Weather has forecasters confused
On Feb. 2, Phil the ground hog predicted six more weeks of winter for our area.
While the human weather prophets seem to be getting better at forecasting in recent years, Phil is having a bit of trouble.
Rumor has it that Phil lives in a heated burrow, is fed regularly and is gaining weight. With these creature comforts, Phil may be losing his edge.
Rumor also has it that he is not keeping up with technology. Perhaps this whole global warming business is messing with the forecast models Phil has used in the past.
February temperatures continue on the warm side. This past week saw several days with readings in the 60s. The forecast for the coming week again calls for above normal temperatures. No below zero temperatures have been recorded so far this winter. The lowest was 2 degrees above zero in January and it looks like 12 above will be the lowest recorded for the month of February. The last 12 months have all experienced temperatures warmer than normal.
It is nice to see the early spring flowers in bloom, but last year we had a similar warm spring followed by a late spring cold snap that did a lot of damage to plants, shrubs and some trees. Nature can usually handle these late cold events, but several years in a row can cause problems
I remember a few single-digit morning temperatures last April that wrecked a lot of havoc with local gardens.
Next week as we move into March, average temperatures in the area begin with a high of 46 at the beginning of the month and rise quickly to 59 by the end. Early morning temperatures average 24 and finish up at 36 by month蘑菇视频 end. Records for March are a high of 88 and a low of -3. It is interesting to note that no below zero weather has ever been recorded after March 16.
You have probably noticed the lengthening of the days and this has a lot to do with the increase in temperatures as the sun is able to better warm the planet since it is out longer and the rays are stronger.
Sunrise and sunset on March 1 are at 6:54 a.m. and 6:11 p.m.. On March 31, sunrise and sunset are at 6:06 a.m. and 6:43 p.m. We would normally say that spring will soon be here.
However this year it has been with us all winter.