Spring Snows

Snow and ice covered crabapple

A month ago when we experienced a week of unusual warmth (70's & 80's), many cheered. I didn't. Don't get me wrong - the warmth and sun were enjoyable. But I feared what the unseasonable warmth would do. That sort of warmth would awaken plants far too early if cold and snow were yet to come to Western New York State. And experience said it would.

We had inches of heavy, wet snow fall over night and into today. Schools closed. Some lost power. And certainly the fruit producers of this region groaned a little more as they saw more unfavorable conditions when many fruit trees and strawberries are in full bloom. Cold temperatures damaging plants and blooms not to mention keeping the pollinators away.

I know I'm not expecting much from my strawberries that were all in bloom. Maybe the few everbearers I have since they'll push more blooms, but not the June-bearers. I guess we'll just have to see what we can see.

Included with this article are two pictures I snapped of two of my trees in flower, covered in snow. These are pretty pictures. But what I didn't include pictures of are the trees, bushes, and green plants bent or broken under the weight of the snow. I'll have to see how they look when the snow melts.

"Cherry Ice" - kwanzan cherry blooms under snow