Damp opening day with snowflakes? Hard freeze possible

Many plants have emerged or are emerging from their winter slumber.  While many of our plants are well equipped to tolerate late freezes, some do so better than others.  Since forewarned is forearmed, you may be interested in the following forecast.

Opening day snowflakes are possible with a very cold air mass early next week.  Night-time temperatures may fall into the mid-20’s as well.

From the National Weather Service forecast discussion:

AN UNSEASONABLY COLD AIRMASS WILL THEN FILTER INTO THE REGION BEHIND
THE FRONT AS MID/UPPER LEVEL LOW ROTATES SLOWLY EAST ACROSS THE
GREAT LAKES THROUGH TUESDAY. THIS WILL LEAD TO SCATTERED SHOWERS
MONDAY INTO TUESDAY AND GIVEN FAIRLY COLD LOW LEVELS…WILL LIKELY
SEE ANY PCPN AT LEAST MIX WITH SOME SNOW SHOWERS AT TIMES
. DRY
CONDITIONS AND MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES WILL THEN RETURN BY
WEDNESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS BACK INTO THE REGION.

— End Changed Discussion —

Abnormally dry conditions re-establishing

This week’s US Drought Monitor shows abnormally dry conditions re-establishing in the Ohio valley, especially in southern Ohio and northeast Kentucky.  Drought lingered in these areas through the end of 2008.  While a couple good winter storms eased the drought, these areas never got regular, deep rainfalls.  Rainfall at my Cheviot 0.9SSE location has been under 2 inches per month in February and March.    It has been uncanny how ALL recent storms have failed to produce more than a quarter of an inch of rainfall.  As temperatures warm, the rainfall deficit will become more apparent and significant unless we can start to get some rainfall.

Stations:
OH-HM-5
Cheviot 0.9 SSE
Lat: 39.144789
Lon: -84.607845
* indicates Multi-Day Accumulation Report
Station         OH-HM-5
Date Precip
03/01/2009 T
03/02/2009 0.00
03/03/2009 T
03/04/2009 0.00
03/05/2009 0.00
03/06/2009 0.00
03/07/2009 0.00
03/08/2009 0.00
03/09/2009 0.24
03/10/2009 0.02
03/11/2009 0.25
03/12/2009 0.00
03/13/2009 0.00
03/14/2009 0.00
03/15/2009 T
03/16/2009 0.00
03/17/2009 T
03/18/2009 0.00
03/19/2009 0.46
03/20/2009 0.00
03/21/2009 0.00
03/22/2009 0.00
03/23/2009 0.00
03/24/2009 0.00
03/25/2009 0.19
03/26/2009 0.22
03/27/2009 0.21
03/28/2009 0.01
03/29/2009 0.15
03/30/2009 0.03
Totals : 1.78

An active weather pattern is anticipated over the next week.  Hopefully, the anticipated systems will help us with our defecit.

http://www.cocorahs.org/Maps/ViewMap.aspx?state=usa

Heavy rain and severe storms possible

Showers and thunderstorms will develop later Saturday and Saturday night.  Rainfall of one-half to one inch is possible along with a slight chance of severe thunderstorms.  The National Weather Service hazardous weather outlook follows:
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
512 AM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-
051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-290915-
WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO-
SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT-
PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE-
SHELBY-LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON-
FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE-FAYETTE OH-PICKAWAY-
FAIRFIELD-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HOCKING-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN-
HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO-
512 AM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL
INDIANA…SOUTHEAST INDIANA…NORTHEAST KENTUCKY…NORTHERN
KENTUCKY…CENTRAL OHIO…MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO…SOUTH CENTRAL
OHIO…SOUTHWEST OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO.

.DAY ONE…TODAY AND TONIGHT.

AS A COMPLEX STORM SYSTEM LIFTS NORTH ACROSS THE REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT…THERE WILL BE THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/