2009 & 2010 Winter

Good golly, will I be happy when the warm temperatures return. This winter has been brutal on grass, constant cold temperatures along with rain. It is official the National weather Service has listed this as the 5th coldest winter in history, 1974 was number four. Sure we can look back and remember some brutal cold conditions we've experienced in the last 36 years, but those conditions were quickly rebounded by warmer conditions, therefore the average winter didn't meet what the winter of 2009 & 2010 has given us. Snow fell in the first week of December, the entire northeastern United States had not recieved any snowfall yet! Well they certainely have made up for it. We have recorded 39 days of frost 47 days of measurable rainfall. By the way we've had 6.50" of rain since December 1st 2009. Soil are temperatures are down in the 50 degree area and nothing is growing. Here's a rule of thumb I tell everyone so that they can understand when grass will actvely grow and green up toatally. Add the night time and daytime temperature together and see wht you get. What you need is at least 150 degrees bbetween the two. So let's take February 24th--Low 33 degrees--Hi 41 degrees add those togehter and you get 74 degrees no where near the 150 degree mark. What the turf needs is 70 degree mornings and 80 or more degree days. So everyone get out there and do a warm temperature dance.