Meteorological Spring Warmth?

CPC/NOAA March Temp Outlook

Officially Spring begins on Wednesday, March 20th but for record keeping's sake, Meteorologists begin keeping track of the season on March 1st. The newest climate outlook for March was released today and our "average" February temps may just take us right into the entire month of March. The latest maps are shown to the right.

With the current weather pattern holding pretty tight, it looks as though temps will remain relatively cool or close to average for at least the first half of March. There are some signals in the long range forecast showing a warming trend to our west.

As for precipitation the trend looks a little wetter than average and that does not really deviate much from how we have begun 2013. January was the wettest on record at the Paducah National Weather Service and February ran almost exactly average.

CPC/NOAA March Precip Outlook

This type of outlook leaves me wondering about severe weather season which is set to start soon. April and May are typically our busiest months severe weather-wise. Last year, our severe weather season struck early in late Feb and early March simply due to the extreme warmth that infiltrated the area. We have broken that trend this year and something tells me our severe season will be a bit more active if this weather pattern continues as it looks to.

My previous post was dedicated to preparing for severe weather/tornadoes/disasters in the Local 6 region. I encourage everyone to become A FORCE OF NATURE and read how you can make your family safer and stronger by being prepared.

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Planting Zones Heading North

As our global climate changes, so does our planting zones, helping us determine which flowers/shrubs/trees are hardy in specific areas. The Local 6 area has always been split by 2-3 growing zones so placement becomes very important to those in the agricultural community. The image below represents the average over the past 30 years. Climate Central published the following information: "What kinds of flowers, shrubs and trees you’ll find at your local nursery depends on your climate — how warm it tends to get in summer, and how cold in winter. A plant that’s happy in Wisconsin might be miserable in Alabama, and vice versa. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has formalized these differences into " hardiness zones " — strips of similar climate that run more or less east-to-west (except in the high mountains), where particular plants should do especially well. But as the planet warms under its thickening blanket of greenhouse gases, those zones are shifting northward. Th...

Longer Allergy Seasons

The National Phenology Network is showing the early arrival of leaves on trees in the Ohio Valley, the Midwest, and Western United States this year. This trend has become more of a norm over the past past 50 years. Climate Central published data this week showing the same trend since 1970 with notable attention to the West where states are seeing as many as 17 more frost-free days, extending the growing season. Here in the Local 6 area, the growth is not as notable but still averaging between 4-9 days additional to the growing season. Why does this matter? Aside from having an influence on which plants are suitable for planting zones, it has a much higher societal impact by extending the allergy season. "As the climate warms from the increase of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the last spring freeze is trending earlier and the first fall freeze is coming later. This means the growing season is getting longer, and so is the pollen season— whether it i...

Updates on Upcoming Winter Weather Events

Sunday Morning Update: A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for much of the WPSD Local 6 area with a handful of counties just reaching Winter Storm criteria. Here is the latest map. They are in effect until early Monday. Snowfall totals have not changed much from last nights posting and I really feel this will still just be a road impact for Monday morning. Here is the projected snowfall total map: Sorry, TN. Looks like another near miss on the snow for you. :( Saturday Night Update: A Winter Storm Watch has been issued by the Paducah National Weather Service for most of the WPSD Local 6 area. Portions of NW TN and MO Bootheel have been placed under a Winter Weather Advisory all for winters weather on Sunday as colder air begins to arrive. Rain will switch over to freezing rain, sleet, and snow during the day on Sunday eventually leading to accumulations in the watch/advisory areas. Initially any frozen precip will melt thanks to Saturday's mild temps and warmer pavement surfac...

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