Now what?

Looks like another 10 days of really good weather.
Be aware that it is still April for one more day.
Temps range on a high of 63-71 and lows of 40-45,
so no worry as of this time.  One concern is that with
 temps in the 70's, the soil may dry out pretty quickly
unless we have mulch.

Tree fruits and berries  - all doing great.  Just watch to see
 how the berries will develop after the early cold period.

The last rainy weather = means apple and pear scab,
especially since the temps were above 60 degrees.

Put up pheromone traps for the codling moth in apples
and pears as the first flight should be upon us soon.

4-28-2015

Rain for bit longer, then nice weather, 43
 lows and highs of around 77 degrees for at
least a week.

Plant away.

Turning out to be a great spring.

Spring fling

Peonies are starting to bloom.  They typically
 early May, but not this year.
BE AWARE:  Check any container that hold water. 
I checked on rain bucket and it was loaded with the
pesky mosquitoes, and they were with in a week of
 maturing.

Grapes have leafed out and started putting on cane
 growth.

More spring

Both white and purple lilacs blooming nicely.
Garlic is up 3 foot and bulbing, about an inch already.
Tree fruit blooms still doing OK.  Early pears look fried.
Prunes - not sure yet.
Apples - nice bloom.
Peach tree - I was going to say no peach leaf curl but that would
ensure that the tree would get PLC.
Lawn - growing crazily.

Weather 4-17-2015

Rufus weather

Nature will take a turn at mood swings over the next

 couple of weeks.

When the month of April started, The WxCafe (TM) 

prognosticated about the big swings in the weather April:

 cold, stormy; mild, dry etc. That pattern will continue on

 through the end of the month. This weekend will end in an 

absolutely splendid mood: sunny, warm - afternoon temps 

could tease the upper 70s in western OR; even hitting 80 on 

Monday as a 'heat low' moves north from CA, temps will be 

pleasant for April.

 By Tue, the warm dry wx that started this past week will yield

 to a colder, on-off wet period for a few days.  Given the chilly 

air mass that will arrive, if the sky clears in your location (esp 

east side) Thu night, FROST is possible.

Rufus and Robin

Spring

Some frost damage to tree fruits.
Most tree fruits  surviving quite well, so far with a least
one month of cool weather left.
Apples and cherries - blooming nicely.  The bloom period
for tree fruits has been longer than normal.
Berries - early at this point.  Most look good except for
cold pockets.
Monitor for early emergence of the spotted wing drosophila
 this spring and summer.

4-5-2015

More rainy, nice-ish weather for the next week; temps
 in the 40's and mid 60's.  We seem to be mostly avoiding
 frosty weather....so far as we have another month to go.

Apples and cherries blooming.

Cole (cool season)  plants going in all over the valley.

Soil temps nearing 60 degrees but usually we wait until
 May 1st for warm season veggies. The warm season
plants can be planted, just realize they could get frosted.

 

Weather

 

Good Friday 2015

 The next 2-3 weeks will present little bits of weather to suit or disappoint everyone. Rain, sun, wind, warm, cold.

 A cold system is about to move onshore across the PNW today. The storm is expected to stretch out all along the west coast from Vancouver Is. down to Monterey Bay by late Saturday. Steady rain today will yield to scattered showers & sun breaks through the weekend.

 The past two mornings have presented some frost pockets, both sides of the Cascades. There is another risk for even colder sub-freezing temps coming up. First though, next week will end up quite pleasant, with lots of sun and mild conditions Thu & Fri. The weekend following should start out mild & dry, depending on how fast the next cold system sets up.

 As the weekend of Apr 11,12 approaches, so too will another chilly, stormy period, for a pool of cold air (for April) over the Gulf of Alaska to move into the PNW in the Apr 12-13 period. This will kick-up a rather STORMY, blustery period from late Sun, Apr 12 through Wed, Apr 15. Notable winds possible, as will be the potential for HAIL (and mountain snow). With the moisture diminishing by late Wed, the entire region will remain quite chilly, with the potential for sub-freezing temps developing if the sky clears. It is possible for lows to be 2-4 degrees below that of the past 2 mornings. Patrons that had 29-32 readings this week, should take note and be prepared to initiate whatever crop protection procedures you rely on.

-Rufus