Is Winter Over? Meteorological Spring Begins Sunday

 You can tell when the weather is boring when 1) I don't do daily blog posts and 2) local weathercasters create graphics to help them keep you entertained/interested since nothing is going on.  Oh sure, we are in a mini-drought and I'll talk about that.  But what I think most of you want to know is..."are we going to see anymore cold outbreaks? Or can I put away the sweaters till next Fall?"  MY answer is YES, the hard freeze threats are over for this Winter.  But, NO we are not done with the cold.  Zack Fradella had this graphic just for the past 5 years.

As you can see, 2022 & 23 both had frosty conditions well into March at MSY.  The "rule of thumb" for gardeners is don't plant tomatoes before March 15th, unless you can protect them if we get a late season frost.  The CPC's (Climate Prediction Center) 8-14 day outlook calls for way above average/normal temps for the eastern & southern states.

The deep upper trough over the eastern states that brought last week's Nor'easter has retreated and flattened across the U.S. blocking any of the real cold air from coming southward.  The upper ridge of the Rockies will shift to the Southeast keeping us way above normal/average for the next 10-14 days.  We do have a weak front that will stagger through overnight giving us a chance for some rain.

You know Spring is almost here when you see 90+ in south Texas.  The other big weather story is the lack of rainfall over much of the Southeast. The deeper reds indicate greater drought intensity.

The CPC's Precip. Outlook offers some relief as does the current weak cold front.

  

Unfortunately, our end of the front doesn't have much rain with it yet.   Our best chance for showers will come after midnight and towards dawn on Friday.

This weak front should bring some less humid air back over us for Saturday and Sunday.  That will allow nights to be cooler, but with the higher sun angle, daytime highs should rebound to near 80.  Compared to the folks up over the Great Lakes & Northeast that will still be dealing with the cold and snow, our weekend looks "almost perfect".  Of course with warmer air and longer days, trees & grasses start growing increasing the pollen in the air.  My allergies have gone nuts and I'm sure many of you are going through the annual change of season miseries?!!!  Get like Big Lou...he's on meds too!  Stay tuned!

 

Classic Nor'easter, One More Freeze Threat, Big Warm Up

It's been a beautiful day here, if you're dressed for it.  Highs near 60, but brisk northerly winds made it feel colder.  We have very dry air over us, and along with clear skies, morning lows will dip below freezing on the North shore and away from Lake P. south.  In addition, we have a Red Flag Warning as the fire risk is very high.

With dew points in the teens and low 20s, wildfires start easily in such dry conditions.  That cold dry air mass is the result of a deep area of low pressure (Nor'easter) off Cape Cod that looks like a hurricane on satellite views.

The circulation around this deep low has driven a cold front through the Bahamas, Cuba & the Yucatan. As it pulls away, high pressure will move over us, resulting in lighter winds and eventually a warming trend that will last into next week.

We will just be brushed by this Arctic air mass, with the core of the cold staying to our north and east. Fortunately, we warmed into the upper 50s with bright sunshine today.

I have my plants inside my He-Shed, so I don't need to protect anything tonight.  Hopefully, those of you with tender tropical plants have taken precautions to protect them.   Finally, here are pictures of the Northeast blizzard courtesy of my Sister-in-Law Susan Grossman in Wilmington, Delaware.  It sure looks pretty for a day!

The river is the Brandywine, and the wet snow stuck to trees and structures, making for some great scenery.  Thank you, Susan.  I saw enough of the white stuff last year here and in my "youth" up north.  Stay tuned!