Benefits of an early spring
After the old-fashioned winter we had, many are enjoying the benefits of an early spring.
January and February saw temperatures in Southwestern Pennsylvania average about 4 degrees below normal while March saw our average temperature 8 degrees above what we normally see.
The Polar Vortex with its cold air from the Arctic did try to make an appearance on the 17th and 18th with morning lows of 17 and 15, however southerly winds quickly returned temperatures well above those levels.
The cold mornings did take a toll on the magnolia trees that had blossomed, however a ride or hike this week will delight with many of spring蘑菇视频 bushes and trees showing off their buds and blooms, including my favorite, the Bradford pear with its magnificent white blooms gracing area residences and hillsides. Some folks complain about the Bradford蘑菇视频 since they are invasive, however they bring the joy of spring color to the barren landscape and actually hide a lot of the debris and plastic containers folks discard along our highways.
The arrival of the southerly winds with their warm air this March produced 10 days in the Uniontown area with afternoon temperatures in the 70s and 80s. Several records were broken including the earliest 80-plus degree reading on the 7th at 83.
Along with the warm temperatures we had 7.58 inches of rain for March. That is 3.82 inches above normal and after last year蘑菇视频 drought that carried over into winter the rain was welcome. As I write this I measured 1.46 inches of rain on the first morning of April and rain was in the forecast over the next few days.
Yesterday with temperatures in the low 80s I enjoyed a bike ride on the Great Allegheny Passage in Ohiopyle. What a thrill to see and hear my friends Woody, Chippy, Scamper, along with the Spring Peepers and a few deer eating some fresh greens. With the recent rains streams are running on the high side and this may muddy up the waters for fishing this weekend.
Another joy of a hike or bike ride at this time is seeing the ground open up and the spring wildflowers appear. Yellow coltsfoot come alive in the worst of soils, even on slag dumps. Their early color is always a sign that spring is here. Next up were the white bloodroot that seemed to be everywhere pushing their way up through the debris of winter. Lavender Spring Beauty and a few yellow violets were also visible and the big treat occurred on my way back when I got to see the first blooms of the white and red trillium.
It was spring break and a lot of families were out enjoying the Ohiopyle falls and bike trail. Since I rode 18 miles my treat was a scoop of double chocolate ice cream from the Falls Market in Ohioyple. I deserved it!