex' ... it's always hard to get motivated to garden when it's cold and icy.
     
  7. Chrisle

    Chrisle In Flower

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    This not a usual winter for us. We have had already 11 & 1/2 feet of snow. That's about double the normal amount. It also has been very cold and windy this winter. It is odd because you don't usually get bitter cold and snow at the same time. It always warms up some and then snows. Now with all this snow and then about April the springs rains will start. I am wondering what that amount of water is going to do to the garden grounds. We usually can't plant until the first of June but with all this extra this year planting season it ought to be very interesting. Starting my seeds soon anyway as one always has to have hope!:smt003:fingerscrossed:
     
  8. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Down here there really is no 'usual' Winter weather. The past 15 or so Winters have been dryer and warmer than average so this year Winter finally arriving the last week of February seems unusual to anyone who hasn't been here all their lives.
     
  9. marlingardener

    marlingardener Happy

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    As Toni pointed out, "usual" and "unusual" are relative here in Texas. For us, the winter has been generally milder, but has turned colder this month (February) when it usually starts warming up. I haven't planted vegetables yet, but during a "usual" winter, they would have been in the ground for up to a month by now.
    Trees aren't budding as early, and the roses aren't putting out new leaves yet. I'd say we are having a local unusual winter.
     
  10. Pianolady

    Pianolady In Flower

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    I think the snow pattern shifted east this year, as we have received much less snow than normal. We could actually use the precipitation.
     
  11. Kildale

    Kildale Nature's Window

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    Very good this year, no snow, people are cutting the lawns.
     
  12. Sherry8

    Sherry8 I Love Birds!

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    We are colder than normal but we have less snow on the ground. We keep having a halfway nicer day and then we are back to minus readings with our windchills. Don't get me wrong, we still have cold weather through March and sometimes even April...it all depends on Mother Nature on how the weather will be....
     
  13. dooley

    dooley Super Garden Turtle

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    It's only colder here in Texas this month to get us used to it. We will be moving north in a few weeks!
     
  14. cherylad

    cherylad Countess of Cute-ification Plants Contributor

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    It was a wetter winter than "normal" around here. But getting freezing/near freezing temps this time of year is typical. We can get another frost in the first week or so of March. But after that... a few weeks of Spring and then summer will be here before you know it.
     
  15. Tooty2shoes

    Tooty2shoes Hardy Maple

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    Frank I think the below temps that so many of us are having here in the US has frozen our brains. We just can't seem to think straight. We get one day when temps are above 20 made eking up to 30. Then it's back into the deep freeze. Our temps this time of year should be around 32 degrees. NO WAY. Snow expected on Tuesday but I won't hold my breath. Seems every snow storm has gone around the Green Bay, Wis area. Like Sherry8 said, we could us the moisture. Oh well. We will have to wait and see.
    Marlin I am soooo jealous you can plant your garden so early. We maybe able to get a start on it the end of May.
     
  16. Netty

    Netty Chaotic Gardener Plants Contributor

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    I heard on the news today that this has been the coldest February in Ontario on record. They started recording way back in 1900!
     

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