Will the Arctic Cold Front Cause Severe Weather and Damage to Crops?

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The discussion centers around varying winter weather experiences across different regions. An Arctic cold front is expected to bring severe conditions, including strong winds and potential blizzard-like conditions, leading to dangerously low wind chills in some areas. Participants share personal weather updates, with some experiencing significant snowfall while others report mild conditions. Notably, areas in the Midwest and parts of the UK are facing heavy snow, while regions like Western Washington and parts of Florida are seeing typical winter temperatures without snow. Concerns about the impact of cold weather on crops, infrastructure challenges in handling snow, and personal anecdotes about coping with the cold are prevalent. The conversation also touches on the contrasting experiences of those in warmer climates, highlighting the diverse impacts of winter weather across the globe.
  • #241
What is with this crazy weather? It's been so cold all month, the temperature right now is only 55F.

Did you all see the softball size hail in Oklahoma and that hailstorm in Colorado? There are videos on weather.com
 
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  • #242
Same (maximum) temperature here (13C), it's about 5C (8F) below the average. Waiting for spring.
 
  • #243
Spring came early here and prompted early blooming of fruit trees. They bloomed before the pollinators were in place to tend the blossoms, then several hard frosts got many of the blossoms. Estimates from orchard operators place projected losses around 20-40%. The very warm March jump-started everything.

It's good that garlic is frost tolerant - they came up early and are up to about mid-thigh now. About a month ahead of normal.
 
  • #244
Just barely got up to 55 deg today amid "scattered" showers. I only wish they were scattered. The rain is constant and relentless. What a way to put a damper on the garden! A cold rain can cool the soil quite effectively and only several sunny, warm days can bring the temps back up so the vegetables will thrive. We have about 2 weeks before the threat of frost is over (traditionally), but last year, heavy cold rains like this after Memorial Day ruined the germination rates of cukes and squash. It was very hard to find seeds to re-plant with since everybody lost their direct-seeded plants.
 
  • #245
It's 55F and raining here too. Finally you're getting some of my weather. I was talking to the neighbors the other day, everyone is worried this year will be like last year. The farmers really need a good summer to recover from last year. We have lots of little farms around here. We're basically just neighborhoods dotted between farms.
 
  • #246
I love that song. Its Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald right? On topic though, I wish it was colder here... Its burning up in Delhi!
 
  • #247
Evo said:
It's 55F and raining here too.
:cry: And raining, and raining ...
 
  • #248
dlgoff said:
:cry:
how's your garden dl?
 
  • #249
Evo said:
how's your garden dl?
Remember turbos garden last year? Now I see why his plants are going on big hill rows this year. I'm thinking rice next year.
 
  • #250
dlgoff said:
Remember turbos garden last year? Now I see why his plants are going on big hill rows this year. I'm thinking rice next year.
Oh no.
 
  • #251
Evo said:
Oh no.
Extra-high beds and rows will be the rule from now on. I can't afford to lose my crops to overly-wet weather. It's not a matter of financial loss, but of the loss of good, organic, trustworthy produce that I can freeze and can for next year. That's a big deal. Our weather has gotten very unpredictable. I can't call it climate, since it is localized and restricted to a few years, but the trend is troubling.
 
  • #252
turbo-1 said:
Extra-high beds and rows will be the rule from now on. I can't afford to lose my crops to overly-wet weather. It's not a matter of financial loss, but of the loss of good, organic, trustworthy produce that I can freeze and can for next year. That's a big deal. Our weather has gotten very unpredictable. I can't call it climate, since it is localized and restricted to a few years, but the trend is troubling.
And I like how you are using the cattle panels. Like you, the food aspect is what's important.

I'm hoping that the current trend will not last too long.
 
  • #253
BTW, this could go into the Garden thread, but the erratic weather the past few years is why I amended the soil so heavily. 14 yards of composted manure to add nutrients and improve moisture-retention. AND 14 yards of coarse sand to improve drainage. Those, combined with hilling up high rows and beds should give me a cushion against heavy rains, and allow me to water effectively in the case of extended dry spells. I don't know what to expect any more, in regard to weather patterns. I haven't had a decent chili crop since 2008, and I need to catch up on my canned salsas, chili relishes, and frozen chopped chilies for sauces, stir-fries, etc.
 
  • #254
did you put drainage tiles under your garden when you did that other lateral work?
 
  • #255
dlgoff said:
And I like how you are using the cattle panels. Like you, the food aspect is what's important.

