BS: SPRING!

Subject: BS: SPRING!
From: Bettynh
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 11:31 AM

A search brought no results for this thread title. Can that be? Or maybe Max is still tinkering. No matter, I've proof spring is actually coming after this prolonged winter - a handful of blooming snowdrops, two blooming crocus (there will be hundreds), and most definite of all, two turkey vultures aloft! It's raining with a south wind and the temperature in daytime is predicted to be above freezing for the forseeable future. We're definitely making progress. What are your signs of the inevitable progress of spring?

This won't work if we don't know where you are. Please mention it. I'm in southern NH, USA.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: sciencegeek
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 11:53 AM

western New York... the brief "warming" that turned snow & ice into icy mud was replaced with wet snow this morning...

the only color is from the hungry birds at the feeder.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Ed T
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 11:56 AM

Yesterday +12 C, last night freezing rain, that turned to rain this am. What a nice Spring/Winter.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 12:06 PM

This thread is two days early.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 12:10 PM

Snowing today. Typical "spring" day in Calgary. Ground frozen solid.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Bettynh
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 12:45 PM

Ed, where are you? You can't be far. Our predicted high today in NH is 3 C, but our rain overnight never froze. What are you looking out for as first sign? The tv weatherman reminded us that 2 years and a week ago we had temperatures of 85 F (29 C). That spring resulted in failed maple syrup and apple crops This year, the sap is just beginning to run and the apples are safely asleep.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Bill D
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 01:00 PM

We in the Wash DC metro area just had the last of the snow finally melt, although some of the snowdrops & crocuses have been valiantly poking up off & on. Today it is warmish rain, with several days of sunny 70F days predicted for Mon-Wed!

We are almost confident that there will NOT be more snow. (I took the electric blanket off my bed yesterday!)

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 01:22 PM

It must be spring. It snowed (just a dusting here) on Wednesday but yesterday and today we are having rain (some flooding possible) in the middle of Rhode Island.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Ed T
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 01:26 PM

Bettynh,

Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Our latitude is roughly similar to northern NH (or, Bangor, Maine).

However, since we are on the Atlantic coast, our winter weather is normally more moderate than similar inland latitudes (snow, turning to rain in winter). We frequently get winter storms that move up the coast from New England.Though, we do get weather fronts from the west also. The jet stream is a major defining weather factor, as it frequently moves north or south of our location.

As with many in the east, this winter was cooler than normal. Signs of Spring (green grass, tree buds, migrating birds) normally come early , but, as the ocean moderates the Spring/Winter heat pulse. Spring can be long,often expanding late in to mid to late May.

On the ocean, the spring sea surface phytoplankton bloom is normally the first week in March, to mid-March, depending on the wind.

We get an early start to Spring, versus inland areas, but fall behind, as inland areas heat up faster.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Bill D
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 04:28 PM

I'm a jinx! I posted above... and now it's SNOWING! It's snowing hard! It's 34-35F, so it's only showing on metal surfaces, but it WILL get below freezing tonight, so it will be a nasty, slippery, wet mess until the predicted warming by Monday afternoon!

It is SNOWING, and I'm cold! And.... and.... crap!

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: gnu
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 05:27 PM

"However, since we are on the Atlantic coast, our winter weather is normally more moderate than similar inland latitudes..."

Yeah. Ed's right. I am in Moncton, NB.ca, which is 'kinda' inland (you'd have to look at a map to see what I mean). We had about 15 cm of snow today and now it's sleet and freezing rain. Wednesday was blizzard conditions. Not unusual until the 80s and later. I saw one Easter snowstorm in the early 70s that was brutal.. I am talking snowshoe my way to shovel in front of the living room window so we could see outside. Then the driveway had to be cleared and, yeah, we couldn't see out the living room window.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 30 Mar 14 - 07:24 PM

Montreal: About 4 inches of heavy wet snow this morning which was then melting so it can freeze tonight. 32F at the moment. Good time to be safely indoors. Spring? with about 2 feet of snow in the back yard!

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Bettynh
Date: 31 Mar 14 - 12:42 PM

Bill, I think you've seen more snow this year than we have. My NH town is on a snowline - on the northern edge of coastal storms that hit Cape Cod hard, on the southern edge of northern storms - so our totals tend to be below other nearby areas. Snow depth is a different matter - we have solid banks of white ice in northern shadows, but wide areas of brown. Dorothy, on the other hand, still has whatever has fallen this year.

