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Well, yesterday was sunny with temps in the low 50s, so my husband and I got outside and finished cleaning out flower beds, and we also built some herb beds and transplanted the herbs that either come back each year or made it through the winter (sage, rosemary, onion grass, and mint). Left room for basil, oregano, and that sort of thing. I also weeded the flower beds (cool weather weeds) while my husband put out pre emergent fertilizer. It felt great to be working in the yard, even though by evening we were both sore - and cold since the temps fell back into the upper 30s when the sun went down, and the north wind picked up. That's cold to us even if we're wearing sweat shirts and layers! (Which we were.)
Tomorrow is supposed to be colder and rainy - then after a few days of chilly weather, temps are forecast to be around 60 which looks like the "true" beginning of our fabulous spring! I love it.
I expect some blustery weather in March - we always have that - but it will be interspersed with warmer, sunny days. The abundant wild flowers are already beginning their first blooms along the highways and in the fields and pastures. They should be in full force by April!
Early spring is one of my favorite seasons here. Even though I know it's going to get "cold" again (clearly that's a relative term - by "cold" I mean temps dropping into the 30s), these sunny days tell me that spring is definitely on the way! I loved the smell of the rich dirt and those first signs of life - little green buds - as I wallowed and dug around in all the flower and raised beds yesterday - and got really good and dirty!
I doubt that it has anything to do with "suburbs." Though it may have to do with people who aren't using public transportation for whatever reasons.
I'll tell you my line of reasoning. You go out to your car - your car is cold. You probably have to scrape ice and snow off the windshield (in the cold and wet weather). Your car is cold till you get at least half way to your destination. Then you park - and walk - in the sleet or snow or driving cold rain and wind - to your destination. You may have to park pretty far from the entrance so if you don't wear a coat and gloves and hat and scarf, you're cold and wet by the time you get in the door.
I don't want to be cold and wet. Ever. Which is why I live quite south of the Mason Dixon line. The less cold and wet, the better.
People in the South always exaggerate how often we have to scrape ice or bush off snow. Yea, its a thing you do... when it snows. But not every or most winter days. Aside from the first week of February, I really haven't had to much of that this entire winter. Its a minor inconvenience, not the end of the world.
I found it way worse to deal with a hot car during Texas summers. And my sh***y little Oldsmobile didn't have a working AC for over a year lol. It can be 100 degrees in Minneapolis and 100 degrees in Dallas and I guarantee a parked car in Dallas will be way hotter on the inside just because the sun is way harsher at 32 degrees north versus 44. But... you don't hear people talk about that so much, but they LOVE bringing up the ice scraping that we do a few times in the winter
Well, trees and flowers are trying to bud here in NE Texas. Maybe they will be OK - the ten day forecast doesn't show any freezing temps on the horizon in spite of a 20 degree drop in temps from the low 70s to the low 50s for highs tomorrow.
It's not unusual though to get another freeze in March, so we'll just have to see what happens! Meanwhile, I will enjoy the low 70s today since they are nowhere in our forecast for the next ten days afterward.
So weird. I only spent 3 springs down in Texas but never saw plants bloom already in mid February. Late February I remember happening at least once, and even that seemed early. Thats pretty concerning. But of course, climate change is just a Chinese hoax It doesn't exist because it snows while Amy Klobuchar gives a speech.
People in the South always exaggerate how often we have to scrape ice or bush off snow. Yea, its a thing you do... when it snows. But not every or most winter days. Aside from the first week of February, I really haven't had to much of that this entire winter. Its a minor inconvenience, not the end of the world.
I found it way worse to deal with a hot car during Texas summers. And my sh***y little Oldsmobile didn't have a working AC for over a year lol. It can be 100 degrees in Minneapolis and 100 degrees in Dallas and I guarantee a parked car in Dallas will be way hotter on the inside just because the sun is way harsher at 32 degrees north versus 44. But... you don't hear people talk about that so much, but they LOVE bringing up the ice scraping that we do a few times in the winter
Speak for yourself - I know that it snows often in many parts of the northern states. I've seen it, experienced it, and frankly hated it.
I live in NE Texas and I hear people complain about the heat all day long in the summer, and about how hot their cars are in the summer. That being said, it's just as important down here to have working AC as it is up there to have working heat.
To you, shoveling and scraping snow and ice isn't a big deal, but it is to me. To me, getting into a hot car and turning on the AC isn't a big deal, but it is to you. So it's great that you live where you live and I live where I live isn't it?
So weird. I only spent 3 springs down in Texas but never saw plants bloom already in mid February. Late February I remember happening at least once, and even that seemed early. Thats pretty concerning. But of course, climate change is just a Chinese hoax It doesn't exist because it snows while Amy Klobuchar gives a speech.
Sorry, but I'd be happy to send you the very typical photos of February budding if you like. I have lived here nearly 30 years - I can assure you it's typical. Been doing this as long as I can remember around here. Oh my gosh, I can't believe it but yes, I'm going outside right now to take some photos. I can also probably find photos from last year's February as well, and the year before that and the year before that too, because I always love the early signs of early spring in Texas, but frankly I'm too lazy to look those up - but I'll post some photos just from my yard, this year, just for you! By the way, it's not concerning, because it's typical. It's also typical for there to be a frost in March and for it to occasionally, but not always, effect the earliest blooms.
