Baltimore forecaster Tom Tasselmyer said that this is only the 7th year when we've gotten to the end of January with total snow for the season of less than one inch. Average by now would be almost 10 inches.

Last years memories have to last all winter. 8>)

So far, no below zero last couple of weeks. Snow has receded some and ice melted off the driveway so bare cement for a while. 2-5" forecast for next week. Too early to hope for any better at Z3b.

Here's a couple shots of last summers visit to the Hemlock Ravine SNA. Might help you from looking out the window for a while. ;)

Tsuga c. down the slope from the foot path.

Another: Some large white cedar with Tsuga c. (dark trunk) in the background.

We'd have a lot of snow if not for an unusually warm stretch of weather in mid January, which included significant rain fall. A January thaw is normal; an all day rain not so much. I hope it doesn't become common.

Bill, I used to think Picea omorika was the most attractive conifer when covered with snow, but that award now goes to Hemlock.

'the most attractive conifer when covered with snow, but that award now goes to Hemlock'

I hope I eventually get to see that for myself in my yard. I inspected my 'infant' T.c. the other day and it looks well. After the cold, we've had a stretch of foggy/misty weather and some light skiffs of snow so the needles seem to be staying hydrated. The only thing that concerned me was that the tree continued stretching up almost until freeze up so I wonder if it hardened off properly. There are a couple of small branch tips at the top that appeared to be immature and have turned brown. Other than that, the enclosure seems to have done it's job. Time will tell.

"Guys, I am in a comparatively balmy USDA zone 4b and I am snowed under!"

I'm assuming you're in an area that gets 'Lake effect' snow?

I am not sure about 'lake effect' snow, the annual average is about 100" snow (and about 30" rain).

What are you guys getting?

If you are on the East side or Southeast side of one of the Great Lakes (within 30+ mi) and sub zero polar air blows down from the Artic areas over the lake, generally from the North/Northwest, it can produce snowfall (a lot sometimes) even when the sun is shining. It's called 'Lake Effect' or 'Lake enhanced' snowfall. People in these areas average 100" of snow or more each winter.

Where I'm at it's 47" annual snow fall and roughly 28" rain fall totals.

I am not that close to the Great Lakes, but there is a lot of small lakes scattered all over here in Ontario and also in the neighboring Quebec, perhaps that causes increased snow fall. It is not overly wet here, just cold, you can't step on the lawn most of April.

"...but that award now goes to Hemlock..."

Tough to argue that, especially lighter snows, but...

Nootka 'Green Arrow' can look good too.

But heavy wet snow favors the firs...

Nice pictures, tj. I tried Green Arrow at the old place and it did not survive winter. It wasn't cheap and I have not tried it again. The one in your pic sure looks good.

We're about 150 miles south of Lake Superior and average annual snowfall is 47". Hurley, WI, which is in the far northern part of the state about 20 miles from Lake Superior, averages 168" of snow and had a whopping 302" during the winter of '96-'97. I've been up there in January and you're likely to see more snowmobiles in town than cars.

It would be interesting to know how winter weather impacts tree growth, if at all. Does an extremely long, cold winter result in less growth the following year than what normally would be expected, all things being equal?

I would think a zone appropriate dormant tree would be unaffected by a harsh winter. What happens in the growing season would be much more critical.

tj

So when dormant it's an either or proposition: it either lives or dies, with no influence on vigor? I apologize if these are simple questions, but dormancy is something I know next to nothing about, other than some plants require it.

If it kills off any roots it certainly will. To TJ's point many zone hardy trees won't have the issue though. From what I recall some plant species roots are a full zone or two less hardy.

What tree is in the OP first photo top right? It looks like a <gasp> grafted lollipop tree...

Hey, I never said I wasn't tacky. It's a grafted Syringa. The shrub just beyond it under illumination is Golden Mockorange. It's not the most ornamental garden, but I like to have fragrance in at least one garden spot, and this seemed like the place to do it. There's also a V. Carlesii, which is right below a bedroom window...and a small patio area, which is where we have dinner whenever weather permits during the warm season. Oh, how I miss that.

Oh, I like the lollipop lilac tree myself too, and even asked about it, but I got the impression that some don't consider it ... ahem ... a real tree, oh well, still like it. Nice setting with the three fragrances around the house!

It's easy to be a plant snob, and most of us are probably guilty of it in some manner or other. Does anyone not like Serbian Spruce?

Same tree to the right of P. abies.

What's snow?

What, no snow in Georgia? Not even in the mountainous northeast?

Go Falcons!

We just got hit with some snow here in the PacNW. I have 9 inches up in the foothills and still snowing. It's wet and heavy. Even the Puget Sound ferry docks have snow! That doesn't happen very often here.

This Sequoiadendron gigantea 'Glaucum' handles it well. One of my Sciadopitys and a Coast Redwood have suffered. The redwood lost the top 20 ft.

Snapped off Sequoia sempervirens. Top is on the ground in front of it.

They grow fast here. No big deal. The two Douglas firs in front are slated for firewood.

Now there's something I've never seen before: a phone booth...next to a huge Douglas Fir. It looks like there's someone in that phone booth. Just out of curiosity, what is the approximate height of the Pseudotsuga in that picture? It looks to be about 8' in diameter.

And it has a face.

Wow, Mike. Beautiful, even if distressing. Hoping the Sciadopitys can recover.

That Douglas fir is giganormous, and it's looking at me.... Wondering if that's been photoshopped?

you can buy that junk to tack onto your trees

hope I didn't kill your story , mike ,about the old man in the tree

ha , ron

Not Photoshopped. (I wouldn't know how)

Maakia, there is someone in the phone booth. It's a mannequin dressed up as scarecrow that does guard duty in the veggie garden in the summer and spends the winter in the phone booth. Fred's a lot of fun at Halloween too.

I don't know how tall the tree is, but I will go out and try to take a picture and figure out it's height.

Plantkiller, the eyes were put there by a friend for her grand kids. Besides trees, I live in a world of kids and dogs. :-)

Here's that picture of the Douglas Fir by the phone booth. It's around 70 or 80 ft tall, 4 ft. diameter at DBH. (Diameter at Breast Height) Circumference is 12 ft. 11 inches. Not particularly large by PacNW standards, even I have several that are taller. The tree to the right is a Western Hemlock, fairly large, but again, I have one that is larger and a lot better looking. Both of these trees have had their branches stripped over the years by wet snow and ice. The surrounding trees were cut down around them before I moved here, (1979) leaving the long thin, widely spaced, light starved branches to grow thicker and hold more ice and snow over the years and down they came.

Looking east and from 10 or 12 ft higher than the base of the tree.

garden art rocks

ron

This is supposed to be respite from Winter. :-)

Spring is just around the corner.

That works!