How have you been dealing with changed weather?

[FarmerChick]

the rain here is insane. usually drought by now but just the opposite. gardens etc. being ruined by wet.

hardly gotten into my pool it is that miserable.

gotta move more South I am thinking LOL

too much of any weather in a row for long periods of time sucks

 

[~gd]

Sleuth, what have you heard from your neighbors concerning what the usual temperature and climate conditions are like in your area? I realize that conditions vary from year to year in any locality, but having been in my current location for 20+ years, I've got a good idea of what's "typical" and know the last three years have deviated from that.

Lets not mix up Climate [long term] with weather [short term] I have been keeping records for daily weather for 19 years now.

You quite right, ~gd, that a weather condition profile, tracked in any given year, is not the same as a climate trend. I don't dispute this.

In my area, not only have I been noticing a (seeming) larger trend toward cooler, wetter spring seasons, the provincial farming associations are beginning to report it through the media. Has there been talk about the El Nio effect [or it's opposite which I can never remember the name?} I remember El Nio and the 2010 Vancouver winter games it was so warm that Feb. that they had plans to truck in snow from higher mountains to cover the ski slopes but it got cold enough at night that they were able to make snow and the games went on. ~gd
Personally, in my little locality, I'm just trying to deal with it as a practical issue... I don't claim to be any sort of technical person or expert on the subject. It's just that my food gardening has been impacted.

Here, we've got "blunted" conditions: winters are less cold, summers have fewer high-temp plateus, and generally are not hitting the same peaks of heat, either.

 

[Joel_BC]

In my area, not only have I been noticing a (seeming) larger trend toward cooler, wetter spring seasons, the provincial farming associations are beginning to report it through the media.

Has there been talk about the El Nio effect [or it's opposite which I can never remember the name?} I remember El Nio and the 2010 Vancouver winter games it was so warm that Feb. that they had plans to truck in snow from higher mountains to cover the ski slopes but it got cold enough at night that they were able to make snow and the games went on. ~gd

Some name El Nio as the cause. Maybe it will become a more permanent state of affaris, rather than "a weather event"? I actually don't know.

But in any case, I don't want to over-focus on the possible causes of conditions in my area. I'm hoping the thread will enable discussion of what we, in our different regions with varied challenges, are doing about it (or plan to try in the near future).

 

[sleuth]

Some name El Nio as the cause. Maybe it will become a more permanent state of affaris, rather than "a weather event"? I actually don't know.

But in any case, I don't want to over-focus on the possible causes of conditions in my area. I'm hoping the thread will enable discussion of what we, in our different regions with varied challenges, are doing about it (or plan to try in the near future).

Probably not enough experience here to say I'm doing anything different.
I do plan on adding a greenhouse later this year or next to try and extend the growing season and give myself more flexibility and options.

 

[FarmerChick]

But in any case, I don't want to over-focus on the possible causes of conditions in my area. I'm hoping the thread will enable discussion of what we, in our different regions with varied challenges, are doing about it (or plan to try in the near future).

just when you get an idea of a weather pattern in your area---it will probably start to change

 

[Joel_BC]

just when you get an idea of a weather pattern in your area---it will probably start to change

Well, FC, do you discuss responses to your altered weather with your neighbors? And are you (or your friends) thinking of new responses in terms of new varieties of seeds? or more in terms of altered gardening systems or timing?

 

[baymule]

It's always hot here, now it's just hotter longer. I plant earlier than I used to, used to plant in May, now I plant in mid March or first of April. This spring we had late frosts, but DH and I wrapped everything with bed sheets. Most everything is dried and burnt now. Will be planting fall garden soon.

 

[FarmerChick]

just when you get an idea of a weather pattern in your area---it will probably start to change

Well, FC, do you discuss responses to your altered weather with your neighbors? And are you (or your friends) thinking of new responses in terms of new varieties of seeds? or more in terms of altered gardening systems or timing?

we plant what the old timers planted. My hubbys father's grandpa planted Baxter corn. We still do to this day. weather has been a factor in corn crops every single year. the corn is abundant most times and wham, drought eats it up.

we stick with what worked way way back then.

we do acres of crops. I don't 'garden'. We farm. So altering a small garden won't be happening. I have a small garden but that won't change in any way. When an early planted crop fails due to weather, we just plant again and get what we can and if the season extends do to better weather, we are sure to plant alot of early fall crops hoping to get the best.

in all honestly I go by gut. we get abundance of harvest actually even if weather is extreme in either direction for my family.

 

[heatherlynnky]

You need to look at longer term cycles in the weather also. Everyone around here keeps talking about we never had such hot weather or we never had so much rain. Sure we did. I have lived her all my life ( military town so that is kinda rare but we are out in the country so I am not the only one who has lived here a long time) and I remember when I was about 8 or so it being HORRIBLY hot ( 102 or 103) and if it wasn't hot then the yard was flooding. I remember simply because it messed up all my fun. I remember it being to hot to play on the slip and slide and just laying on it while it sprayed on me instead. Now that was 30 years ago. So it hits in the high 90's and people freak out. Why, our region may not have done this for a little while but it really seems like we have come full circle to me. Me noticing that started a conversation and others have noticed the same thing that it seems like a cycle has restarted here. Its such a long cycle to us though that not everyone will remember or have been around. The farmers around here have been here forever it seems like and most of them are not even phased by this. They have been playing with our area's funny weather long enough to make adjustments.

 

[FarmerChick]

farmers around here have been here forever it seems like and most of them are not even phased by this. They have been playing with our area's funny weather long enough to make adjustments.

yup. and most don't make big adjustments.