Wacky weather

nlafrance3 · Post by **nlafrance3** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 6:18 am

So as global warming is arriving, Edmonton gets colder and colder. Its almost mid-April and its snowing over 5cm today. I don't know if we've had any days close to average yet which is a far cry from almost everyday over the average last year in April. Allen, we need some divine intervention, otherwise I won't be able to begin landscaping until June!

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 5:33 pm

The whole thing is very strange to me, I remember back in the late 70's and early 80's, they where all saying we were headed for another ice-age

I don't think they know as much as they think they do. The northern hemisphere has been on a warming trend for the past 15,000 years or better, besides that...this trend is a none reversable one and it will keep warming no matter what we do. So what can we realy do? I think it will be nothing more than a scare for politicians to use for there own gane. The earth has cooled and warmed for thousand of years, who knows...we might make things worse by trying to correct the problem? Anyways...just an opinion I will still repect a diferent view

Alchris · Post by **Alchris** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 10:03 pm

It really does make me wonder.

I was in Grande Prairie for Easter. Despite +10 C temperatures and water running in the streets, they still had over a foot of standing snow and at least 3' snow piles from shoveling walks and drive ways. We drove home through Slave Lake and spent over 3 hours driving in snow that melted on contact. We were home 3 hours before the snow caught up and it has been snowing constantly now for almost 24 hours. Most of the snow has melted but we still have 3 inches of new snow on the ground. The streets and walks are bare.

Spring will be late starting as the ground must be close to saturated. You are right, Nate. It will be close to June before any gardening or landscaping gets done.

I don't think that central and northern Alberta has Global Warming. I remember it being a lot colder in the winter and a lot warmer in the summer when I was a kid. I also remember that Shaftsbury Trail farmers won first prize for their wheat and barley as well as 3rd prize for their plums at the Chicago Worlds Fair circa 1912. Shaftsbury Trail runs south from Peace River, Alberta about 15 miles along the west bank to the 'Old Fort' that Alexander MacKenzie established in 1796 on his search for an overland passage to the Pacific. The weather has been very erratic in that area since about 1980.

I remember snow drifts so deep in the mid 60's that the roads were closed for several days. I also remember my brother-in law combining on Christmas Day in the late 80's. It had been so wet in the fall that the crop was left standing until the ground froze solid and there had been enough cold dry air to dry out the wet grain and clear off what little snow that had fallen.

I can't speak for any other area, but I don't believe that northern Alberta has had any significant warming on average in the 100 or so years that they have been keeping records. The only thing consistent about the weather has been it's inconsistency.

I think that the successful effort to stop the massive forest fires in northern Alberta and BC contributed more to global cooling than auto and industrial gas byproducts contributed to Global Warming.

Allen

PALMETTOMAN · Post by **PALMETTOMAN** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 1:25 pm

Edmonton,

Your right on..

To me were just going through a cycle..ie-cool spring hot summer..-warm spring, cool summer etc..

Happy planting...

Hope your yucca eleph. is doing good!!

Palmettoman Z6-Ajax, On

Alchris · Post by **Alchris** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 2:22 pm

The Yucca is doing good inside. It only lost about 30% of it's leaves and the spears are getting longer. It should get it's first new leaf about the time I start hardening it off.

Allen

PALMETTOMAN · Post by **PALMETTOMAN** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:14 pm

My Yucca Eleph. are hardened off nicely considering their tech. about Zone 8 or 9...

The leaves have become like razors..

I believe the cool temps have hardened them off...

Palmettoman Z6-Ajax, On

Cali-wanna-b · Post by **Cali-wanna-b** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 6:41 am

April 14th and I have to get ready for a Nor-easter storm.............unreal.........

I hate "spring" in the north east.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 6:06 pm

Ya, if this is global warming, I'd hate to see another ice-age approach.

Haven't put my longjohns away yet.

We're a full 3 weeks behind last year. Birch leaves are just opening...apricots have just started to open, but man, oh man, the wind is so cold.