Vulture watching is new to me, and I was a bit surprised at my yearning for them. They appeared about 10 years ago - global warming or recovery from DDT poisoning are likely causes.Bernd Heinrich thinks the spread of the Eastern Coyote has made more food available for them in the northern woods. In any event, the vultures nest near our dump, and hundreds of seagulls have been replaced by a family of vultures. They disappear shortly before Thanksgiving.

Other signs of spring - the first news report of an idiot trying to cross a river on foot and falling through the ice. Fortunately for him, he tried in view of a retirement home - several river watchers called the cops as soon as he fell through. The ice-fishing houses have been removed by state law, but folks are still ice fishing. The first lake ice disasters usually involve snow machines. None of those yet, but there will be.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Ed T
Date: 31 Mar 14 - 02:37 PM

One guy humourously speculated that the first signs of northern spring includes new babies in strollers out on walks with tgeir Mom. And, smelt fishing shacks being taken off the lake ice.Maple syrup running is a tasty sign.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 31 Mar 14 - 02:47 PM

Light snow again today.
In that period with slight melting some days, so roadways in Slide, Kelly, Slide mode.

Bird population at my feeder low. The late winter cold spell killed of many birds in Alberta.
Only two pairs of blackcaps made it through, and have seen only one of the nuthatches.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 31 Mar 14 - 02:53 PM

Distress Centre Calgary is busy. Many people who can't get out because of the snow are depressed, with a strong sense of isolation.

Icicles on buildings are a hazard to pedestrians below.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 31 Mar 14 - 03:03 PM

Norfolk, UK. Where do I start? Daffodils out, tulips just about to flower,blackbirds singing their heads off, bluebells flowering in the garden. All the trees and shrubs have new leaves, blossom beautiful on the flowering cherry and pear trees. Temp about 16C today, but we're promised 19 or 20C later this week. Have turned our central heating off. Actually caught the sun yesterday and my face was quite red in the evening. Need to watch for air frost at night, as it's early days yet. Haven't put my bedding plants (hanging baskets and tubs) out, they're in the greenhouse until mid-April. I feel sorry for those of you who are still having snow! Clocks went forward Sat night, so the evenings are light until 7.30pm.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Ed T
Date: 31 Mar 14 - 03:17 PM

It rained a bit this morning, clowdy this afternoon with temperature around 4 C.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Bettynh
Date: 31 Mar 14 - 03:17 PM

Eliza, I find the reports from the UK fascinating. You're several degrees latitude north of Ed, but sooo much warmer. Our clocks moved at the beginning of March. You already have 20 more minutes more for sunset. Does your soil ever freeze solid?

Blackbirds are a sign of spring for us, too. In particular, the red winged blackbird males will suddenly appear and start claiming territory in cattail swamps.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Ed T
Date: 31 Mar 14 - 03:18 PM

Cloudy,(not clowdy) got it mixed up with the fish chowder I am making:)

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Mar 14 - 03:24 PM

Helps us see the snow better.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 31 Mar 14 - 04:27 PM

No Bettynh, our soil never freezes solid! We have the Gulf Stream which is a sea current that brings warmth up from the south, and keeps the UK a little bit warmer than other countries on the same latitude. This winter, it's hardly gone below freezing at all, and not one flake of snow, but in 2010 it went down to minus 10, totally weird for us. In the farmers' fields around our village, the rapeseed is in full flower (bright yellow) and many bees and even some butterflies have woken up a bit early and are glad of the rapeseed nectar for some nourishment.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: G-Force
Date: 01 Apr 14 - 08:25 AM

Here in south-east UK it isn't spring until we go away in our caravan. This year it was 21st March.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: gnu
Date: 01 Apr 14 - 08:39 AM

We had about 25 cm of snow since the freezing ended yesterday afternoon. Many are still without power. Ours was out from 20:30 to 2:40. Still nasty out there with 40-55 kph wind.

The robin was in Mum's apple tree again at dawn. Some kinda beak on that bird.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 01 Apr 14 - 08:51 AM

I'm sorry to read that, gnu. It's bad enough to have such harsh weather, without the added problem of a long power cut. Stay warm and keep a-troshing!

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Will Fly
Date: 01 Apr 14 - 11:06 AM

Currently about 16C down here in Sussex - about 61F - and very pleasant indeed.

