Snow!

As forecasted, we got snow overnight. Although the ground snow here melted by 10am, another lighter storm came through early in the afternoon. The peaks got about eight inches of snow. We needed this!

The birds outside were busy from sunrise to eat up as much of the seed outside that I had laid out for them. Today's storm was cold but the wind had died down overnight making today a pleasant winter day. Our storm now is over Kansas.

Meanwhile more seeds are coming up. I had planted the first seeds on the 17th. Turnip seeds that I had planted on the 22nd are now also sprouting, but they look long and lanky and I'm afraid they'll topple over from their own weight. A few beans are also coming up. I went crazy yesterday afternoon and planted spinach, lettuce, peas, more tomatoes and a few beets. Once all the seedlings have sprouted I'll be busy transplanting them all into larger pots. The beans may be harvested before May if they stay inside!

The dining room is now a quasi grow-light area. The citrus trees are all inside for a while until the warmth returns later this week.

February temperatures

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Today
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Tomato seeds germinating!

My first seeds are coming up in the germination set! That didn't take too long. I figured with the seed packet from 2008 that I'd have a large failure rate. If there are pockets in the set with no seeds coming up, they will get new seeds.

I should be getting a mini-greenhouse today and another set in. I have part of the dining room wall set up for this. The light is more than bright enough to work as a night light.

We never got any rain this weekend, just wind, and now it's back to more seasonable weather in the 60s.

Wind advisory

Our cold snap, which killed off a lot of beavertail cacti and citrus trees, lasted just two days. Some of my shrubs look pretty badly frozen off, too, such as the oleanders and bottle brush shrub.

We had near record highs again last week. This weekend, just in time for a long weekend, it's back to cold winds and possible rain. I like this wind and I hope for rain.

Two days ago I received my first germination center in the mail. I quickly planted that thing full of tomato seeds (Big Boy and Romas). I also got a heating pad and a plant grow light with which I am pleased. I may get a few more trays and plant more seeds. I also got a mini greenhouse due in next week to grow even more stuff.

I don't plan on having anything grow outside until June, though. This year's garden will be better controlled than in the last few years.

Record lows

A massive storm hit half the country two days ago, dumping 20 inches over Chicagoland, closing many businesses and schools, and creating havoc. We here in southern Arizona are also freezing, thanks to a cold front that dipped way down from Canada. For the second day now I'm removing an inch of ice from the dogs' water bucket. I'm running out of bird seed to feed the cold and hungry birds that have been keeping warm in the bushes around our house, planted by the previous bird-loving home owners. I'll buy more seed later on today.

This cold weather is making the news. Today marks the coldest 3 Feb in Tucson's history, with the previous record of 44F which will surely break today. It's only going to be in the 30s today there, colder here in our foothills.

I don't remember overnight lows this low in my years in Arizona. I barely see the thermometer above the "10" degree mark right now. But luckily this is a short cold snap and temps should return to more normal temps by Saturday when I lead a hike down to the border.

The good news is that as an organic gardener many subterranean pests will also die from this cold. My apricots will actually like this freeze.

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Feels Like:7 °F
Barometer:30.22 in and rising
Humidity:40 %
Visibility:10 mi
Dewpoint:-9 °F
Wind:NE 16 mph
UV Index:--
UV Description:Low
Sunrise:7:09 AM
Sunset:5:53 PM

Detailed Local ForecastHow to Read Today: Mostly sunny and windy. Cold. High 34F. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph.
Tonight: Generally clear. Cold. Low 18F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow: A mainly sunny sky. High 51F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow night: Clear skies. Low 28F. Winds light and variable.
Saturday: Sunshine. Highs in the low 60s and lows in the mid 30s.
Sunday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s and lows in the upper 30s.
Monday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s and lows in the upper 30s