On 16/03/13 08:37, Eskimo Will wrote:

"Adam Lea" wrote in message
...
On 16/03/13 08:25, Eskimo Will wrote:
ECMWF and now GFS quite bullish about possibility of blizzards next
weekend over northern England as fronts push north into -5C to -10C air
at 850 hPa. Strong easterly winds. UKMO much less keen but ECM ensembles
quite solid for two runs now. Interesting mild/very cold battleground
coming up I reckon, but where will it be? Southern England, northern
England, Scotland?
Gobsmacking too how GFS keeps the polar jet running way south into North
Africa right into April, not good news for our farmers who could be
really struggling in a week or two :-(

Will

I guess this wasn't a good time to take on an allotment then?

Adam you may wish to consider fleecing it or using glass to warm up the
soil. Soil temperatures are very low at present. Mine are still just
3-4C at 30cm and lower at times near the surface. Not even the grass is
growing yet. Haven't sown a single seed so far (normally at least have
my parsnips in by now which will germinate at 5C). Will put some veg
seeds in a cloche next week and pray. Outside sowing will not start
until mid-April or even May at this rate and could be another very bad
year if we get a cloudy cool and wet summer again. YMMV of course! I'm
also investing in a big greenhouse which I reckon will bear fruit
(literally!) in the next few years.

Will

Yes I am considering putting fleece down. I have a couple of free days
just before the Easter weekend when I was hoping to get the potatoes in
and some seeds sown, no chance if this weather keeps up.

Weather is awful in Horsham this morning. I am involved in a community
allotment project and this morning was supposed to be when we were
promoting it via a stall in the town centre. Needless to say it has been
called off due to the weather conditions, not just the rain but the wind
as well which would have made trying to erect a gazebo challenging to
say the least.