Meanwhile in Montana

February 9th, 2026 6 AM  +38F
Although it is finally starting to warm up on the east side of the Mississippi, here in what is normally a winter wonderland, things are a bit off.
We are getting a normal amount of moisture. Snow-pac in the mountains is 85%-140 %. Snow-pac in the valleys is non-existent!  We have not had more than 2-4 inches of snow all winter!  Some years I have had 5' in the front yard (A bit much) this year...Nothing!  My plow truck has only come up  to the yard one time all winter! I mainly plowed dirt from the driveway with a few inches of snow mixed in!
Now lets talk temperatures. By mid-February, we normally have had extended periods of temperatures at or below zero.
This year, we have not even dipped into the single digits!  I put the studded tires on the Black car in November, and it has stayed parked all winter while we drive the Blue car with all-season tires. We had one week of teens for the low, and twenties for the high... this last week we have hit FIFTY degrees!  In February!!! Nighttime temps have been around or above freezing since Christmas or earlier!  Unheard of temperatures.
The grass is growing, the pig pen is vibrant green...  I am considering planting coconut palm trees this spring, as we are obviously now in Tropical Montana.
Perhaps Liz can start a hula dancing class...
I guess I'll need to build a cabana... and start planning the inground swimming pool...

That is very strange!

I was noticing in the January harvesting photo how Montana is supposed to be in the same grow zone as me, at least parts (zones 4, 5) but how is it that Paul is going out in a light coat and pulling up sunchokes when the ground should be frozen and covered in snow? Here, it's very snowy and in the negative teens fahrenheit last night! A good old fashioned winter.

You have less snow than I do.   Mine should melt off today.



I lied!!!   Well, maybe “should” is ok.     It got over 50 today with clear skies.  It is now dark.  Most of the snow is still on the ground.  I am seriously considering moving in with Thomas …it will be a great surprise for him.


2/10 5:00 PM.  Most of the snow is gone. I am pretty sure we cleared 70 f.

We've had a foot or two -- depending on drifts, since November. It's maybe a little lighter than usual this year. But it has seemed substantially warmer than usual. It was -30 when our furnace went out a few weeks ago, but that was a fairly temporary cold snap. Usually by now we'll have had a week solid where the high is -20. But even when we've had some night-time cold, it got up into the negative single digits during the day. It's been an easy winter to live with.

Christopher Weeks wrote:We've had a foot or two -- depending on drifts, since November.

Yeah, just west across the state from you.  Although we do have several weeks of winter left to produce storms and blizzards, the local fields are not as deeply covered as they should be and this makes the farmers nervous.  That snow cover when melted provides important moisture for planting and beyond.  The 'warmer' snap right now is outside of what was predicted at the start of winter so I'm not complaining and have a good firewood supply to round out the season.  But adding to Thomas R. comments, a relative in Boise Idaho was mentioning that even snowpack in surrounding mountains is way down, so concerns there for sure.

Here is my front yard. We are, latitude wise, south of Louisville, KY.

thomas rubino wrote:... I am considering planting coconut palm trees this spring, as we are obviously now in Tropical Montana...

I just hope Mother Nature isn't saving up to give us double the cold next winter?

My area clearly has "cold winters" and "warm winters". This can be partly ascribed to El Nino and La Nina cycles, but there are definitely other influencers out there and a few degrees of latitude that a tropical storm gets to, can change our weather.

I've been working outside the last week capitalizing on some unexpected sun. I have a lot of trees budding up. If we do suddenly get a cold snap, it could be a problem.

If this is the new normal, I need to up my game in the micro-climate and suntrap/warmthtrap areas.

M Ljin wrote:I was noticing in the January harvesting photo how Montana is supposed to be in the same grow zone as me, at least parts (zones 4, 5) but how is it that Paul is going out in a light coat and pulling up sunchokes when the ground should be frozen and covered in snow?

I'm not sure about the light coat  (maybe paul runs warm!) but he was harvesting off his hugel berm I believe? One of the benefits of established hugel is that they are supposed to give out warmth as the logs decay...

You pegged it, Jay.
Is this the new normal?  
Or, could we get hammered with cold and snow again next year?
Until next year, only the Shadow knows.

This year, we could still get winter through March and well into April or May; it has done so before.
But even if we do, it will not last.

I think I will hold off on planting palm trees for a few years and stick to planting seaberries; they do not care whether it is tropical or subarctic.

Hey Tom, if it makes you feel better it was 10F here in Virginia this morning.  I haven't seen bare ground or grass for nearly three weeks now.  I  can't remember a time when we had snow covering the ground this long.  I had snow drops up and about three inches high before this storm.

Peace/Heddwch

Montana has been warmer and got less snow this year, than Missouri... I truly HOPE this is not the new normal.

This must be the warm-up spell as it was near 40F today.  Good thing about the previous stretch of cold was the very solid freezing of the river near the house.  So much dead elm along that river that it's unlikely for us to run out of firewood.  On days like this, I can tow a decent size sled pretty easily across the flat snow and ice in search of felled trees.  A few cuts usually reveals the dry stuff and the sled fills quickly.  This allows me to get some much needed extra exercise and helps to top up the woodpile in the event that winter decides to overstay its welcome.

Jay Angler wrote: I have a lot of trees budding up. If we do suddenly get a cold snap, it could be a problem.

Yeah, I'm worried as well. We're getting extended "chinooks" with warm and melty weather, punctuated by extreme cold. This is the perfect recipe for winter-killing perennials including fruit trees. Their "toes" are still well frozen in (due to my heavy fall watering) and snow covered so hopefully they won't be fooled.

We've been seeing the change in winter norms for 15 years. Observation indicates something is up. It's a worry.

Salut,
Twenty years ago, winter; -15C to -17C, snow enough to make snow angels comfortably and to get the low slung car stuck on the drive up to the house.
This year, violettes and anemones, cowslips flowering at the end of January,
I can`t rememb er the last snow here. There have Been icing sugar type suggestions of snow but no more.
The temperatures vary drastically from day to day. Just too cold for snow but inches deep ice in water buckets followed by sun and short trousers the following day.
What is a girl to wear? never mind the buds on fruit trees etc as someone has mentioned.
Nights are nippy and there is sporadic hoar frost of a morning.
Physically, I find these unpredictable weather variations tiring even exhausting.
I suppose it might be the same for all beings?
Hmmm, is it dark forces at work?
Forward and onward and thank you for the photos
Blessings from M-H

Thomas, I can't help wondering if you've been thinking of a plan for working your gardens around the weather weirdness? Have you thought of any strategies that might work for your usual crops? Are you thinking of changing cultivars, to stay with the same produce, just in warmer climate versions? What steps are you thinking of for your cooler weather perennials that are currently getting confused about when to green-up, and how to protect them from overheating, if it goes that way?

So far, my strategy has consisted of finding ways to use containers, so I can bring most of my perennials(&some annuals) indoors, for the winter, while planting only small numbers outdoors, to see if they can handle the change. But, not everyone has the space and south-facing exposure for that, and frankly, mine is limited, and I'm kinda pushing John's patience with the increasing real estate being devoted to growing my indoor jungle.