CapturedNature

Yes, we are a few weeks ahead of where we normally are. The earliest my forsythia's have been in bloom is 3/24 in 2012 and 3/31 in 2002. My average date is 4/18 so when they bloom we'll know how far we are ahead. That's the only date I track on my weather record but I also have records from my maple sugaring. I always tap the weekend after valentines day and my season ends at the end of March. I'm still collecting sap and this weekend looks like we'll have ideal weather (40s/20s) for several days so I'll be collecting into next week and that also points to us being about 1-2 weeks ahead of where we normally are.

You know everything is qualified right? A lush green lawn is a few blades turning green, flower blooming are the shoots coming up from the ground and full leaf out is the tiniest tip of one emerging from it's bud.

You know he's going to take a picture of the one astrochem lawn that has some green blades among the brown ones. Yeah, there's some bugs in different pockets like I had a stray bee land on my windshield the other day when it was 70 and I had mosquitoes around my sugarhouse and I've seen sugar moths in my sap but all of that is normal. Maybe it's 2 weeks early but nothing like we're seeing stuff that only shows up in May.

You should post in the other thread.

I can confirm the midwest vibe up there. My wife is from Peoria, IL and she loves visiting up there. She says she almost feels claustrophobic with all the trees and not being able to see the horizon but feels like she can breath in the midwest and places like northern Maine with it's wide open spaces in places.

I'm surprised I haven't seen more brush fire/drought posts from the usual suspect(s): https://www.masslive.com/news/2020/03/firefighters-respond-to-brush-fires-in-monson-palmer-and-deerfield-warn-of-potential-for-busy-fire-season.html

There's a separate thread for this but when you say "nearly the same" you do realize it's higher for Covid-19, correct? https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---3-march-2020 "Globally, about 3.4% of reported COVID-19 cases have died. By comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1% of those infected." It's also an unknown. As more data is gathered we know more but it's the uncertainty that's driving things.

No, I know I had 7" that month.

LOL....it's March. It's Spring. Why is that a surprise? Half of my top 10 coldest March's have practically been in the past 10 years and we're supposed to be surprised by an AN March?

The biggest problem I had at the sugarhouse today was mosquitoes. For all this talk of dry weather, that wasn't the case around here.

Is the cell that you're computing the average, is that formatted to time as well?

Already there in Western Mass. I filled up for $1.99 last week.

Not until March 16th. Regardless of the weather, March 15th will still occur.

These seem opposed to one another. In statement you're saying you're free because you're not emotionally attached and in another you are. Which is it? I would prefer certain weather but if it doesn't happen, I'm OK with that.

Some of us feel that way all the time. Welcome to the club. Try and practice that from now on and just accept the weather that you get.

I have a couple thousand pounds of maple sugar and syrup...just not saying where.

Not around here. Not even close. I wouldn't take a forsythia blooming in an urban center along the coast as a sign that they are ready to bloom here. I looked at mine the other day and there's no sign of anything.

I agree but we're trying to save the planet and all... Having said that, I'd rather just be on standard time. I know most people prefer the savings time. I like having the light in the morning and don't really need it in the evening. Even on standard time there's plenty of light well in the evening in the summer when it counts. It makes it harder only doing it 4-5 months out of the year. But someone thought we could save a few dollars if we shortened it up...argh.

I've never understood why more people don't do that. If your hands are dirty, why would you want to put them on your privates and then wash your hands. Your privates now have the germs that you don't want. Why wouldn't you want to wash your hands before you go to the bathroom?

Yeah, that's a better analog though we're only in early March and I'm not one for counting my chickens before they hatch.

Sharpiegate II

Yeah, It's either #3 or 4 for me. I know some are just going off of snow but temperatures haven't been that warm and we can't ignore that period in early December. It was a solid few weeks. Special mention certainly goes the fact that we had little snow between 12/21 and 2/29 but if I recalled correctly, 1989 had about the same but we can't cherry pick which periods count and which ones do not. For those that do, I wonder if they are including snow after the said they were "out" in their seasonal records?

I don't see anyone talking about cold but there could be snow chances. It's early March. Even 2012 and other crappy March's had snow.

I sent an offer for our parish hall...I'd love a short drive lol.

Stafford still uses it...I think Union too. With this winter there hasn't been much need for it but I know this past spring they still sweep the sand off the side of the road. You can tell them you know where to get maple syrup if they are looking to make some maple brews...lol