Another sunny March day. We're being spoilt and there is a prospect of
wall-to-wall sunshine tomorrow for here near the south coast of Devon. Could
be my first +10 hours this year. A total of 28 hours of sunshine for the
past 4 days.

The temperatures haven't been that bad either so far this month with two
days 10°C, even today managed a maximum 8.9°C after a chilly overnight low
of 1.1°C. Mind you, that breeze was a bit nippy this morning but in the
strong sunshine this afternoon it really felt like spring.

Low RH has dried everything up after all the rainy weather of the last
couple of weeks. Even the lawn feels dry now and dare I say it, the grass
seems to be growing again.

Saw several blackthorns in blossom today, and with the primroses, crocuses
and grape hyacinths all in flower now, and even the daffodils in my garden
are coming into flower (late 'April' variety), things are on the up. It must
be the strong sunshine driving the spring forward warming the ground as the
air temperatures have remained stubbornly low until very recently with
plenty of cold nights.

Could be a frost tonight. Myriads of stars are shining brightly in the
clearest of skies. Time to get the telescope out.

(19:40), 3.0°C, RH 71%, DP -1.7°C, 1029 hPa (R), Wind 5 mph NNE.
_____________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http://www.ottervalley.co.uk

"Nick Gardner" wrote in message
...
Saw several blackthorns in blossom today, and with the primroses, crocuses
and grape hyacinths all in flower now, and even the daffodils in my garden
are coming into flower (late 'April' variety), things are on the up. It
must be the strong sunshine driving the spring forward warming the ground
as the air temperatures have remained stubbornly low until very recently
with plenty of cold nights.

Meanwhile at a 1000 feet in Devon winter continues. Snowdrops are out but
nothing else and soil temperatures remain stubbornly low.

4th March at 1800

1cm -1.0C
10cm +1.8C
30cm +3.6C
50cm +3.4C

Ground frozen hard again this morning 5th after a min. of -3.7C.

But as Nick says it is all drying rapidly with the sunshine and low RH, but
we will have to wait till the end of the month I suspect for things to
really get moving in the garden. Hate cutting grass anyway!

Eskimo Will (Haytor, Devon, 1017 feet asl)
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