Hencackle
Garden Ornament
Has anybody heard anything regarding the weather predictions for spring/summer of 2008? Last summer was the driest on record for my area and lake levels are still way, way down.
rainfall predictions for 2008
- Thread starter Hencackle
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digitS'
Garden Master
The Climate Prediction Center gives you quick maps - just slide your cursor over Precipitation and such to have a new map pop up 
.
This webpage allows you to find Comparative Climatic Data for your town.
No, you don't need to buy the book
. Scroll down to the Data Tables and the Climatological Normals. Normal Precipitation, Inches is at the bottom of the list. This will give you lots of US cities with 30 year averages of precipitation, annual and monthly.
Steve
.This webpage allows you to find Comparative Climatic Data for your town.
No, you don't need to buy the book
. Scroll down to the Data Tables and the Climatological Normals. Normal Precipitation, Inches is at the bottom of the list. This will give you lots of US cities with 30 year averages of precipitation, annual and monthly.Steve
digitS'
Garden Master
NOAA blames it on La Nia.
For the Northern Hemisphere during Spring 'o8:
A "moderate strength" La Nia should continue, followed by weaker La Nia conditions.
"Expected . . . for the contiguous United States, potential impacts include above-average precipitation in the Northern Rockies, the Pacific Northwest, the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, and parts of the Great Lakes region. Below-average precipitation is expected across the South, particularly in the southeastern states."
This really isn't the same as last year here in the Northern Rockies. During the Summer months of 'o7, we had below-average rainfall. And, when you have less than 2 inches for a Summer normal, it was dry, dry, dry. But, then the snow came.
I believe western Oregon & Washington got a LOT of rain thru last Summer. That didn't translate into rain for the Northern Rockies. Western Montana, for example, has been in a "severe" drought and that is expected to continue but with some improvement - Thank Heavens
!
Steve
For the Northern Hemisphere during Spring 'o8:
A "moderate strength" La Nia should continue, followed by weaker La Nia conditions.
"Expected . . . for the contiguous United States, potential impacts include above-average precipitation in the Northern Rockies, the Pacific Northwest, the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, and parts of the Great Lakes region. Below-average precipitation is expected across the South, particularly in the southeastern states."
This really isn't the same as last year here in the Northern Rockies. During the Summer months of 'o7, we had below-average rainfall. And, when you have less than 2 inches for a Summer normal, it was dry, dry, dry. But, then the snow came
.I believe western Oregon & Washington got a LOT of rain thru last Summer. That didn't translate into rain for the Northern Rockies. Western Montana, for example, has been in a "severe" drought and that is expected to continue but with some improvement - Thank Heavens
!Steve
- Thread starter
- #4
Hencackle
Garden Ornament
digitS'--thank you again for yet another good link. I just checked it...ugh, it doesn't look good for my area. The Weather Channel showed a woman in Greene Co, TN talking about her well being all dried up. That's 2 counties over from me. I checked the newspaper's weather data on Dec. 31st and it showed that we were 19-point-something inches short of our normal average rainfall for 2007.
So...I'm trying to decide whether to bother buying seed for 2008. I considered buying an irrigation system but I'm worried that it may come down to water restrictions in my county and I won't be able to use the system. I've been doing what I can to reduce water usage because I feel bad for the people whose wells have dried up.
So...I'm trying to decide whether to bother buying seed for 2008. I considered buying an irrigation system but I'm worried that it may come down to water restrictions in my county and I won't be able to use the system. I've been doing what I can to reduce water usage because I feel bad for the people whose wells have dried up.
Yeah, not only did we have more cloudy rainy days... it was a cool summer...
- Thread starter
- #6
Hencackle
Garden Ornament
silkiechicken--our summer was hotter than normal. Hot & dry. 
digitS'
Garden Master
Hencackle, we all have different water resources available. I am very fortunate to have a large aquifer and irrigation districts drawing from it.
But, I gotta say - - If this area fell "19-point-something inches short of our normal average rainfall for 2007" there would be NO precipitation here, at all!! None, nada, zip! Our average annual precip is short of 20 inches and most of it comes in the form of Winter snow. So, garden irrigation is essential.
I'd bet, however, that your hometown ended up with less than 20 inches in 2007, also. That must make for many difficult adjustments and be a real threat to your forests.
For me, there's the question of whether we can afford NOT to have a garden. Lots of reasons for that kind of thinking, even beyond the monetary.
Steve
But, I gotta say - - If this area fell "19-point-something inches short of our normal average rainfall for 2007" there would be NO precipitation here, at all!! None, nada, zip! Our average annual precip is short of 20 inches and most of it comes in the form of Winter snow. So, garden irrigation is essential.
I'd bet, however, that your hometown ended up with less than 20 inches in 2007, also. That must make for many difficult adjustments and be a real threat to your forests.
For me, there's the question of whether we can afford NOT to have a garden. Lots of reasons for that kind of thinking, even beyond the monetary.
Steve
- Thread starter
- #8
Hencackle
Garden Ornament
Sad to say, they were already stressed from the year before.
DigitS', I suppose that most people in your area practice some xeriscaping techniques. I'd say most of the people that walk into the local garden centers here, don't know what that word means. Might think it was a disease or something! Last year, my flowers were grown in those ultra-light foam pots (kept the roots cooler & moister than clay). Mainly to keep my 2 dogs from hiking on them and the rabbits from munching the plants down to nubs. Need some rabbits?
