Extended Weather Forecast Update

9 years ago

If the current trends hold in the latest forecast models, much
of Oklahoma will continue to be shielded from the Arctic air for the
next 2 weeks, at least. There is quite a bit of cold air up in Canada,
but it looks like it will mostly head east of Oklahoma during the next
couple of weeks. Parts of the state may still see a couple of light
freezes during that time (maybe Thursday and/or Friday morning this week
and Wednesday morning next week), but it looks like we'll be spared
again from the real cold air. This doesn't mean we still won't have hard
freezes in late March or even in April, but the first 2 weeks of March
look pretty warm, overall.

Lee

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Comments (4)

Okiedawn OK Zone 7
9 years ago
Thanks, Lee. I always appreciate your weather updates so much.

I'm so far resisting the urge to put tomato plants in the ground early, but it is harder every day to resist. Oh well, if I lose my mind and do it, I have oodles and oodles of floating row cover rated to provide 10 degrees of protection.

Today's a case in point. Forecast high 71, current high 77. It almost feels hot out there. My poor little tomato plants sit in the safety of the plant room and whine that they want to go out and play. I promise them it will happen soon. I'm forcing myself to behave by only hardening off about 15 plants. That will keep me from going overboard and planting too many too early because the rest aren't hardened off.

I feel ready for whatever March and April can throw at us, and I think we all know they can throw all kinds of surprises our way.
chickencoupe
9 years ago
Thanks, Lee!
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elkwc
9 years ago
When I decided to start seeds this year I was tempted to start them in early Feb but was able to wait until Valentines which is early here. After two great tomato years and last summer I didn't have a plant I decided to try it again. I imagine I'll bring on another hot, dry, windy summer.
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
9 years ago
No, Jay, I don't think you will. I believe you'll have a good year this year. I want for you to have another great tomato year, and there's rumbles in the meteorological world that we might see the development of another El Nino later this year....so let's think positive! At least they aren't talking about another La Nina. I have all sorts of good vibes about this year.....not based on any form of science, just that famed women's intuition, which seems like it rarely lets me down. I think it is going to be a great tomato year and I'm hoping to put some plants in the ground early. Not this early, but certainly before the end of March.

We had great rainfall here in 2015 (a little over 200% of normal), and then plentiful rainfall last year, though little fell in July, August and September. In our county this year so far, January rainfall was well above average, but then February was kinda skimpy. So far, this year just feels pretty normal----not like we'll be really wet or really dry, but maybe we'll have enough rain that I won't have to irrigate too much.

Oh, and I do look at the long range forecasts and I know I probably shouldn't be expecting adequate rainfall based on what they show, but I am expecting it anyway. Maybe having two good rainy years has addled my brain and made me forget what our hot, dry summers really are like here. I'm sure we'll be too hot because that trend already seems like it is going strong. I'll just plant early and try to beat the heat as much as possible. Of course, we have to make it through the rest of fire season first, but I even have good feelings about that----not that fire season is over by any stretch of the imagination, but we are greening up fairly rapidly here and once the green-up reaches a certain point, the fires taper off pretty rapidly.