Dangers of an early spring
Sunny pleasant mild days have dominated much of our winter and early spring.
Temperatures in December were 7 degrees above normal followed by 4 above for January and 7 above for February. So far March is 11 degrees above our average.
Even with the chilly recent days, we are still heading for another well above average month.
You may recall last winter had a similar pattern and while this weather is usually welcomed by all, there is a downside to too much warmth especially when it comes so early.
March had 15 days when the low temperature failed to go below 32 and these mild nights contributed to an early spring bloom on our shrubs, bushes and trees. Early flowering Daffodils along with white and pink Magnolia trees graced many landscapes and added lots of early color to the usual drabness of late winter and early spring.
In wild areas the controversial Bradford Pear trees with their beautiful white blossoms grace many of our hillsides. This tree is an invasive that forces out other species and likes a lot of water, and spreads rapidly. They are also resistive to cold snaps and end the season with beautiful crimson leaves being one of the last to lose their color in the fall.
Some folks say they are smelly and some urban cities are trying to ban additional plantings. When you look at our dull late winter landscape their beauty may be worth the controversy and they have an added benefit of covering up much of the trash and garbage we humans tend to throw on our roadsides. Perhaps we are the real invasive species, not the trees?
Cold snaps are always a spring problem and when you have such an early start to spring the damage can be substantial. With morning temperatures this past week in the mid-20s our landscapes take a hit especially when those temperatures are persistent through the night. Long hours of cold freeze the plants and this can be worse than just a quick frost.
Looking ahead, temperatures this coming week should moderate back into the 50s and 60s with nights above freezing. If you are tempted to plant early, bear in mind the safe dates in our area are May 15th for the city, May 22nd for rural areas and May 30th for the mountains and deep low valley areas.
The record cold for Uniontown for late in the season was 32 degrees on May 30th, 1930. Early planting can be accomplished by keeping an eye on the 10-day forecast for your area and being ready to cover early plants if a frost and freeze warning is posted. Spring is always such a special time of the year. Enjoy the beauty of what Mother Nature has to offer.