Where, oh where, has winter gone?

The year started off with some alarming signals of a brutal winter yet to come: snow in late September, blanketing snow two weeks before Halloween in October, then - rain, lots of rain, and 50 degree temps.

We're now at the peak of the winter maximum (Jan 20-Feb 10) for West Virginia....

Currently: 70 degrees, sunny skies.

Yes, it's fricken 70 degrees. We've had only 6 inches of snow all winter, our average is about 50, with 1 true month of Winter left, its looking like we won't even break the 10inch mark, much less our "average" of 50inches.

Nature is signaling the end of the winter season; My blueberry bush already had buds sprouting, little flecks of green of lily sprouts in my perennial collection garden, Daffodils are budding and are on track to bloom around Valentines Day; not Easter:

These Daffodils are in week 2 of their 2012 life cycle, by weeks 3-5 they typically crown their fragrant yellow, white, and orange blossoms. This is about 2 months ahead of schedule, considering it's still January.


There have been few cold days (High of 32) most of the cold air comes and goes overnight; with daytime temps in the upper 40s. I have told my neighbors and others in the community this is more like Texoma Weather, not Appalachian.

Further complicating this "Year without a winter" is the Flu Season, err, lack of Flu Season. The peak was Dec. 18, 2011 which was "sporadic" for West Virginia, so far only 8,500 people have been diagnosed with Flu in West Virginia.

Meanwhile, Texas and the Western States have been slammed with Snow and cold. Alaska may have broken the US Coldest Temperature Record of -80. It's been suggested we were in for another 2010-2011 freezing cold winter, but the Jet stream has opted to stay well north this year, keeping those -80 temps in Alaska and Canada.

We'll enjoy the Daffodil's for Valentines Day, I suppose.

Here's to hoping 2012-2013 winter actually brings us some winter cheer (snow).