Same here--climate is changing really fast--it will only get worse. The best you can do is to plan to cover vulnerable plants up waaaay too early with row covers, sheets, other cloths. Never plastic, although if it's been raining and then is going to get really cold, use dry cloth and cover that with plastic to keep cloth dry.

Climate zones all are on steroids now, as if my earlier climate was not crazy enough (with subtropical summers and subarctic winters!). YEARS ago, I remember March for being a season of SLUSH, decades later, it was the last major snowstorm before winter would suddenly end. This year, I don't even feel the chill of the nearby Atlantic, it's crazy. April has been awful with late frosts though, and all this HEAT is not helpful if the bottom drops out on temps, there would be serious damage. But we may be dealing with premature HEAT in April at this rate. Years ago, reaching 60 near the ocean in early-mid March was notable, now we are going into the mid 70's. Seasonal lags are common in coastal areas, warm tends to arrive much later and the chill of autumn is also typically delayed. Used to joke, it's like living in Argentina!

You do realize, that according to NOAA, the average last frost date for Baltimore is Mar 15 to Mar 31?

It's supposed to 79 tomorrow here in Baltimore! Crazy!

My last frost date is is May 2, which is a long ways off!!

debra

When I moved to this county in WV 50 years ago, we were zone 5A, We are now 6B/7A. Massive change. But we still have the irregular weather of Appalachian springs. It makes gardening an ever greater challenge.

It was mid 70's here in North Jersey/NYC Metro. Used to be Zone 6b here, now 7b, last frost date used to be May 15th, now the camellias are just about past peak. And it only becomes MORE abnormal as you travel NORTH, New England and points north to the arctic are seeing the biggest aberrations away from the "norm" (excuse the language). We had several winters in recent years with "polar vortices", not this year. Lots of debate at the time if this was the "new normal". Personally, I think that the climate is still in a state of extreme "flux" and relatively unstable, I don't think we know where the new "normal" is at this point, and that is most disturbing of all!

P.S., Regarding your "irregular springs" of Appalachia, that is a characteristic of a lot of the North American climates. east Asian climates at a similar latitude are much more predictable, and the climate simpler, North American eastern climates are much more complex (thanks to....., the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf Stream, absence of west-east mountain ranges (to block arctic incursions). In fact, you'd be surprised how arctic air masses can be even more of a problem for subtropical regions of Florida (north and central Florida, in particular).

70's yesterday, high 40s last night, NOAA calling for low 20s Monday night. Hard on the gardens. Hard on the gardener.

Hunga tonga volcano

The volcano and all its water vapor did not help, simple water vapor (H2O), is an excellent greenhouse gas! Also, still in an El niño year, and then there is record CO2 and methane.

And of course we have a freeze warning 🤣

No freeze warning here, advantage to being coastal and in an urban heat island. Chill hardy troplcals have been out for weeks.