Yes Jay, I agree it's weird. I'm not from up here either - this is year number 6 - but every year seems to have a different spring - or no spring. One year it rained and rained and rained so much everything in my garden drowned or got mildew. Another spring it fried. And another one it snowed in May.

I wish someone would tell me if there is any kind of predictible weather pattern here - or if I should just accept that it's a crap shoot.

Dee

Can I mention global warming or is that considered political? This is the first spring I can remember that our last real frost was in April and it doesn't look as if there is going to be one in May. Two years ago we had snow on May 20th. We used to get chilly May's with the last frost date sometime around Memorial Day. Now it's anyone's guess.

I don't understand that much about climate change, but it does seem like weather patterns have been very odd over the past decade, and since 99% of scientists say global warming is real, it seems like a pretty good guess, politics or no.

I really miss the longer, cool springs we used to have! When it's 86 in early May, something feels wrong....

It is definately hotter than it should be! The weatherman the other day said the normal for this time of year is 70, not 85! My poor yard looks like the Amazon! Well, at least my tomato seedlings are growing like crazy, but once I put them in the ground we'll get highs in the 50's!

Oh, I don't know,
wasn't last spring pretty long, cool, wet?
The year before, we had a killer frost in May.

Winter was colder than average and, I think March and April too.
I think it's just the usual H.V. unpredictable weather.
Maybe we'll get a cool spell again, would be wonderful!
I hate when the Lilac season gets cut short and I remember
several times that happened in the last two decades, much worse
than this year.
I also remember the blizzard on April 6. '82, and several times
when there were January thaws up to 75 degrees with monsoon rains!
Not this year!
86 was, reported by ancient local geezers, the worst winter
in living memory.
I think we're so climate control oriented that we read too much
into these fluctuations.

I grew up in the Hudson Valley and I can tell you that we have always had crazy weather! Not to say that global warming isn't real, but I think that we broke some "cold" records the last two winters. For as long as I can remember, every year you'll hear someone in the Hudson Valley say, "we had no spring this year...it went straight from winter to summer". It's not just us though, I think it's most of the North East. We used to go to Florida every winter and every time we told someone where we lived, those familiar with the area and remark on what unusual weather we have!

Yup, I agree with Dee -- I've lived and gardened in the Catskill Forest Preserve for the last 20 years. I think I became more aware of the weather changes and climate trends (no wait, there are no trends here) since I began gardening. But you learn not to repeat your mistakes -- last early spring, I succumbed and planted my closely nurtured tomato plants in the ground on the 20th of May, visualizing those extra days of vine ripened fruits. Then, on Memorial Day weekend, without warning, BAM! killer frost. All gone: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants. Now, I wait. Those tender babies wait until June 1. Period. The tomatoes get repotted and repotted, but aren't allowed out after dark until June 1. I may succumb to poking the squash seeds and beans in early, but not the super-tenders!