When normal isn’t normal

You may have read in the news earlier in May that NOAA has updated their “normals” for temperature and precipitation at stations around the country. In climatology, normals are the calculated averages over a specified time period. Usually, we use a 30-year period to capture what the average weather is like in a time period … Continue reading When normal isn’t normal

Fire and Ice: Why the East is baking while the West is freezing

If you’ve been paying attention to the weather across the United States this past week, you may have noticed that most of the eastern U. S. is experiencing extremely hot temperatures, especially when you factor in the effects of humidity. At the same time, in the western U. S., it has been snowing in the … Continue reading Fire and Ice: Why the East is baking while the West is freezing

The end of La Niña and what we expect in this summer 2025

In the last few weeks NOAA has declared the end of the weak La Niña that has been present in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the return to neutral conditions. I want to take time today to discuss what it means for our summer growing season in the United States. I will also provide some … Continue reading The end of La Niña and what we expect in this summer 2025

2024 in Review and a look ahead to 2025

How did your garden grow in 2024? Was it a lush playground full of beautiful flowers and plentiful produce? Or was it a sere landscape of brown, wilted foliage? How your own garden fared in 2024 was certainly dependent on where you live, what you had planted, and how you took care of it, but … Continue reading 2024 in Review and a look ahead to 2025

Getting ready for an extreme weather event

For those of us in the Southeastern United States, this past week has been a whirlwind of preparation for Hurricane Helene, followed by the terrifying storm itself and now, for some people, months of clean-up and houses, yards, and gardens that may never be the same. My post this week (I did not get to … Continue reading Getting ready for an extreme weather event

Tropical storms and hurricanes and how they affect your gardens and properties

Last month I discussed the forecast for the Atlantic tropical season and pointed out that it is likely to be an active one. As I write this, there has already been one named storm (Alberto, which went into Mexico but dropped a lot of rain in southern Texas) and two more areas of potential development … Continue reading Tropical storms and hurricanes and how they affect your gardens and properties

Don’t be a Horticultural Hot Mess: Climate-Smart Gardening Practices

While there are still doubters out there mostly thanks to politics, it is pretty clear that the climate is changing and humans are affecting the speed at which it is occurring. The number of record-breaking temperatures and the shift in the USDA hardiness zones show the current effects of this change that will affect almost … Continue reading Don’t be a Horticultural Hot Mess: Climate-Smart Gardening Practices

“Hot, hot, hot!” –A new source of heat information for gardeners and a look ahead to the 2024 Atlantic tropical season

We are entering the hottest time of the year for most of our readers except for those who live in the Southern Hemisphere or in tropical locations where there is not a big seasonal cycle. Heat can have a big impact on both gardens and gardeners, so this is a great time to look at … Continue reading “Hot, hot, hot!” –A new source of heat information for gardeners and a look ahead to the 2024 Atlantic tropical season