February is a unique month. Not only is it shorter than any other, it's the only month that can have a day added to it. February is the only month that can pass without a full moon, as happened this year. (The next time that happens will be 2037.) And February is the only month in which we rely on a rodent to predict a weather change.
At Bean Hill, the first part of February was cold and snowy, and the second part was wet with rain---too much of it. It was definitely, to use the Old English word for the second month, "Solmonath" which translates to "mud month". The average February rainfall for this area is 2.2 inches. We had a whopping 5.68 inches. Even without factoring in the melt of 4.9 inches of snow, February 2018 was the wettest February on record.
The month was, after a chilly start, warmer than normal. Ten days had highs that were 10 or more degrees above normal. February 20 set a new record for the date when it hit 78⁰---thirty-six degrees above normal! The historic average high for February is 41⁰, but this February the month's average high was five and a half degrees above that.
The majority of the nights (21) had a low temperature reading that was above normal. The historic average low for February is 24⁰ but this year's average was 4.3⁰ above that. One night's low temperature was fifteen degrees higher than the normal high for the same date. Eleven nights' low temperatures were 10 or more degrees higher than normal; two nights had lows that were 32⁰ above normal. A consecutive run of higher than expected night-time temperatures is more problematic than are higher than expected day-time temperatures. Cold weather is necessary for many plants to flourish in the spring. Cold nights inhibit plants from growing too much too soon, especially if warm days have encouraged growth to begin. Maple syrup production was down in 2017 because the too warm days and nights inhibited the flow of sap, which requires that cool (40's) day-time temperatures alternate with night-time freezing (20's) over a period of several weeks.
Despite the month's muddiness and gloomy days--it snowed or rained for at least part of twenty-one days--February had its perks. The Red-wing blackbirds returned on February 19. The first migratory birds to return each year, they are really Spring's harbingers, and their whistles and constant chatter always make me smile, even when it's muddy.
A day later, the Killdeer arrived, and then left. This happens yearly; they're checking out nesting areas, and our 900 feet of gravel drive is very attractive. They'll be back.
A bluebird pair appeared the last day of the month.
And green shoots and colorful little crocuses are popping up in all the gardens. Spring is on its way.
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| Red-wing blackbird* |
The month was, after a chilly start, warmer than normal. Ten days had highs that were 10 or more degrees above normal. February 20 set a new record for the date when it hit 78⁰---thirty-six degrees above normal! The historic average high for February is 41⁰, but this February the month's average high was five and a half degrees above that.
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| Crocuses and emerging stonecrop |
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| Lone crocus |
A day later, the Killdeer arrived, and then left. This happens yearly; they're checking out nesting areas, and our 900 feet of gravel drive is very attractive. They'll be back.
A bluebird pair appeared the last day of the month.
And green shoots and colorful little crocuses are popping up in all the gardens. Spring is on its way.
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| Killdeer nesting in gravel**
I'd love to tell you I took the bird photos, but I didn't. Here's who did:
*By ADJ82 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65840016
**By Audrey - originally posted to Flickr as Female Killdeer On Her Nest, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?
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