And (good on 'ya) Edmonton is warmer than the Okanagan right now!

Just looked at the 14 day forecast for the Okanagan...below normal temps (

)

Cali, that nor-easter was on TV today, wow hope there's no damage at your place!

Agree with you Allen...the only constant is inconsistency. Wonder if the growing season will be extended by a month this year...or whether winter'll start as usual in early October.

Did everyone see that email about the lack of pollinating bees this year?
Apparently radiation from cellphones (which are virtually everywhere) is affecting their "homing" abilities and they're abandoning their nests to just the Queen(s) and a few others, who can't keep the hive going.

It's apparently hit in six nations across the world so far.
I'll try to find the email if anyone wants to read it.

Albert Einstein was quoted as saying "Without bees (pollinating)...mankind has 4 years left".
I was so depressed after I read that...but hey, it's apparently supported by research.

Sorry to depress everyone.
Barb

Alchris · Post by **Alchris** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:36 pm

It is scarey that tame bees may become extinct. But nature usually provides even if it takes a few years.

Wild bees will most likely survive with many more nests containing much smaller populations. Wasp and hornet nests will increase significantly. I expect that we would have a wasp/hornet/bee nest every 100 or so feet as they develop much less technical ways of finding the nest.

This may drastically alter the honey business as well as production of flowering crops.

But we will see more butterflies, humming birds and other insects.

Things have a way of working out.

Allen

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:00 am

I like your attitude, Allen.
I just hope you're right...(except the part about more wasps/hornets)

Barb

Alchris · Post by **Alchris** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:10 pm

The 'killer bees' from South America have been gradually moving north and breeding with the tame bees. This is making the tame bees more aggressive. I don't know how far north they are but they were into Central California at least 5 years ago.

One way or another, we are going to get more aggressive bees/wasps. And that sucks.

Allen

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:13 pm

It sucks big time.
Wonder if cellphone "radiation" (if true) will have any effect on wild bees...

Sheesh, killer mosquitos and killer bees...
maybe we'll be doing more indoor gardening and...the dreaded jigsaw puzzles

ha ha

Our eastern friends are still faced with weather advisories...man, hope all their homes and GHouses are safe!
Barb

Cali-wanna-b · Post by **Cali-wanna-b** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 4:27 pm

Barb

Thanks for the concern. Central PA was spared this time. We got mostly wet snow and rain. It's been so long since I've seen the sun I forget what it looks like...LOL.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:23 pm

Thank goodness your place is OK.

We're lucky to be getting the sun BUT it's still at the price of a very cold wind.
It was zero C this morning.

I had moved the CIDPalm outside yesterday (under a roof).
Looks "perkier" ...as though it liked the cold night.

And the Trachy fortunei still hasn't sent its spear up completely...the thing is growing slower than the glaciers are receding!

Cheers
Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:50 pm

I woke up to snow and below freezing temps today, and if the nights don't warm up I am going to lose some more plants

I hate when spring is harder than winter on the plants

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:02 pm

Oh, Aaron, what a shock!

Can you cover them with garbage cans and pails...even 5 gallon plant pots in case temps drop again?
Maybe put a couple of lawn chairs on each side of a plant, drape a blanket over the chairs.
That should help for all but the coldest "spring" nights.

Maybe it's time to get the Christmas lights lit again!
I hope at the end of summer we'll be able to say we had a summer!
Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 5:27 am

Thanks barb

I just hope they are stonger than I am. Can't have any wimpy plants around here

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:55 am

Was last nite another cold nite?

We had ground frost this morning...thank goodness I moved all the tender stuff indoors (but such a PAIN!)

I'm glad I did.

I've got Ranunculus blooming in their nursery boxes...too cold at night to put them out.
They just might finish flowering in that cardboard!

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:59 pm

Last night was a little warmer than the past couple, I think it was like 28f.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:43 pm

Are your cactus looking OK? Guess it's too soon to tell.
Barb

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