Springwatch 2011 (snowfall, recorded, temp, nights)

[ben86]

Originally Posted by deneb78

The snowdrops have been pushing their way up here in Vancouver over the last week or so. Spring is definitely around the corner here. I heard that the daffodils are already up in Victoria and the Gulf Islands. It should only be a matter of weeks now before everything goes in full bloom here.

You seem to have the same flowers as us 6000 miles away...I know you have more or less the same climate, but are those flowers native to the area as well or did the colonialists bring them over?

[FVWinters]

The Osoberries (Bearberries) started leafing out around the 1st of the month where I live and they are among the first of the woody plants to do so in the Willamette Valley. For me that is a sign we are turning the corner and heading for spring.

Crocuses are starting to pop up in my yard and in those of my neighbors. Our Camelia has shot flowers all winter but has now exploded and we have been able to pick some of the flowers to enjoy indoors. Ornamental Redbuds have blossomed while snowdrops and a few early violets are poking their flowers out.

Out in those farms where the owners have resisted shooting their sheep up with hormones the first of the lambs have dropped. Fields are littered with babies.

Our up-to-now sunny winter has returned to form with a bang but the change is too little and too late; spring has started making inroads and by mid-April will have routed winter almost completely.

[deneb78]

Originally Posted by ben86

You seem to have the same flowers as us 6000 miles away...I know you have more or less the same climate, but are those flowers native to the area as well or did the colonialists bring them over?

No, I definitely think the flowers are not native to here but they've been naturalized for a long time. We have tonnes of European native plants here due to the similar climate. Some have become even invasive. European Holly and Ivy come to mind, they seem to be popping up everywhere.

[fishingprof]

Its going to be near 40F for the next few days. Its feels amazing! Its about 50F warmer now than it was a couple of days ago.

But this is Minnesota and its only the middle of february. Every year it we have a little thaw about this time to get our hopes up that spring almost here only to realize that we still have a month and a half left of winter.

[Stumbler.]

Originally Posted by deneb78

No, I definitely think the flowers are not native to here but they've been naturalized for a long time. We have tonnes of European native plants here due to the similar climate. Some have become even invasive. European Holly and Ivy come to mind, they seem to be popping up everywhere.

Originally Posted by ben86

You seem to have the same flowers as us 6000 miles away...I know you have more or less the same climate, but are those flowers native to the area as well or did the colonialists bring them over?

I've heard that the bulb plants like daffodils are actually climactically adapted to areas where the spring is rainy and the summer dry, like parts of Europe and the Mediterranean area, so that coming up very early in the spring to take advantage of the moisture, and blooming before the hot summer drought arrives is a survival strategy.

[MrMarbles]

Originally Posted by fishingprof

Its going to be near 40F for the next few days. Its feels amazing! Its about 50F warmer now than it was a couple of days ago.

But this is Minnesota and its only the middle of february. Every year it we have a little thaw about this time to get our hopes up that spring almost here only to realize that we still have a month and a half left of winter.

A month and a half of astronomical winter, yes, but not meteorological winter. Not sure about Minnesota but in the mid-Atlantic you can usually notice a warming trend by mid-late February. And March is almost always warmer than December.

[ben86]

Originally Posted by Stumbler.

I've heard that the bulb plants like daffodils are actually climactically adapted to areas where the spring is rainy and the summer dry, like parts of Europe and the Mediterranean area, so that coming up very early in the spring to take advantage of the moisture, and blooming before the hot summer drought arrives is a survival strategy.

Hmm, I've never noticed daffodils in southern Europe but are very common in northwestern Europe and you see thousands of them both wild and planted by the roadsides here. They are the national flower of Wales and normally in bloom there on March 1st, their national day. In German/Norwegian though the name for them translates as Easter bells/Easter lilies, so come up later. They only last four to six weeks though at most, so I don't see how summer affects them.

[anitajas]

My narcissus are only 2-3 inches tall right now and I'm in North Carolina! I have seen a few blossoms on the Forsythia bushes, but other than that, no signs of spring as far as the flowers/shrubs/trees... that will change soon as we are having a wonderful warming trend right now. Temps rose to 56 yesterday, and we are forecast for low 60s later in the week! I will enjoy every moment of it, and cross my fingers that winter is (finally) over! Hopefully a nice spring shower will arrive soon.

I love spring!

[Nivalis]

A max of -2C/28F three days ago to 66F/19C now... Having such a huge jump in temperatures is a bit annoying (and such a shock that I was out in shorts this morning at 55F/13C), but if it didn't get any hotter than this for the next 3 months, I would be very happy.

[paladinking]

NO, I still feel so cold today!!! Spring is far away!!