Winter Not Over...

We still have 2 weeks to go in Astronomical Winter and a pattern is setting up that hasn’t been there for most of this Winter season.    Look for several dips in the jet stream over the Great Lakes and Northeast that will bring some really cold air & snow to areas that haven’t seen much so far.  The 3^rd such dip may spawn a classic Nor’Easter  early next week that could bury many of the major cities with 1-2 feet of the white stuff!    Fortunately for us, the higher sun angle in March should temper the chill and I don’t expect any freezes down into south Louisiana.   However, there will be ample opportunity to wear sweaters and coats during the next 2-3 weeks.  All the talk has been about the record warmth of February.  That may flip-flop to the record cold of March.   Boy, if this pattern had developed several weeks back in the heart of Winter when the sun angle is very low in the sky, the cold would have been brutal.   Even still, this will make many folks begging for the cold to end by the time we arrive at next weekend.     I planted a tomato plant (creole) yesterday and decided to name it much like the Weather Channel names everything.  My plant is called Bubba and I hope it gives me a bountiful crop.   No blossoms are on the plant yet but I’ll give you a weekly update.    My satsuma has about 3 dozen blossoms so it should finally produce some fruit this year.  If none of the blossoms produce fruit, the tree is outa here.   Yesterday’s soaking rains were just what my garden needed.  More rains are coming  later this week & over the weekend before the colder pattern arrives on Tuesday.   Don’t put your winter gear away just yet.  Stay tuned!