weather/season info... (Cheyenne, Gillette, Rock Springs: spring break, houses, live)

[j1n]

I think I read a post somewhere here where someone said that "...in WY there are two seasons...winter and Jul 11th...". I know the intent was to stress the length of the cold season but I also know that isn't 100% accurate. I was all over WY last end of June, beginning of July, and it was hot while we were there. Anyway...
Keeping in mind that we are talking about a place where it can snow any day of the year , how do the seasons generally run? For instance when does "spring" start and what does it look/feel like? How about the other seasons?

[ElkHunter]

J1n,

I normally plant my garden the first week of May. It holds pretty good until mid September. Normally.

That being said, we have had snow in June. We've had snow in August.

Fall is pretty short before going into the Snow season. I consider frost in the morning, still fall. But when it starts snowing, it's winter, I don't care what the calendar says.

Spring tends to be a little longer then fall. We'll warm pretty good, things will start to bud and we'll get a little snow, but not enough to hurt anything and not cold enough to hurt anything. And the snow will melt off that day or the next.

If you want dates on the seasons? Forget it. Can't be done because every year is different from the last one.

Our biggest snowstorm last year was on March 31.

We get cold, extreme cold, the end of December, January, February, and sometimes into the first few days of March. Then from March, until it stops, is when we get our heaviest snow's. Not that cold, just snow.

[j1n]

Thanks ElkHunter. That's pretty much exactly the info I was looking for. Again, keeping in mind the wild card of potential snow at any time...I'm actually really surprised that your growing season has that large of a window. Interesting.

[msdmckee]

The "window" depends on where you are in WY........elevation wise. Sheridan is hovering around 3000+, Cheyenne @ 6000+

You can use extender tricks to get a garden to full potential. You can almost figure without aid you'll get 90-100 days of growing season without frost.

[bzbzlady]

Originally Posted by j1n

I think I read a post somewhere here where someone said that "...in WY there are two seasons...winter and Jul 11th...". I know the intent was to stress the length of the cold season but I also know that isn't 100% accurate. I was all over WY last end of June, beginning of July, and it was hot while we were there. Anyway...
Keeping in mind that we are talking about a place where it can snow any day of the year , how do the seasons generally run? For instance when does "spring" start and what does it look/feel like? How about the other seasons?

We were in Medicine Bow / Rock River Last summer. It was absolutely beautiful, in the 70's & 80's. It also snowed on June 8th!!!

[Wyomiles]

In Rock Springs I would plant on June 10th (Could have planted end of may with plastic covers.) and frost would hit sometime in September then warm up again then snow on Halloween night.

[Clay Lady]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

J1n,

We get cold, extreme cold, the end of December, January, February, and sometimes into the first few days of March. Then from March, until it stops, is when we get our heaviest snow's. Not that cold, just snow.

This is what my husband has told me about the area around Rawlins. In his effort to talk me into moving there, he suggested I plan on leaving Rawlins for Christmas with my Grandkids in Arkansas and then go visit my Mom in Santa Barbara until spring break - mid March. I have never lived in really cold weather and really don't want to see if 20 degrees doesn't really feel that cold!

We went to Jackson Hole area last March to snowmobile with the Grandkids and there had been a warm spell that left barely enough snow.

[ElkHunter]

That's the one bad thing about the weather and seasons in Wyoming. There ARE NO SET DATES. haha It changes year to year. One thing you can count on is the extreme cold Last half of December, January, and February, into the first week or so of March. Then it warms up. But when it warms up, is when we get the heavy snow. We have only had bits and pieces so far. Next month, is when it starts getting heavy.

As to gardeners, most of the serious, in town gardeners have a green house built on the side of the garage or shed. They get a good month or two start and when the last frost leaves, they already have plants that are a foot tall to transplant into the garden.

I don't have a greenhouse, however, I do start my pepper plants (because they take longer to ripen then say, tomatoes and stuff) about 6 weeks early. I start them in the house and they set on a shelf I've put by the window so they get lots of light. But they don't seem to do as good as the folks that have build thier greenhouses. Just a wood stick frame and heavy plastic stapled on the outside. And then to provide a little bit of insulation, the also staple plastic to the inside. Gives a fair amount of help to a small ceramic heater running inside.

[emeraldsky]

I saw autumn in Gillette! Very pretty I might add... But yeah, it didn't seem to last very long. I think the leaves changing color doesn't last long in general, no matter where you are. Enjoy it while you can...

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

There ARE NO SET DATES. haha It changes year to year.

That's the way I like it. Variety. Who wants the same old thing? Hooray for unpredictableness!

Thanks for the garden info Elkhunter. Glad to know about when to put my petunias in. Spring isn't spring for me without the petunias. I wonder if there are lots of petunia eating caterpillars out here too, like in Colorado Springs? Pesky little things.

Wish I was better at the vegetable garden part. We tried to start things indoors several times (pumpkins, tomotoes, zucchinis - and I heard just about anyone can grow zucchinis ) but they totally flopped when we put them outside. My dog may have had something to do with it. "If at first you don't succeed..."

Feels like spring is just around the corner. I know we still have the snowfall yet to come, but it's getting warmer! Actually put the a/c on in my car the other day. It was low 50s outside, but I guess when you're used to colder and that sun is shining into your car...takes some adjusting to.

[ElkHunter]

I got to thinking. I've never seen a catapillar in my yard or my garden. Never.