I'm hoping that the current trend will not last too long.
Thanks. I needed a better solution to the trellis problem for vining plants and indeterminate tomatoes, and the cattle panels and T-posts stuck out as a very long-term, easily configurable solution. Indeterminate varieties flower and fruit all season, and can provide fresh, ripe tomatoes for much longer than the bushy determinate varieties.

For anybody thinking of trying this type of trellis, hit Tractor Supply during a sale, buy the cattle panels, and cut them on-site with bolt cutters before loading them. For every T-post you buy, you'll get 5 clips, so that's taken care of. Buy a post-driver. You'll need it!
 
  • #256
I don't know what the official total was, but I put a planter outside last night that I wanted washed and there was 3 inches of water in it this morning.
 
  • #257
turbo-1 said:
Thanks. I needed a better solution to the trellis problem for vining plants and indeterminate tomatoes, and the cattle panels and T-posts stuck out as a very long-term, easily configurable solution. Indeterminate varieties flower and fruit all season, and can provide fresh, ripe tomatoes for much longer than the bushy determinate varieties.

For anybody thinking of trying this type of trellis, hit Tractor Supply during a sale, buy the cattle panels, and cut them on-site with bolt cutters before loading them. For every T-post you buy, you'll get 5 clips, so that's taken care of. Buy a post-driver. You'll need it!

now if only some company would come up with a variety of tomato with tendrils --like grapes have
 
  • #258
rewebster said:
now if only some company would come up with a variety of tomato with tendrils --like grapes have
That would be nice. I recently cleaned out a bunch of worn T-shirts and socks, so I have plenty of fabric for ties. Indeterminates need pruning, so I'll carry a nail-pouch full of cotton strips on my belt and take care of both at the same time.

Here is a very good, informative article regarding pruning tomato vines, and topping off to optimize late-season growth. Good solid advice.
http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/pruning-tomatoes.aspx
 
  • #259
Yo-yo weather, BTW. Yesterday was 55 (high) with drenching rains. Today, we've topped 80 and climbing in bright sun. The black flies are brutal, but I got my kale in the ground and moved my determinate-tomato bed farther from the indeterminate row. Now I need a shower badly.
 
  • #260
It's only 59F here, and looks like more rain.
 
  • #261
Oh, Man! 86 in the shade already, and it's going to be in the 90's tomorrow. Time to hook up the portable air conditioners. I'd consider transplanting stuff from the greenhouse to the garden, but Maine weather is very changeable, and frosts are still possible.

There is still some snow on Sugarloaf Mtn, but it was so hazy that I didn't bother taking a picture. That snow won't survive the week.
 
  • #262
turbo-1 said:
Oh, Man! 86 in the shade already, and it's going to be in the 90's tomorrow. Time to hook up the portable air conditioners. I'd consider transplanting stuff from the greenhouse to the garden, but Maine weather is very changeable, and frosts are still possible.

There is still some snow on Sugarloaf Mtn, but it was so hazy that I didn't bother taking a picture. That snow won't survive the week.
Temperatures have jumped 30 degrees here too, so normal. In a week or two, I can start the thread whining about heat.

I'm already running the airconditioner.

It looks like Evo child will be moving in on the 31st. I will have to padlock the thermostat and buy more fans. I do no want $300 electric bills.
 
  • #263
Evo said:
In a week or two, I can start the thread whining about heat.
I'll start now! It's 92 in the shade, currently, and tomorrow is supposed to be hotter with higher humidity. My little AC units are struggling to keep the house at 75.
 
  • #264
Rain today. We can use it. Despite some drenching downpours in the past month, our rainfall totals are below normal and ground-water levels are down. Plus, the rain will help clean up the air. We are downwind from some very large forest fires in Quebec and the haze and the smell of smoke are everywhere.
 
  • #265
  • #266
It's 15oF outside right now. The weatherman says it will probably hit 2oF tonight. I'm hoping my battery makes it through the winter; It's probably on its last leg.
 
  • #267
Got our first dusting of flurries. The windchill is brutal. I took took my dog out so he could get the first snow flakes of the season (a la Lucy in Charlie Brown Christmas).
 
  • #268
Evo said:
Got our first dusting of flurries. . . .
We got a dusting yesterday afternoon/evening. It's cold and dry otherwise.
 
  • #270
It's snowing and the sky outside my window is glowing orange. Someone's holiday decorations must have set off a fire.
 

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