by Connie Oswald Stofko The predictions were worrying, but Western New York didn’t get much of a storm (yay!). Yes, there was a day with constant snowfall, but the snow fell in teeny, tiny flakes. Here in Amherst, even when the snow piled up, we could shovel easily because the snow was granular and very light. There wasn’t much wind, either, which helped. But things are different today. It’s windy, there’s lots of snow and it’s still super cold. (How…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Drought & rain Good news! We’re almost out of the drought. The announcement came last Wednesday from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Recent rainfall has improved dry conditions, and all of Western New York is now at the lowest level of drought, called “Drought Watch.” The counties moved from the drier “Drought Warning” to “Drought Watch” are Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara and Orleans. Wyoming County already had been downgraded to…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Snow is coming to Western New York, and heavy snow is expected in the Snow Belt, according to the National Weather Service. It’s time to protect your gardens from heavy snow—you never know if the winds will shift and surprise you. By the way, if heavy snow warnings are surprising you, it’s probably because most of us in Western New York haven’t gotten any snow yet this season. Buffalo has now set the record for the…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko There’s a heat advisory for Western New York through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. (There might also be thunderstorms and damaging winds, so watch the forecast in your area.) What do high temperatures mean for your garden–and for yourself? Protect your garden in heat wave Watering is a high priority for your garden during a heat wave. High temperatures will quickly dry out the soil, so it’s important to keep watering your plants. Which…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Does it seem that your crocuses, daffodils or other plants are budding—even blooming—early this year? “There’s no question about it,” said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. “We are ahead of where we would normally be. It looks like April instead of March.” The Southern Tier has also seen warmer temperatures than usual, said said Kelly McDonald, executive director and Master Gardener at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Cattaraugus County. While it’s…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko The forecast for the coming week calls for daytime temperatures above freezing, so if we do get any snow, it should melt. That means you’ll have time to easily walk around your yard and prepare your gardens for another onslaught of snow. When the temperatures do get colder, chances are we will get lake effect snow again. Lake Erie still hasn’t iced over, so cold wind picking up moisture from the lake can fall on land…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko David Clark, CNLP has sad arborvitaes in his Hamburg yard. “They’re about 15 feet tall, but they’re bent lower than my knees,” he told me over the weekend. While that’s bad, it’s not as bad as it could be because the soil wasn’t frozen yet. The roots of the arborvitaes could come out of the ground a little bit and allow the shrubs to tip, preventing the trunk from snapping. Your azaleas and rhododendrons will be…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko Gardeners worried about how the smoke from the recent Canadian wildfires would affect vegetable plants in Western New York, but “The good news is the impact will be minimal at worst,” according to Steve Reiners, professor in Horticulture at Cornell University, Cornell AgriTech. Smoke-filled skies decrease sunlight and reduce photosynthesis, but only to a small degree and temporarily, Reiners said. Despite the shade, there was still enough diffused light penetrating the smoke to maintain growth. Smoke…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko While other parts of Western New York had winter storm conditions last week, areas around Buffalo had blizzard conditions. It was sad for some people because they couldn’t celebrate Christmas with family and friends. Others were worse off, trapped in their homes without electricity or heat. Still others were trapped in their cars. About 40 people died. My heart goes out to those who suffered. I wasn’t planning to publish again until Jan. 17, but I…...
by Connie Oswald Stofko “What a crazy thing this was!” said David Clark, who got about 80 inches of snow at his Hamburg home during the recent snow storm. The amount of snow dropped in Western New York varied. Buffalo’s Southtowns area was hit hardest while areas in the Northtowns got a foot or two. The snowfall varied in other WNY counties as well, with some parts getting just a few inches. If your landscape felt the brunt of the…...
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