I didn't realize they were having that kind of a winter. We've had an unusual winter with more snow than I've seen in at least 5yr and probably closer to 10yrs. And most of December and January and here it is the 10th of February and we just had another 6 inches of snow and more single digits.

The poor birds!! I haven't fed birds in years, but in December I realized how few birds I had seen and I wondered how they could be tolerating this cold weather and decided to put up a feeder again. I haven't wanted to attract rodents and I used to keep it across the yard and I couldn't reach it to refill it in heavy snow. So I decided to hang an inexpensive feeder close to a walkway that would be shoveled anyway and I put out that spicy mix that is supposed to deter critters. I've been very satisified to see how many birds are using the feeder. I've had to refill it every day. And they were out there all through the snow as well. And I put up suet cakes and chickadees, cardinals, blue jays and woodpeckers have been using that every day. Two squirrels manage to eat some of it. They must be very hungry.

UBGardener - We are all adaptable. Even the birds. They have to eat as we do. Like the squirrels tolerating the spice in the bird seed, if you're hungry enough you eat what's available. And with natives, I think they get it wrong a lot. On the East Coast, In the mid coast and south coast, different plants are native than what was originally here in New England, yet as long as it says 'native', native enthusiasts, don't distinguish. I grow both native and non native and they all are pollinator friendly and I see that the rabbits have no trouble mowing down my collection of epimedium that come from China. [g]

And will we have a normal spring? Or more snow and cold through March? Or could it suddenly turn balmy and warm. OH....and the wind? Has anyone noticed how much of the time it's windy? Growing up we never had this much wind so much of the time. Very different. But you must be having the same, Rouge?

I'd rather have this weather, than flooding. Around here in New England, our topography is varied. Even though I don't live in an area with elevation, no hills to speak of, I don't live too close to a river or the coast, so we've been lucky so far on that front. We're usually dealing with dry and drought more than anything. Flooding is so damaging and dangerous!!! But, if it stops soon and we have a normal spring people can recover.

I'm surprised Floral hasn't mentioned the flooding there. Photos she posted recently didn't indicate that going on near her. I remember watching the Gardening show with Monty and often he has spoken of how wet their winter was. I'm not sure where they film.

It’s been really windy and cold here. We’re in a multi-weeks long spell. Our nighttime low temps have been -15F to -20F, and our days are barely above 0F, and with brutal winds the windchills have been as cold as -30F in the daytime.. The good news is that we don’t usually get much fresh snow when it’s this cold, and the snow we do get is lightweight and non-packing. The bad news is that I will need to remove the snowdrifts from the driveways today. It’s currently -15F. :p

At -15F bubbles freeze. When my daughter was in elementary school, we would blow bubbles before walking to the bus stop when it was that cold. Frozen bubbles are really cool :-)

The coldest DH has seen on his way to work is -13F. Nothing really to get excited about. We've had a couple of windy days when the fronts have moved in, but for the most part it has been cold, clear and SUNNY. So it isn't that unpleasant out.

clear and SUNNY. So it isn't that unpleasant out.

Agreed! I have actually been enjoying being outdoors lots this winter. I am one who dislkes lots the heat and humidity of our summer.

It has been close to a month since we have seen 0C/32F but it will happen again this week. Hopefully we have turned the corner on this tres chilly winter.

We've had a lot of sunny days and if it's not windy, I'll wait for the afternoon and then go for a short walk. I hate not being able to get out. Most winters I'm in and out a number of times through the day. But we've also had as many days that it has stayed in the single digits and it's been, like PartyMusic, windy enough to bring the wind chill factor down to as low as -30F too. Those days, the dog gets out to quickly do her business and then we're both happy to get right back inside. [g] Then I have to content myself with exercise indoors.

This is what I was looking at out my window with the first storm in January and we've had 6 inches more since then.... [g]

I need to make some bubbles! :)

Me too! More snow on the way tomorrow but warming up.

We actually had some sun today!!! Seeing the sun is rare here, especially in the winter.

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA, I have been using our just acquired heated bird bath for the past couple of days. It definitely "works" in that the water did not freeze even in very cold temperatures but having said that I haven't actually seen any birds use it...yet?... unlike what I saw just putting out a metal baking dish with water, where they flocked to it!

