Colder But Not Frigid...

Many blogs ago, I mentioned the 2^nd & 3^rd weeks in March would be colder than February.  That trend is about to begin as a cold front will sweep through around daybreak bringing some showers with maybe .50” of rain.  Cooler air will require a return to sweaters and jackets, especially during the overnight hours.  The North Shore could even see some 30s with patchy frost on Thursday morning as the winds subside.  Since the waters of Lake Pontchartrain have warmed into the mid to upper 60s, it’s unlikely the South Shore will get that cold.   A brief warm up begins on Friday into Sunday before another strong front will chill us for the beginning of next week.  RIGHT NOW, it doesn’t look like the setup is right for an Arctic outbreak as most of the chill will stay over the Great Lakes & Northeast.   It appears the main storm track will stay over the central & northern plains heading into New England and that should lessen the threat for any severe weather outbreaks over the South.   I hit Perino’s again today to pick up a couple of geraniums.   I like the peach & white colors.  Many of my in ground plants are sprouting out, but still no life from the hibiscus or shrimp plants.  My gut tells me they’re toast, but I will give them another 2-3 weeks before I yank them. 

 

The Army Corps of Engineers announced today that they will begin opening some gates on the Spillway this Thursday.   They want to keep the projected crest on the River here at 17’ and the only way to do that is allowing some of the flow to enter Lake P.  They believe the Spillway will stay partially opened for about 3 weeks.   Since the Ohio River above Cairo is still at crest, that tells me we’ll see high water for many more weeks.  Remember, it’s the Ohio River that provides 70% of the volume to the lower Mississippi with the other 30% coming from the Upper Mississippi & Missouri Rivers.  Be on the watch for heavy rains across the Ohio Valley during the next 2-3 months as that is the watershed that is more important to what happens down by us.  Stay tuned!