[Summerz]

This Winter and Spring have been sooo much more tolerable.

Sadly yes there is still ample time for crop damage ect..

[looking4home]

As a Californian, I'm insanely jealous over your warm weather! We have had a cold, wet spring, with temps barely getting above 70 yet. It's been in the 60's all week, after enduring another wet, winter storm from the Gulf of Alaska on Easter day, and we will get more rainy weather this weekend. I have lived in this area for about 25 years, and usually once it hits April temperatures start to climb into the 80's and the rainy season ends. Unfortunately, we are stuck in some sort of low pressure trough that keeps funneling in these cold storms. They say it's because this year we have the weather phenomenon known as El Nino, but our spring weather has been screwy for the past several years. Definitely not as warm and dry as it used to be. In fact, I heard one gardening expert say that our frosts are begining earlier and ending later in the season with each passing year. Could the next mini-Ice Age be upon us?!

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by looking4home

As a Californian, I'm insanely jealous over your warm weather! We have had a cold, wet spring, with temps barely getting above 70 yet. It's been in the 60's all week, after enduring another wet, winter storm from the Gulf of Alaska on Easter day, and we will get more rainy weather this weekend. I have lived in this area for about 25 years, and usually once it hits April temperatures start to climb into the 80's and the rainy season ends. Unfortunately, we are stuck in some sort of low pressure trough that keeps funneling in these cold storms. They say it's because this year we have the weather phenomenon known as El Nino, but our spring weather has been screwy for the past several years. Definitely not as warm and dry as it used to be. In fact, I heard one gardening expert say that our frosts are begining earlier and ending later in the season with each passing year. Could the next mini-Ice Age be upon us?!

It's called extreme weather events are becoming the norm as the climate warms. It seems like New England gets hit with at least one natural disaster a year these days and flooding appears to be an increasing concern region-wide. The past week featured high temperatures that beat the old records by over 10-15F. It is hard to find a warmer stretch in any April going back over 120+ years in record records.

[Summerz]

Originally Posted by looking4home

As a Californian, I'm insanely jealous over your warm weather! We have had a cold, wet spring, with temps barely getting above 70 yet. It's been in the 60's all week, after enduring another wet, winter storm from the Gulf of Alaska on Easter day, and we will get more rainy weather this weekend. I have lived in this area for about 25 years, and usually once it hits April temperatures start to climb into the 80's and the rainy season ends. Unfortunately, we are stuck in some sort of low pressure trough that keeps funneling in these cold storms. They say it's because this year we have the weather phenomenon known as El Nino, but our spring weather has been screwy for the past several years. Definitely not as warm and dry as it used to be. In fact, I heard one gardening expert say that our frosts are begining earlier and ending later in the season with each passing year. Could the next mini-Ice Age be upon us?!

I have an Aunt in California,,,she has not been impressed with the weather either lol.

[68vette]

The big concern is if we get a deep freeze, there will be considerable plant and tree damage. About twenty five years ago in CT, we had a freeze after the trees had budded or started setting leaves and it took several years for everything to recover from the damage that happened.

[arctichomesteader]

Yeah, that's the problem, and it has widespread impact not only on people but the wildlife, who will suffer from less available food if the fruits, nuts, etc., don't do well.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

It's called extreme weather events are becoming the norm as the climate warms. It seems like New England gets hit with at least one natural disaster a year these days and flooding appears to be an increasing concern region-wide. The past week featured high temperatures that beat the old records by over 10-15F. It is hard to find a warmer stretch in any April going back over 120+ years in record records.

Well, we've had really bad floods before. I think it'll take a lot to top the year without a summer, 1816, when there literally was no summer in New England. The only thing that managed to grow on my family's farm that year was a little lettuce, some peas, and that was about it. Everything else failed. They only survived by hunting, and the wildlife were hurting too. Some people managed to get some grain over the mountains from NH, where it had come up from the South, but it wasn't enough.

[looking4home]

Apparently, much of the 18th century was colder than normal, and they truly were going through what is known as a mini-Ice Age. It is even blamed for the Irish potato blight that caused the Great Famine. Some say that we are due for this type of weather again.

[GypsySoul22]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

Well, we've had really bad floods before. I think it'll take a lot to top the year without a summer, 1816, when there literally was no summer in New England. The only thing that managed to grow on my family's farm that year was a little lettuce, some peas, and that was about it. Everything else failed. They only survived by hunting, and the wildlife were hurting too. Some people managed to get some grain over the mountains from NH, where it had come up from the South, but it wasn't enough.

I'm keenly interested in History but never heard of this. If anyone is interested I found out more here:Year Without a Summer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[square peg]

Thanks for the link, Gypsy. Though I'd heard of that summer and some of its causes I never realized how widespread the devastation was.

And under the heading of April is the Cruelest month: Right now we are blanketed with snow here in the NEK. Actually, if it didn't snow at some point during the month I'd think something was categorically wrong.