Peren all - We're due to have snow tonight into tomorrow. We're already 10 inches above average. I'm sure you are sick of the snow! Think SPRING! :-)

Party Music - Not much sun in the winter? I don't know how you do it. Having sun gets me through the winter. [g]

Rouge - That's interesting. So are you saying you put out just a baking dish with water and no heater in the really cold temperatures and they wanted to use it? I would think getting wet in this weather, their feathers would freeze and they would have a hard time staying warm?

We are seeing a lot of birds and a pair of skinny squirrels who I feel sorry for. lol I would think this winter in particular they need extra food and based on the fact I've seen no birds in the yard before I put out the feeder, I just don't think I have anything for them to help them out. I have a small supply of white berries on a grey dogwood that I think are gone and were not well formed this year. They looked a little shriveled. A little bit on the holly and the Aronia has a lot of berries on it that is always last to be used. That's it. So the seed and the suet seem to be very popular.

So are you saying you put out just a baking dish with water and no heater in the really cold temperatures and they wanted to use it?

That is correct @prairiemoon2 z6b MA. In the crazy cold they were bathing as I see them do in the summertime.

And I quote:

Clean, well-preened feathers trap air for insulation and waterproofing...

Off course not everywhere in cold weather NA has it been snowy this winter:

https://globalnews.ca/news/11661482/record-snow-drought-in-western-us-raises-concerns-for-water-shortages-and-wildfires/

We warmed up to the low 30s and have had some very welcome melting, but .... next up... freezing drizzle is coming today and tomorrow. But I definitely would prefer this over the heat and dry they are having in the Western part of the country.

I was sad to see a hawk sitting on a fence post with a bird it had caught. The last time that happened I stopped feeding the birds, but... I noticed that 2 days later the birds were all back at the feeders. And I'm trying to put it in perspective, that the hawk has to eat too. But I've always found it hard to reconcile that, even knowing it is the natural order of things.

I did move the feeder thinking that closer to an evergreen Taxus they could duck into might help. I had it on a tree branch with a large deciduous shrub within 8ft of the tree before, and I guess that wasn't enough. Hoping thie new location will improve their protection. They've already found the feeder in the new location.

What? No one focused on the storm that's due tonight? [g]

Is it really going to be a whopper or a dud? My bet is, it's really going to be a whopper! We seem to be right on the line between the jackpot zone and a little less. 18-24" in the jackpot zone, and 12-18" if we get lucky. We are always right on the line a lot of the time where it can go either way. Supposed to continue snowing right up to 9pm on Monday night. Thankfully we don't have to go anywhere and our arranged snow removal lives on our street. VERY LUCKY!

Hope everyone stays safe and warm and any power outages are brief!!

A lot of the snow from the last 2 storms melted off the house roof and ground here over the last couple days when temps reached the 40s.

Snow from the NorEaster has started here with 12”-15” expected. The forecast shows another 5”-8” for Wed-Thurs.

The birds continue to flock to the feeders as there is very little else to eat due to the snow cover (all the bushes/trees with berries/fruits have been wiped out). Even with the stream next to my property, I want to try the heated bird bath shown by @rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a).

I hope my landscaping is enjoying the snow blanket and slow watering from the snow melt. A couple small inkberries partially covered with snow have browning leaves on the exposed branches. The snow is pretty but I would like to see springlike weather soon so I can enjoy my early spring bulb blooms/hellebores and get into my gardens!

Stay safe and warm!!!

pm decades ago my DH & I yelled at a hawk that was so close to getting a squirrel. I still feel badly that maybe the hawk was feeding her young as well as herself. At the time it seemed like the right thing. It is difficult to leave the course of nature alone but...

Yes I am so ready for spring but it is a ways off for me. I do see buds swelling on trees so that cheers me.

We had about 8"-10" Friday night and a bit of snow everyday this week is forecast. I hope you get the least amount and that everyone fares well.

Look look look! Snowdrops showing a few buds from under the snow! I used to bake a crocus cake when the children were still at home. Maybe I will institute a snowdrop cupcake for myself 🤪.

DFan - We haven’t reached 40F in awhile. We did have some melting with mid to high 30s a couple of days, and at least the icicles dropped off the gutters, but there is still at least a foot or more of snow on the ground.