I said things were budding in my yard, not blooming, though I do have a few things that always bloom this time of year or earlier - the camellias for instance, which are now done blooming (they usually bloom in January). Back in a minute!
OK I guess you will just have to trust me to some extent but here are some photos I just took in my yard (along with the time stamp from one of them). Herbs that have made it or come back, daylilies, grasses, Easter lilies coming up, rosebushes budding, ajuga coming back (as usual), a camellia (a few are still blooming), some sort of flower that always blooms this time of year, that I cut and brought inside since they tend to last longer in a vase than camellias, etc. This is very typical for this time of year, and has been for decades.
It will almost certainly freeze again but this stuff will make it, like it does every year.
There is some sort of blooming tree all out in the woods too, with a white bloom, not a dogwood or redbud - something else, I can't remember what it's called. We don't have any in our yard. Some trees are budding out but so far not in our yard - we have cyprus and oak and crepe myrtles mostly, with a few other species thrown in, but so far they're all still bare.
Texas is a big state, with many different types of weather. Here is typical February weather for my area. Note that the average highs are in the low 60s and average lows are in the 40s in February.
Also, contrary to some concepts, the average high is 94 and average low is 71 in August. Some people seem to think it's 100 degrees or higher for two or three months out of the year here. https://www.usclimatedata.com/climat...tates/ustx1383
Last edited by KathrynAragon; 02-19-2019 at 07:38 AM..
Winter flies by for our family. With two kids in hockey we're so busy from September to March that winter is barely noticeable. We haven't had time to go skiing once this winter.
And I agree with Badger, I've had to brush snow off my car less than ten times this winter. Much less for actual scraping.
OK I guess you will just have to trust me to some extent but here are some photos I just took in my yard (along with the time stamp from one of them). Herbs that have made it or come back, daylilies, grasses, Easter lilies coming up, rosebushes budding, ajuga coming back (as usual), a camellia (a few are still blooming), some sort of flower that always blooms this time of year, that I cut and brought inside since they tend to last longer in a vase than camellias, etc. This is very typical for this time of year, and has been for decades.
It will almost certainly freeze again but this stuff will make it, like it does every year.
There is some sort of blooming tree all out in the woods too, with a white bloom, not a dogwood or redbud - something else, I can't remember what it's called. We don't have any in our yard. Some trees are budding out but so far not in our yard - we have cyprus and oak and crepe myrtles mostly, with a few other species thrown in, but so far they're all still bare.
Texas is a big state, with many different types of weather. Here is typical February weather for my area. Note that the average highs are in the low 60s and average lows are in the 40s in February.
Also, contrary to some concepts, the average high is 94 and average low is 71 in August. Some people seem to think it's 100 degrees or higher for two or three months out of the year here. https://www.usclimatedata.com/climat...tates/ustx1383
In my car, it takes just about as long for the A/C to sufficiently cool my car in the summer as it does for it to sufficiently heat it in the winter. That aspect is a wash as far as I'm concerned.
Speak for yourself - I know that it snows often in many parts of the northern states. I've seen it, experienced it, and frankly hated it.
I live in NE Texas and I hear people complain about the heat all day long in the summer, and about how hot their cars are in the summer. That being said, it's just as important down here to have working AC as it is up there to have working heat.
To you, shoveling and scraping snow and ice isn't a big deal, but it is to me. To me, getting into a hot car and turning on the AC isn't a big deal, but it is to you. So it's great that you live where you live and I live where I live isn't it?
I mean those tasks are annoying but no, they're not a big deal. Hell, even a hot car in the sun isn't THAT big a deal, but its worse to me lol. But my point is, if we look at it numerically, you have to deal with a hot car in Texas during summer way more than I have to deal with scraping ice up here. Consider this: Summer, is 92 days long in the northern hemisphere. I'm talking summer, not even including late spring or early fall which can still be just as hot, I'm talking only June, July and August.
From those 92 days in the season, lets assume 18 are rainy, which is the average for Dallas in the summer, and therefore your car isn't super hot in the afternoon. That leaves 74 days of hot sun making your parked car VERY hot. Because I know that in Texas if its not raining its usually VERY sunny in summer time lol. Thats 80% of the summer time with intense sun. I've taken thermometers to my car during the summer and it can be 95 outside but the thermometer reads 115 inside.
So to compare both, Minneapolis averages 24 snowy days in winter. (Again, just winter, not counting late fall or early spring) It almost rains as much in Dallas in summer as it we have snowy days in winter. In both seasons, calm even sunny weather prevails.
Its not even an argument on preference. You'd rather deal with a hot car than scrape ice, I understand. Scraping ice can be annoying ESPECIALLY on a hurry. But the reality is that y'all deal with the hot car more than we deal with ice and snow removal. And cars get hotter inside than the weather. A car will never be colder inside in winter than outside. I've never gone inside my car with it being -10 outside and somehow my car is -50. That just can't happen lol.
But I've done both. 23 years down south, in my second winter up north. But you've done both too, you mentioned living in Ohio. Ohio gets more snow than we do though, assuming you're close to Cleveland. We just get the cold sunshine, which I prefer as long as there's snow on the ground
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Late February I remember happening at least once, and even that seemed early. Thats pretty concerning. But of course, climate change is just a Chinese hoax 
It doesn't exist because it snows while Amy Klobuchar gives a speech.
