Spring is almost here: Last frost dates, persistent drought and fire risk

When to plant?

With the start of spring just days away (5:01 am March 20th!), many gardening enthusiasts are gearing up for warmer temperatures. While some hardier vegetation can be started throughout the month of March, more tender plants can be susceptible for early season cold snaps. The old adage suggests waiting until Mother’s Day to plant your flowers. This is certainly a fail-safe date, as it signifies roughly the final month of spring and virtually guarantees no shot for even a rouge frost. However, on Delmarva we can get away with planting much earlier in the spring as the climate calls for an earlier start to the growing season compared to other places in the country.

Delmarva’s average final frost

The average last frost in the spring is generally looked at as the average last chance for a light freeze…or when temps dip to or just below freezing. Although in instances of cool nights, with calm air in open fields, frost can develop at the surface when the air temperature only drops into the mid 30s. But for the typical gardening enthusiast, the concern is usually with a widespread frost or light freeze.

The average final freeze in Salisbury is around April 2nd. And for rural areas within much of interior Delmarva, the date can be about a week later, closer to April 10th. But for areas right along the coast it’s a bit earlier, usually in the final days of March. Although the ocean water is cold, the water source still acts as an insulator and can keep nighttime low temperatures a few degrees warmer than interior areas of Delmarva where the drier air can cool more efficiently. We have an outlook of average temperatures to end the month, so it’s safe to say that waiting to plant is a good idea for now.

Fire risk and drought

As we get into the growing season, lingering drought is still an issue for the entire peninsula. And with that has been an increased risk for brush fires. Just recently, several brush fires have broken out across Delmarva.

Even with active weather patterns, rising temperatures and windy days associated with changing airmasses contribute to increased fire risk heading into the spring season. There is some good news in the medium range pattern, which calls for slightly above average precipitation through the end of the month.