Weather outlook for March

[Steve Johnson]

I just saw this on weather.com, and the following could be useful as we get a visual snapshot of what early spring may be like for US cactus collections:



Okay, is your growing season about ready to start yet? For some of you, the outlook is promising. However, for those of us in the western US, wet weather means cooler temps -- if the overnight lows drop down to the low to mid-40s, your growing season might not begin until the lows start heading north of 50 in April.

[Pushrestart]

Thanks for sharing ! We will finally be getting warmer temps but it will be completely overcast/rainy so not sure if that's winning lol

[graffiti]

I'm in CT and I've been thinking the last week or two that it's just about time to give my collection a little drink. Maybe 20ml or so in 2.5" pots. Couple are starting to look like prunes, even though they're still firm.

[DaveW]

UK is due to get colder however, with a late winter that may run up to April, since it has been exceptionally mild so far:-

http://www.express.co.uk/news/weather/6 ... t-MINUS-18" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/02 ... 41878.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't know if that also affects Continental Europe as well? However our weathermen now always predict "gloom and doom" to be on the safe side after they got the weather wrong in the past by saying the predictions of a gale were rubbish and then one flattened half the south of England, something they have never lived down!

[iann]

Weather is looking good here after a thoroughly wet and humid (and warm) autumn and early winter. One week of something resembled actual winter and now straight to spring I've watered many of my hardy cacti already, removed the hotbox from the greenhouse, and getting ready to water more after a possible final frost tomorrow night.

Despite what Daily Express says, there isn't the slightest sign of a cold snap coming. Of course anything is possible two or three weeks out, and no doubt they will claim the next colder-than-average day as a vindication of their blatantly misleading headlines.

[esp_imaging]

our weathermen now always predict "gloom and doom" to be on the safe side

The Met Office is generally pretty good, but certain papers, notably the Daily Express, manage to come up with sensationalist doom and gloom headlines on a routine basis.

According to the Express, "Britain will be blanketed with snow from Scotland to the Isle of Wight this weekend ". Clearly not true! I suspect this prediction bore little relationship to what the met office were forecasting.

[cactushobbyman]

California needs all the rain it can get, but we need more in snow. That's our real storage.

[iann]

our weathermen now always predict "gloom and doom" to be on the safe side

The Met Office is generally pretty good, but certain papers, notably the Daily Express, manage to come up with sensationalist doom and gloom headlines on a routine basis.

According to the Express, "Britain will be blanketed with snow from Scotland to the Isle of Wight this weekend ". Clearly not true! I suspect this prediction bore little relationship to what the met office were forecasting.

I was blanketed in snow Not predicted at my low altitude, and quite close to me there was just an inch or two lying. It all melted the next day.

[DaveW]

And higher above Nottingham in Mapperley, 155 metres (508ft) above sea level, we missed the snow. British weather reports are always a bit hit and miss as we are a hard country to forecast for. As they say "the rest of the world has seasons but Britain has weather!".

[iann]

I had to leave the greenhouse today, it was too hot. Plus it hasn't rained for over a week. Perhaps I got California's weather by mistake?

[7george]

Hot and sunny in Arizona - as expected!

[DaveW]

Dull, cold and miserable and only 60F midday in the greenhouse today.

[iann]

Dull, cold and miserable and only 60F midday in the greenhouse today.

It's a tricky time of year. No doubt it will be Arizona temperatures in the greenhouse tomorrow, then cold and damp the next day ...

[DaveW]

Yes, usual British weather as the suns out this morning again so should warm the greenhouse up. Problem at the moment is you give the first watering on a warm sunny day in the UK then it turns dull and cold again next few days.