If April showers bring May flowers, what does April snow bring?

Right now, I'm seeing quite a bit of snow through my window at home. According to weather.com, the low for tonight is 20 F, far beyond a hard freeze.

Before you panic, bear three things in mind.

1) Some crops are frost-tolerant. Hopefully those are the ones you have planted so far. Think spinach, kale, lettuce, root crops, peas. Check the packets of the seeds you sowed or are planning to sow. Most of them give a sowing date of anywhere between 2 and 6 weeks before last frost for these cool-weather plants. If you have already planted tomatoes or other summery crops outside, I give you only my condolences and word of caution to be more careful of when to plant and transplant in the future. Many resources for determining planting dates abound online, including Smart Gardener, recommended by garden worker Will Waller, as well as this very simple planting date tool I like to use. Also check the backs of your seeds, ask your neighbors, the garden workers, etc; essentially everyone who gardens loves telling new gardeners what to do and when to do it.

2) Some snow cover is actually insulating, so a bit of chilly weather plus now is not as bad as chill alone.

3) We need our water. That snow is going to sit and melt in your plot. Better a bit of April snow to bring some water back to our gardens than no precipitation at all.

Please also bear tonight in mind the next time you start wondering when we will turn on the water at EHCG. To avoid doing damage to our plumbing, we have to wait until the threat of a hard freeze is past before opening up those valves. Last weekend I would not have expected a night like tonight, yet here it is. We hope to be passed the danger of last frost by the beginning of May and water turn-on will be TBA until then.

One final word: if you are concerned about your seedlings, consider laying some row cover or other landscaping fabric down, at least at night. I haven't had a problem in the past with a cold snap or two like this, and row cover alone works well enough for me.

Have a nice night, stay warm, think summery thoughts, and happy gardening.

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04/15/14 nighttime update: the snow is gone! It looks like it may only freeze one or two more nights this spring; fingers crossed!