I've been having coffee and the paper out in the back this morning, with butterflies coming out of hibernation (Brimstone, Peacock) and early wild flowers everywhere - dandelions, buttercups, daisies.

Long live the Gulf Stream!

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Apr 14 - 12:40 PM

Calgary
May get up to -2C today, with minor snow flurries.
Predicted warming to 8-10 C on the weekend (hurrah!). A bit of surface thawing.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 01 Apr 14 - 12:48 PM

Montreal: 36F and bright - sunny with impending clouds and rain tonight. Temp rising and the rest of the week bodes well- about 45F or so. By back yard is still under about 2 feet of snow. A squirrel was frisking about this am.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: brashley46
Date: 01 Apr 14 - 12:56 PM

Toronto - high today predicted to be 5C, light rain. The dirty snowbanks full of cigarette butts are finally melting away off the sidewalks, and the bike lanes are mostly clear. No flowers yet, and I have not seen or heard any northbound grackles, but the city pigeons look a little livelier today.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Ed T
Date: 01 Apr 14 - 01:14 PM

Sleet overnight and into the morning. Currently light fluffy snow with wind. No amount of snow accumulating. Temperature hovering just under the freezing point.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 01 Apr 14 - 01:20 PM

Today (2nd April) it's about 20C. Went out in short-sleeved cotton top to the garden centre. Sun very warm. Bought some Heucheras. Husband cut the lawns back and front. Lovely smell of mown grass. Washing line full of washing, nice and dry now to bring in and fold. It isn't like Spring, it's more like Summer!

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 01 Apr 14 - 01:22 PM

Ha ha! April Fool! It's only the 1st of April really!

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: GUEST,Leadbelly
Date: 01 Apr 14 - 04:00 PM

Spring?

It's almost summer in Europe and especially in Germany.

Nice people seem to have a nice climate.

Think it over!:)

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Apr 14 - 10:24 AM

It was the discovery of Higgs-Boson that caused all this here global warming nonsense. Mark my words, Mergatroyd, if man was meant to fly he have been born with goggles.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 02 Apr 14 - 11:47 AM

Montreal/southern Quebec: 38F and brightly cloudy. Smelled like spring in the country yesterday but no bare ground. The Canada Geese were on the move, heading northerly! Lovely sight! Smells like the city in M. Still 2 feet of moderately clean snow in back yard. Front "garden", very small, gets the sun most of day; earth may appear by the end of today. Dirty snow everywhere! Hopeful!

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Bettynh
Date: 02 Apr 14 - 02:42 PM

There are always Canada Geese around here in southern NH, Dorothy. I suspect that we're south for one population and north for an entirely different population. My favorite time for watching geese is in early fall, when huge flocks fly in circles low overhead, training the current years' crop of youngsters in precision flying.

Reports of ospreys and eagles are coming in. The almost-local tagged osprey is about to arrive back from Venezuela. Our lakes are still frozen, but most rivers have at least some open water for them to cruise for fish.

The last report I can find of a snowy owl is last week. They've probably headed north.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Apr 14 - 09:06 PM

They are here in southern Quebec. Multitudes. Sounds like multitudinous multitudes--but a real delight to hear. Cardinals, a robin believe it or not, some grackles, starlings, nuthatches, two types of woodpeckers--perhaps the last two peckers not yet elected to public office somewhere in this country, chickadees, bluejays, pigeons, crows and blackbirds. I forgot the sparrows (at lesat a quintet of types) and pigeons, another of which became supper for the Cooper's hawk.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Apr 14 - 09:57 PM

Seattle, and the yard is starting its burst. We have in bloom sorrel, periwinkle, hellebore, daphne, leopard's bane, bleeding heart, hyacinth, daffodils, some sort of wild forget-me-not. The crocus are done, but the tulips have buds.

I've felt very lucky that I live in Seattle and haven't had the harsh winter everyone else has had to endure. We have family in Michigan and Minnesota and have constant and current reports that the cold and snow have been unrelenting there.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Bettynh
Date: 03 Apr 14 - 05:15 PM

Dandylion tufts are greening here in NH, and willows are finally beginning to light up - no visible buds yet, but the bark is glowing yellow here and there at the edges of swamps.

In the next couple weeks we'll be straining out ears for spring peepers - tiny frogs that gather in swamps that call mightily. Do you have spring peepers (whoever and wherever you are)?

