May Day! May Day!

[digitS']

Thank Heavens!

When HotPepperQueen was bragging (deservedly so) about the size of her tomatoes the other day -- I was thinking how spindly my peppers are . . .

The tomato plants look okay but if'n she'd said anything about peppers - I probably would have .

Just no sun! After a record rainfall in March, I'm just delighted to have a predicted 70% clear sky today . . . or, any day! Yeah, I could have set up a light in the greenhouse but it's so awkward to work around and limited.

Temperatures have also been limited: one 70 day, followed by one 80 day . . . . But! All of that is going to change -- next week! Anyway, that's the 8 to 14 day prediction! Boy, and not a moment too soon! I mean, those plants are going to have to be going out into the garden soon.

Happy May Day!

Steve :coolsun

 

[lesa]

Happy May Day!! Thank goodness it looks like better days, are on their way! Frost for so many nights in a row, I have lost count! Enjoy May!

 

[thistlebloom]

Steve, I'm relying on your weather prediction with optimism. It was snowing here this a.m.. Came down for a good hour.
Looking better now, in fact I see some sucker holes up there. Just waiting on son #1 to show up, then we have a full day of work.
A little sun would be welcome.

Happy May day!!

 

[digitS']

I was wondering about you and snow, Thistle'.

The map showed snow north of Mount Spokane and then on into the Bitterroots - I was wondering if it just snowed its way right across the valley up there :/.

Lesa, it wasn't so cold here, much like last year when we had a record slow warm-up but not all that much spring cold. The wind is tedious and I can't really complain about the rain knowing full well that it rains A LOT in other corners of the country/world. But, the absence of sunshine . . .

So close to 49 North latitude, we will get lots & lots of sun during the summer months. After living here for nearly 50 years, it still surprises me how fast the extra hours of daylight show up (& go away) . . !

I'm building another hoopie out on the lawn today and hoping the wind won't be a problem. The cool, sub-60, daytime temperatures are NOT much of a problem if we can just get sum sun ! Stuff (plants) must come out of the greenhouse - off the floor, out from under the benches. Even if I have to dance them in & out every morning & night. That's okay!

Steve

Thought you might like to see the snow run-off in the Spokane River above flood stage. By the way, the bank beyond the vertical rock in the torrent is an island. The other half of the river is on the other side of the pine trees:

 

[lesa]

Wow, Steve that is a lot of water! I thought everyone was dry this year?

 

[digitS']

I'm just one of those people curious about the sky . Snow about 100+% of normal here, elsewhere (just beyond the Appalachian Mountains):

Alaskas Cruel Winter (click)

○ Anchorage achieved its snowiest winter on record
○ life-threatening epic storm Alaska, early November
○ five feet of snow crippled towns in southeast Alaska
○ ninth coldest AK January-March period on record
○ January was coldest on record, AK
○ Fairbanks never rose above freezing during March for the first time since 1919

There's always worse weather elsewhere.

digitS'

 

[catjac1975]

How strangely different the same US zones are. I'm zone 6 and will not even think of putting peppers tomatoes etc. out until the week before memorial day.

Thank Heavens!

When HotPepperQueen was bragging (deservedly so) about the size of her tomatoes the other day -- I was thinking how spindly my peppers are . . .

The tomato plants look okay but if'n she'd said anything about peppers - I probably would have .

Just no sun! After a record rainfall in March, I'm just delighted to have a predicted 70% clear sky today . . . or, any day! Yeah, I could have set up a light in the greenhouse but it's so awkward to work around and limited.

Temperatures have also been limited: one 70 day, followed by one 80 day . . . . But! All of that is going to change -- next week! Anyway, that's the 8 to 14 day prediction! Boy, and not a moment too soon! I mean, those plants are going to have to be going out into the garden soon.

Happy May Day!

Steve :coolsun

 

[momofdrew]

I'm just one of those people curious about the sky . Snow about 100+% of normal here, elsewhere (just beyond the Appalachian Mountains):

Alaskas Cruel Winter (click)

○ Anchorage achieved its snowiest winter on record
○ life-threatening epic storm Alaska, early November
○ five feet of snow crippled towns in southeast Alaska
○ ninth coldest AK January-March period on record
○ January was coldest on record, AK
○ Fairbanks never rose above freezing during March for the first time since 1919

There's always worse weather elsewhere.

digitS'

How true Steve

Yesterday and today we have gotten much needed rain...our forest fire alert has been on high...and our rivers dont look like yours as we didnt hav e much snow to speak of this year...
Pam

 

[ducks4you]

I think we can agree that weather isn't climate. I gotta ask about the average climate in Idaho. Is it fairly dry there, or does that just depend upon where you live? I was watching the latest Clinton Anderson episode--he's a natural horsemanship clinician, for those who don't know--and he visited a 12,000 acre hay farm/international distributor located in Idaho. The owner said that they moved there bc the climate is dry and they're located close to a river which they use for irrigation.
I happen to know that hay is a difficult crop especially where I live bc you have to have a 5-7 day dry window to cut, turn and bale it. If it's rained on it's ruined for Horses (My concern), and compromised for cattle, goats, and sheep.
Good luck on May's weather. WE had tornadoes touching down 20 miles away yesterday afternoon.

 

[digitS']

Idaho is a large state so there is a certain amount of difference, top to bottom. Generally, the climate is one of dry summers and snowy winters. The mountains create their own weather, people say and that's kind of true wherever there are mountains. Away from the mountains, precipitation here is around 20 inches each year, less in southern Idaho. Most of that falls as winter snowfall.

This is kind of a great place to grow grain. The winter soil moisture usually gets things off to a good start. There may be no rain at all during the final month of summer. That allows farmers to bring in their wheat, and yes, hay also - with little chance of spoilage.

The last few years, the springs have just been unusually cool. Officially, the Weather Service said that we had no "clear" days in April this year - zero! Spring of 2011, 80F wasn't reached until June 22nd, the latest ever first 80 degree day. This year, we had a "wettest March" on record. I noticed that a few of the records that fell were only from 2009 so this has been going on for a few years - a cycle of cool, wet, lingering springs.

It isn't just here. The entire Pacific Northwest has been having these cooler-than-normal, wetter-than-normal months. If you remember a few years ago, we had a number of TEG gardeners from the Seattle area. I would really hate to be trying to grow anything over there in recent years. If you are tired of the heat where you are - there's Seattle with just about all the coolness you can stand.

We had a very nice late summer/early fall here in 2011. It really saved the gardening season for me .

Steve
edited to get my years right; you know, they all run together after awhile