Same here, with food for the birds. Very little available to them. What was left of the berried bushes were used up in the last couple of weeks.

I was thinking that too….this spring everything is going to get a good dose of moisture!

Peren.all - Can hawks take squirrels? Maybe my hawks are smaller than yours, they don’t look like that would be that easy.

Exactly, it is not easy to let nature take it’s course, but…it should be comforting to us that there is a rhyme and a reason that is bigger than we are. I remind myself of that.

Earlier today the forecast moved the line a little south of us, so there is a chance we will get the smaller amount.

I hope you are getting to enjoy all your snow. If I could get out there and tube down a hill….lol…. I’d be doing a lot of that with the kids.

Gdinieontario - Wow…I can’t see bare ground anywhere. And you are zone 5?

What is a crocus cake? [g]

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA I could only see bare ground in this little strip close to the house and close to the water heater pipes. It is covered again in a centimeter of snow already.

A crocus cake is something I invented when the late Canadian spring was driving me up the wall. I came from the Netherlands, via Korea. In both those countries spring comes a lot sooner than here in Ontario. So when I saw the first open crocus, I would bake a chocolate cake, cover it in white frosting, and have a few yellow flowers come up through the frosting ‘snow’. Our youngest ended up knowing exactly where people had crocuses planted against a south facing white wall. ”Mama, let let’s go see if the crocuses are out!”

Gdinieontario - Aha.....to celebrate the first sign of spring! Something growing, even if there was still snow on the ground. That's a great idea!

I am beginning to wonder if we are going to get any snow with this 'blizzard'. So far, it's all gone south of us. I've always found the Accuweather forecasts more accurate than the National Weather Service, and they had us getting only about 4". So far today, I think the total is about -0.5". More melted than fell.

School is already closed for tomorrow.

MadGallica - I'm trying to figure out if the way I remember things a few decades ago is accurate, because I don't remember the weather forecasts being like this, where Snow is due, but all these small specific areas get different outcomes. I think it used to be all of Eastern Mass, would get the same thing basically.

Now there are like 4 or 5 different areas just in Eastern Mass where there is a big difference in what one area gets over another.

At any rate, for us, I've also been wondering where the storm is? I was awake in the night @ 2:30a and first thing I noticed was no wind blowing against the house and the windows. And that the room was warm. The forecast was for snow starting at 7p and snowing steady until midnight. I went to bed at 10p and didn't see a breeze or snow. A little something showed up on the branches but nothing all that noticeable.

Then the forecast called for heavy snow and high winds the worst from midnight to 5a. Well, the wind picked up a little, we are seeing a little more snow, but I have wind chimes on the back porch and I might have heard them gently ringing twice so far. And I just looked out the window and is it wrong to be shocked to see a bird flying out of the bush, looking for the seed I threw out there yesterday? I can't remember ever seeing a bird out looking for food in a storm. I thought, he must be really hungry to come out in this weather, so I threw more seed out on the top of the snow and 20mins later, we saw a squirrel out there digging out the seed. lol Plus there is only about an inch of snow on my front steps that are covered with rabbit tracks.

But...they are already reporting 75,000 people without power. Certain pockets are getting hammered. They had a reporter on the news down on the Cape and she could barely stand up and the snow was horizontal. And two of our north shore towns have 100% power outages.

The wind just shifted and now my windows east and west are getting wet, but....I just looked out the window and the squirrel is still there and now there are 4 birds out there....lol.

So, I guess we are pretty lucky MGallica. :-) I did NOT want to have a power outage.

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA and @mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY) - you are lucky if the full force of the storm is bypassing your areas! It is certainly delivering here!

The birds are already waiting at the feeder despite the continuing snow and wind gusts here. As soon as I opened the patio door to snap the photo below, they began to chirp. I topped off the feeder yesterday afternoon because today’s feeding will be a bit late.

It sure is pretty outside:

That is way pretty @Design Fan (NE z7a).

"crocus cake"

A wonderful tradition!

I want to try the heated bird bath....

Its weird as I have yet to see any birds at this new fancy pants bath.

This area is where I threw out some birdseed this morning, on the snow. I throw a little and it gets covered with snow, then I come back later and throw a little more. lol They seem to be having a good time.

