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bagsmom_gw

what's left of winter? Nature signs?

bagsmom
12 years ago

So -- here, NW of Atlanta, we are having a 70 degree day. Anticipating big storms on Wednesday in advance of a cold front.

Just for fun, wondering if anyone would like to chime in with guesses about what's left of winter?

We haven't had an ice storm since Jan or Feb of 2000. Are we due?

Has anyone seen or heard of any clues from Mother Nature?

Of course, no one really knows.... but it is sort of fun to speculate!

Comments (13)

  • Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
    12 years ago

    We have had a mild few weeks in January for years. I don't think winter has begun yet! But it will be short, whatever it is.

  • bagsmom
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    One of my friends is predicting the following scenario: that all the warm weather will cause everything to bud and bloom, then in March, we'll have an ice storm or something to make everything look awful. (Her description was peppered with a lot of bad words!) :)

    I'm not quite ready for Spring-y weather, although a few warm days will be nice to do outdoor clean-up.

    I'd like a surprise snow day or two. But there's no way to know.

    I remember reading something about UGA students studying persimmon seeds or something..... I forget what that was all about, but it supposedly was an "old-timey" indication of weather.

  • Iris GW
    12 years ago

    So far I think nature is cooperating. Buds are still tight on the trees and shrubs - they don't seem to be opening too early. Although I did see one maple elsewhere that seemed a bit premature.

  • gmom74
    12 years ago

    We are just above Atlanta- the winter honeysuckle and Mahonia have been blooming since the latter part of December. Carolina jasmine has a few blooms, a large clump of Lenten Rose has been blooming for a week or more, and a white Clematis has bloomed better than it does at its normal time. I loved the scent of the winter honeysuckle and Mahonia-

  • bagsmom
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Love that smell, too! And all the birdies will feast on the mahonia berries later.

    But do y'all think we will get blasted with anything this year? Any winter event at all?

    Two of my friends are guessing some sort of ice in February.

    Care to put in your weather-psychic two-cents-worth?

  • Iris GW
    12 years ago

    And all the birdies will feast on the mahonia berries later.

    And then they will poop them into my yard! I pull about 8-10 seedlings a year thanks to my neighbors' plants. That is Mahonia bealei, a non-native, mildly invasive shrub in the barberry family.

    I hope we don't get an event in February. I have a conference Feb 11th; in 2010 it was cancelled due to a one day snow storm (most of it melted by NOON!).

    Here is a link that might be useful: List of invasive plants in Georgia

  • bagsmom
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    OK, Esh -- sending good vibrations that the birds will not poop invader mahonias into your yard...

    And I will specifically NOT pray for snow the week of your conference! (But I don't promise for the rest of the month!)

    :)

  • Iris GW
    12 years ago

    Thanks, bagsmom. ;)

  • vicki7
    12 years ago

    If I had to make a guess, I would say that yes, we will have a 'winter event' before spring gets here. It may not be a real blizzard, but I will be very surprised if we don't get at least a few snow flurries and maybe some icy roads too. I am SO looking forward to spring.

  • atl_veggie
    12 years ago

    I did see the flurries!
    Last Frieday early we had some
    and thanks, that was enough winter for me,
    I will absolutely not object, if after the last 2 cold winters this time we get away with a mild winter.
    btw my strawberries bloom *puzzled*

  • faeriegardenmum zone 6
    12 years ago

    I did see flurries, too. But saw a cherry tree blooming 2 days before Christmas up in Dalton. Yesterday checking out my new blue berry bush,the buds are swelling a bit, and one of my new teeny, baby strawberry plants is just starting to bud. What about the asparagus, they are poking up again, what shoud I use for mulching, so I can get some before they freeze off? Let's start a "What are you pruning now" thread, for us newbys (Sorry, Newby was my maiden name). I want to start, but don't want to force the growth for it to freeze off. I guess that's always a risk.

  • mdasilva67
    12 years ago

    My Carolina Jasmine is blooming and a Magnolia tree a couple streets over is also.

  • greyghost61
    12 years ago

    My moro blood orange, meyer lemon and tart kumquat trees are blooming, and all of my citrus are putting on buds. My pomegranet is putting on buds also along with my various fig trees and loquat. Last night was the only night so far this year I had to protect any of my trees and that was only because of the new growth. About 1/3 of my banana trees were pushing new leaves also. I let the cold do what it would with them. After tonight I think maybe the freezes are gone for the year though (at least for south GA), we might still get some light frost though.

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