St Marys /Dubois weather (Pittsburgh, Erie: living, garden, relocating to)

[alicemagooey]

Thinking of relocating to St Mary's..or Dubois...
I live in the Northernmost part of New York State.
have not really seen the area..but have driven some of the roads around Pittsburgh.

It is Feb 13. Do you have snow on the ground?
what is the winter temperature average?
can a person grow a reasonable vegetable garden there?
you know, a growing season which lasts a few months.
In Upstate New York.. and the growing season is really short.
But i wonder if St Mary's/Dubois is longer?
Do the mountains all around make it warmer or keep it colder, longer?

thanks for response.
alice

[Azkadellia]

The one thing you can be certain of about winter in the DuBois to St. Mary's Area: it won't stay the same all season.

Today is February 13. Yes we have snow. In my yard there is about 10" of the stuff right now.... Temperatures in the 20'sF. Day before yesterday, it was single digits, and windy. Even though we are pretty far from Lake Erie, we do still get some of the lake effect stuff. Not as heavy as Erie, but we still get a good bit of it. We also have been known to get a pretty good nor'easter now and then too.

Now just about a month back, we had two or three days of temperatures near 60F.....

I can't really comment on the mountains keeping things warmer or colder.

This particular year, has been wetter than most, but the forecasts are not calling for anything out of the 30F range for the next week or so.

When we get ice here WE GET ICE.

So while we do stay rather temperate with snow, we do have the occasional 'fake out' warm up where we all go a little ga-ga and open the windows, and get all happy....til the cold stuff settles in again....

As to the growing season, it is very good...you can put your plants in the ground around end of May, and enjoy the garden til just about the end of September. I myself, start my tomato plants inside, (have them started now) and then I'm ready by end of May. Its a good season. There are a lot of farms that sell their produce, including a nice big strawberry farm not far from St. Mary's/Dubois, and you can pick your own. Many of the towns around the area have farmer markets, starting in mid summer whole way through til end of October.

[alicemagooey]

THANK YOU SO MUCH, AZ...

You were just the right person to respond..!! i was hoping to find a gardener.!!


And you answered all my questions about "Lake effect snow" ( with which i am very very familiar, living North of Buffalo, myself.

I am just looking for a little more temperate.

St Marys / Dubois area of Pennsylvania sound lovely.

Have a bountiful harvest. !!!
MMMM ...home grown tomatoes.. nothing like them !!!

PS
( yes, we have those 'ga ga days' when we think Spring is right around the corner also... and then.... whammo... snow, sleet and rain.)..

well, it makes up appreciate the Summer more!!!


cheerio
and thanks again
alice

[tab755]

I have to say it. I was born and raised in Brookville, PA 20 miles west of Dubois, PA. But I lived in Hamilton MT. The boot on the west side of MT. So now to me the "mountains" in PA are the foot hills in MT.

But yes the area does have the weather belt. Brookville can get snow and Dubois wont. And yes it will snow on the north of I80 and not the south side. Brookville has gotten 6 ins. of snow and Punxsutawney, 22 miles, south of here didn't get any. So I would say no the mountains do not change the weather.
Beside Phill said he saw his shadow. LOL

Dad plants the farm crops about april to may. So the corn is "knee high by July".

[alicemagooey]

Thanks for the additons,Tab..

interesting.

about mountains..and South of the 180 no snow report.

well, i am glad i am asking questions before i find myself in a snow belt again..

cheerio

alice