Hopefully the last gasp of winter this week....it was a wintry mix overnight and we woke up to ice covering branches and coating the ground. It's supposed to warm up to 40 and sunny later and 4 days over 50F coming up!

Icy!

And we haven't stepped outside the house yet, but this is what we see outside our front door every morning....

What do they find so fascinating about our front steps?! lol

Looks like they are having a party!

If I get out of the house later, I'll have to take a photo of the rose bushes that they have chewed all the bark off. *sigh*

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA, most every winter our Julia Childs roses get eaten down to the base. It seems crazy to me that rabbits eat such plant material.

On March 1st we experienced a low of -16C/3F; it is predicted that this Saturday March 7 we will see it at 14C/57F! (But I still see forecasts of double digits negative Celsius temps after that :( )

Rouge, Last year my Julia Child was unmolested. I had live clean canes to the tips. I had the largest Julia Child I've ever had. I've had Beverly for 5 years and they've never touched it. So both of those will have to be cut to the ground and I will put some wire around them next fall.

Well...looking at the rest of the country, the South and the West are having early heat. So...I am going to enjoy ALL comfortable spring weather because most likely we will be transitioning into hot dry weather maybe sooner than previous years. And I may be adding to my rain barrels this year.

Snowdrops and crocus will be late this year. I still have over a foot of snow on the ground and only one area near the foundation and the chimney on the South side of the house that is bare.

And then you see this! Still under snow yesterday morning, but with abundant rain and warm temperatures yesterday, they bloomed today! There is hope, even with some snow in the forecast later this week.

I am so jealous of you @gdinieontarioz5!

We are about 90 minutes north and east of you and there is very little visible ground on our property ie still covered with lots of snow. I know where the snowdrops and winter acconite are supposed to be but those areas are still covered with too much white 'stuff'.

@rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) Wish I could send you some spring…

One day maybe we will be able to afford to live in your very exclusive "southern" city ;) ;).

Bwahaha, the banana belt 🤪.

Got my big, cold hardier palms and cycads out on the season.

Grown from a Canary Island Date pit/seed.

Butia capitata, grown from a eBay stqrter plant

@gdinieontarioz5 I thought of you today when I came across a glimmer of our winter aconites :). I only have them cuz of your generosity in gifting me a few way back when. (I could never get success from planting packaged corms and you were kind enough to give me some live ones one spring).

It isnt much but considering our winter, it is an important start.

A little further south, in east central Indiana…

@rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) Then you are only two days behind us! My first winter aconite was on Sunday. Lots more today. If ever you want more, just come and get them. I am getting to the stage where I take off the ripening seeds, and even just throw the plants out. Great self seeders.

If ever you want more,

@gdinieontarioz5, it may be hard to believe but you gave me a clump of the aconite 9 years ago! And for sure it has spread lots. I love it.

We’ve finally had some days that were warm enough to melt a lot of snow. The driveway is clear for the first time since early December, and we can see over the snowbanks to drive! Today I saw some of my snowdrops coming up and was shocked to see several bees swarming them. Never could get a photo of them, but they looked like giant honey bees.

As is often the case it can be either "feast or famine":

https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/winter-skipped-western-united-states/

I’m in SE PA Z7A -- there was still a good amount of snow on the ground a week ago. Then the temps started to warm into the 70s for several days, the snow melted and is gone, the crocus started to bloom, so we started to clean the beds. Now, the forecast is predicting freezing temps and frost periods for the next week (28 degrees tomorrow am). The crocus are a welcome sight but I suspect the upcoming freeze/frost will wipe them out. The hellebores are also peeking out but they should be ok. As I'm typing this and looking out the window it has started to snow - hopefully only a dusting.

MG_4305

@raymondz7a Unless you get a truly heavy frost, your crocuses should be fine. Tommies are tough.

Lovely photos! Raymond your crocuses are spectacular!

:)

Dee

We in the PNW have mostly escaped a hard winter. In fact our snow pack was below 50% of normal, though in the last week we've had a lot of snow in the mountains and a dusting down here. We're at 400 ft, and we got a dusting on a couple of mornings this week that didn't stick around for the whole day. I watch the weather pretty closely, but was caught off guard by an inch of snow this morning. It likely won't last long either, but I am really ready for the warmer weather.

From almost no snow left as of this morning to now covered with 10 cm/4" :(.