Winter has become almost non-existent here in the sunny South. "Usual" for us would be a general chill beginning around December 1st, then 50-degree days and freezing or near-freezing nights on a regular basis until the end of February. That's what passes for winter here...until about ten years ago. "Winter" had been getting shorter and shorter - decreasing by about a week or so every year. Last year we had "winter" for about two weeks.
Not this year. We've used the fireplace exactly six times since October. The extra heat hasn't been necessary, and really wasn't actually needed those times - I just wanted to take the chill off, and because I absolutely love a fire. It's primal to me, sort of like candles and oil lamps. This year we've had about four days of "winter"...
The last two weeks have felt exactly like mid-March. Daffodils and crocus blooming, along with camellias on the neighbor's bushes bordering my back fence. Japanese magnolias are also in full bloom, and some of the other early-leafers are showing that pale green haze. My roses didn't even lose leaves - they just stopped whatever it is roses do and took a little rest, then cranked back up again.
It was 74 yesterday. The low last night was 65. This is way too early. If we get a return to colder weather, everything will just die off. But this year I'm really not expecting even that to happen - looks too much like the spring weather pattern has set in for true.
However, I could be surprised - one recent weird year we had not much winter, then a snowstorm with big, fat, quarter-sized flakes the first week in April...
Welcome to Climate Chaos!!!
Well, happy Friday anyway... courtesy of The Ides of March...
Is the weather weird where you are?
Who brought food? (I brought lemon icebox pie.)
Can we turn the music up?