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 03 Apr 14 - 07:26 PM

Ta da! the tiny front yard which gets sun most all day is bare of snow. While the sunniest part of the back yard may be getting there but I am not walking on the two foot deep snow at this end to go see! Montreal is not having to clear the last storm as it is melting rapidly, and thankfully. Still below freezing at night.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Ed T
Date: 04 Apr 14 - 02:11 PM

It is now 8C and sunny, and on the way to +14C in a day or two. The snow is gone from my lawn. I declare it "Spring" on my street.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Apr 14 - 06:19 AM

Spring has sprung the grass has riz.
I wonder where the birdies is.
Some say the bird is on the wing, but that's absurd
Everyone knows, the wing is on the bird.

Told to me long ago by a Scotsman using a Now York-ish accent. Anyone know the origins?

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: gnu
Date: 05 Apr 14 - 02:21 PM

I've seen crows doing a mating dance and blue jays chasing around and the starlings arrived two days ago but when the JWs show up, it's officially spring.

Have you heard the word of the Lord today?

No. Why are you guys so late this year? Why didn't you come a month ago and help me shovel? I'da bought yer rag fer kindling starter if ya had helped out me back.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Bettynh
Date: 06 Apr 14 - 11:01 AM

The melt is in full swing with simultaneous flood and fire danger.

Rivers are full of meltwater from our northern NH mountains, though the cold nights seem to be slowing the melt enough to keep them mostly within their banks.

Mud season has come and gone within a couple days during the past week. We're on glacial till, so that's a very local report. I grew up on a bank of clay that probably could have been mined for potting - mud season lasted at least a month and I lost my rubber boots in the muck more than once. Here, I live on the remains of a sandy beach - it's dry as soon as the soil melts and I haven't bothered to buy rubber boots. My neighbor, unfortunately for him, lives on a cobble beach. Every shovelful from his yard is full of fist-sized rocks.

Dry sandy soil with leaves on the surface means we're vulnerable to brush fires until it greens up enough to suppress the possibility. This area was a sand barren before it was colonized. So I'm sorta hoping for rain while others along the river are ok if it holds off.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Janie
Date: 06 Apr 14 - 11:14 AM

The redbuds are in full bloom, and the dogwoods will be in just a few days. Seems spring really has finally arrived.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: gnu
Date: 06 Apr 14 - 11:58 AM

I sit upon glacial till at about 35 m above sea level and about 4 km north of The Mighty Petitcodiac. I dread digging any holes here. Matter of fact, no way I could dig one anymore. I'd judge the clay and sand contents at about 20% each, cobble at about 40% and boulder at 20%. I call it glacial crap. Trees grow very well in it but that's about all it's good for.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Bettynh
Date: 09 Apr 14 - 12:59 PM

The baseball season has started and the Red Sox have raced to the bottom of the American League East. Our local stadium is a wonderful concrete classic, but nobody has been able to make a profit there, so the stadium is quiet this year. A pity, really, because summer nights of baseball, costing less than a restaurant dinner for a family, are pretty wonderful. Local schools are having to scramble - some of their fields are under water.

The news is full of Boston Marathon preparations. Everyone is alternately proud and troubled about the bombings. Not a single victim that made it to a hospital died. The city endured 4 days of lockdown. They caught the ones responsible. Enough said.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: Ed T
Date: 09 Apr 14 - 01:22 PM

No snow left anywhere.
Traces of green on the lawn.
Birds collecting twigs and grass for nests.
Spring, yes, of course.

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 09 Apr 14 - 06:13 PM

It's a typical April here sometimes showers and then beautiful sunshine. It's amazing how everyone's mood changes with a glimpse of the old currant bun.

The silly season has started here already leading up to April 1st it was announced that they were proposing to put a water slide (the kind you would find at a holiday complex or theme park) down one of the main streets in Bristol shutting the street off on Sundays for safety reasons to allow this. I almost fell for it until it suddenly dawned on me how close it was to April Fool's day!

Subject: RE: BS: SPRING!
From: ragdall
Date: 09 Apr 14 - 06:16 PM

I'm guessing we won't running an Easter egg hunt on the lawns this year?
I took this photo of the front yards yesterday.

On a happier note, Mountain Bluebirds are passing through. Seeing them brings me more joy than you can imagine.

rags