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prairiemoon2

Late Snow and Cold and Bulbs blooming...

I started looking through my photos to determine how late snows and cold have influenced how late we've had bulbs displays. I quickly saw that I have not been consistent enough to draw any firm conclusions. I didn't start taking spring photos until 2007. And I do have photos every year, but as the years have gone on, I have taken fewer and fewer photos of snow storms. And I have my first photos of bulbs emerging every year, but I suspect there were years, when the bulbs had started blooming a little earlier than I got out there to take a photo.

But from my photos at least, it seems that almost every year, crocus have shown their faces between March 20th and March 31st since 2007, regardless of the snow and cold.
But In 2007, we had a snowstorm on St Patrick's Day⦠and I only have a photo of daffodils beginning to open on April 11th and no photos of crocus...

This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Fri, Mar 7, 14 at 9:22

Comments (17)

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Then in 2008, we had a snow storm on March 1st followed by bare ground on the 10th and first crocus on March 30th. Snow was coming down fast and furiousâ¦.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    In 2009, a storm on the 3rd of March covered the yard, but didn't delay the 1st crocus on March 20thâ¦

    This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Sat, Mar 8, 14 at 5:27

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    In 2010, the last snowstorm I have a photo of, was on February 16th, but I don't know if that was our last storm that year or not. We had crocus showing up on March 20th againâ¦.

    Edit: I reviewed my journal and see that on March 27th it was 22 degrees on the back porch. Then on the 30th we had pouring rain and our town recorded 16 inches of rain that day. DH says that's not possible, but it had to be true, why would I write it down? [g] There was a lot of flooding that year.

    This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Sat, Mar 8, 14 at 7:47

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    In 2011, I have no photos of winter snow storms, and the first photo is of a daffodil on March 19th with crocus and hellebore blooms photographed on March 30th. Then we got a late snowstorm on April 2nd, 2011, just as the daffodils were about to bloomâ¦

    Edit: On March 8th, I noted I heard Mourning Doves for the first time. And that we had three days of 50 degree weather that melted all the snow. On the 12th, I was already outdoors pruning. On the 18th, it was 58 degrees and I was already outdoors moving plants. Opened all the windows in the house for the first time. Then on Mar 26th it was in the 20s overnight and supposed to continue that trend for the next 5 days. April 1st, we had 3 inches of wet heavy snow.

    This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Sat, Mar 8, 14 at 7:00

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    And the crocus were already bloomingâ¦.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    In 2012, we had that October Surprise Ice Storm that did so much damage to the trees. I have no snow storm photos of that year, but it was an odd year. Everything seemed to be a couple of weeks early. My first photo was taken on the 22nd of March and had daffodils and crocus blooming together. That was the year we had late cold and overnight lows that had me covering everything up that was already well on their way. This was on the 27th of March 2012â¦..

    Edit: From my journal:
    "Yesterday the weather turned. After a wild and crazy winter and spring so far, the fun continues. Barely a trace of snow all winter, and unusual periods of warm weather, followed by 84 degree temps in early March, which brought out all the new growth on everything in the garden, we are now hit with a hard freeze over night last night & forecast again tonight and perhaps another few nights in the next week. It ws 27 degrees on our bk porch this morning. AND WINDY !!! 40 mile per hr winds, All day yesterday all night and still windy this morning although nt as windy as yesterday.'

    This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Sat, Mar 8, 14 at 7:22

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    And on the 15th of April, 2012 I recorded it was our first spring like day since the early warmth in late February, early March. You can see here, that these daffodils are almost past bloom, despite the crazy weather. I think they were quite confused that year....â¦.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Which brings us to last year. I had a busy winter and early spring, and have no photos of snowstorms that year again, but I did record on the 31st, that the snow was finally gone and we had an early delivery of mulch that day and the crocus were on display but I noted that they were not as exuberant or large as previous seasons.

    But by April 21st, the daffodils were putting on quite a showâ¦.

    Edit: From my journal:
    March 26th, 2013 -- What a different year from last year it is. It's been snowy and cold all of March. Any way, spring has sprung. There are just a few small patches of snow left in the shady areas in the garden, and warm enough for that to be gone in a day or two. I was surprised to see crocus blooming under the front Maple and in the back lawn and flowers on one of the Hellebores.

    This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Sat, Mar 8, 14 at 7:31

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    So, what is it going to be this year? I hear we may get a snowstorm next Wednesday, the 12th. No chance I will be planting peas on St Patrick's Day. No sign of crocus foliage at all.

    Who has some memories to fill in my blanks? Please feel free to add photos of late snowstorms and first bulb blooms from your collection.

  • muffin1358
    10 years ago

    March 19, 2013
    How funny that the one year you don't have is the only year I DO have!

    This post was edited by muffin1358 on Fri, Mar 7, 14 at 18:07

  • spedigrees z4VT
    10 years ago

    The earliest snowstorm photo I have is memorable. That top photo is from 1 April 1975. My recollection is that it melted away quickly in a matter of days, but it was a doozy, blowing and snowing all night long. The only other April snows I recall since then were slight by comparison.

    The middle photo is of my crocuses (croci?) in the snow on the 4th of April 2006. The last was of the same crocuses the year before on 5 April 2005. Subsequently their bulbs became vole food.

  • spedigrees z4VT
    10 years ago

    This isn't what was asked for in the thread title, but the *earliest* substantial snow I recall was on 28 Oct 2011, and I recollect that no snow of any quantity followed it until late December or January. It was definitely a freak snowstorm!

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    10 years ago

    edited to remove duplicate

    This post was edited by nhbabs on Sat, Mar 8, 14 at 22:04

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    10 years ago

    No photos, but I remember pulling off the Mass Pike for the night due to a substantial snowfall one year driving home from visiting family in NY during our school's spring break, always the last week in April. After spending the night in a motel, we made our way home the following day without coffee since the entire area was without power, and we didn't get power back at home for 3 days. A bit of research tells me that it was April 28, 1987, and it was by far the latest significant snowfall I can remember with well over a foot in my part of NH. Usually I spent that last week of April (right before the black flies arrive) cleaning up the garden and planting peas and other early veggies as well as pansies.

    1987 was quite a contrast from last spring when April 28 looked like this:

    From April 28, 2013

    From April 28, 2013

    My earliest bulb last spring was one of my reticulated iris.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Glad you had a photo of some of the snow we had in March of 2013, Muffin. Once I checked my journal, it seems we had a quite cold and snowy March last year, but clearly not as bad as this year.

    Spedigrees, that 1975 photo is wonderful! So nice to have. Looks like a lot of snow too. Very nice scene with the horses and the house in the background!

    Did you get ice with that October storm in 2011?
    That is what I remember the most, was all the damage to the trees here. Our neighbor lost some of the tops of his Maples that year.

    Babs, the last week in April really is very late, and I seem to remember what a surprise that was. Even after Easter, which was very unusual. I like your steps with the Dicentra growing in them!

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    10 years ago

    Here is my Iris reticulata along the sunny uninsulated foundation. There is hope of spring . . . (and we won't talk about the 3 foot piles shoveled from the front walk that I had to climb over to get this photo!)

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Ohhhâ¦look at that! :-) The blooms can not be far behind. I was out yesterday and saw absolutely nothing. I'm not looking again until after next Wednesday. I still am holding out for the idea that all of a sudden we will get a week of 60 degree temps and be off and running!