My daylight savings time rationale, as I somewhat flippantly described to my daughter, totally blew up in my face.  Not only did we lose an hour of sleep, but we were subsequently rewarded with yet another snow storm.  Spring seems more distant than ever, and I’ve lost all credibility in the eyes of my daughter, but alas, there is some good to come out of this debacle.  With this last snowfall, the 2013-2014 winter has slid into 3rd place for the snowiest winter on record.  A dubious honor, for sure, and meteorologists are quick to point out that some of our heaviest and largest snowfalls have occurred in late March, so we have that going for us.  But in all seriousness, this warming-cold-snow cycle is actually a good thing, and here’s why.  If temps were to consistently climb, all the ice and snow would melt at once, overwhelming the still frozen soil, leaving the water with no place to go.  This could be absolutely catastrophic and messy beyond belief.  A few warm days scattered amongst the cold allows the snow and ice to melt slowly, allowing the ground to absorb at a reasonable and feasible rate.  March is a fickle and somewhat frustrating month, and although she might not be playing nice, she seems to be playing fair.

Did you know the average winter temp, measured between December 1st and February 28th was a balmy 18 degrees?  This is crazy cold and has left the soil frozen approximately 2′ down.  In order for seeds to germinate, soil temps generally need to be around 55 degrees, so needless to say, we’ve got a ways to go, but greener pastures await us…

And what better way to celebrate the coming of Spring and promise of green than St. Patrick’s Day, which we celebrate on Monday.  Everyone is Irish on this day, so grab a pint, lift it high, and toast:

“May your glass be ever full.

May the roof over your head be always strong.

And may you be in heaven

half and hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”

Best wishes,

Kim Sweeney