It may be spring, but expect more ‘winters’

People in our area, and in much of Appalachia and the South, often recognize the brief cold periods we experience in spring as Redbud Winter, Dogwood Winter, Blackberry Winter, and a few others.

Some March days were warm enough for shirt-sleeve outdoor work and early gardening, but those days were followed by a cold snap or two when we had snow or temperatures chilly enough for me to decide to stay indoors.

Our grandparents/great-grandparents had no televised weather reports, no weather apps on phone or tablet, perhaps no calendar or Farmers’ Almanac for guidance. They observed and relied on the signs of nature, and maybe it was natural to name cold snaps for what was blooming at the time.

They probably anticipated frost possibilities, so waited until the end of what they colloquially called “Dogwood Winter” when they could safely plant some vegetables and annual flowers.

A weather official friend points out that climate conditions differ depending on elevation or zones where, for instance, Dogwoods may bloom weeks earlier in Knoxville than in Wise, so we may not agree on exactly when “Dogwood Winter” arrives. He notes that Redbuds and Dogwoods are “uncommon or non-occurring at upper elevations in the High Knob Massif.” He also mentions “Elderberry Winter,” a new one for me.

We do pay attention to weather. Go through the grocery check-out when it’s snowing hard or extremely hot, and you or the clerk often say, “How do you like the weather today?”

I believe “Redbud Winter” occurred several days ago and “Dogwood Winter” either started right on its heels or even before it was over. Redbuds are fading fast and Dogwoods are in full bloom about now.

Still to come, according to Farmers Almanac and other references, are more “winters.” How they are named may depend on where you live or what your family or forbears called them.

I don’t recall ever hearing about “Locust Winter,” which a Tennessee reference book sets in early May, or a lesser-known “Whippoorwill Winter” which may herald warmer days to stay.

These birds winter in Mexico or far southern U.S. regions, and move to their summer range from late May to early June. “Whippoorwill Winter,” as could be expected, shouldn’t be as cold as other ones.

The one we tend to know is “Blackberry Winter,” usually coming in mid-May or a bit later. These fruits, which we pick for jam or cobblers, need cold to set buds, and a cold snap when they bloom is named for them. This is when less severe polar air pushes toward us after warm air masses have begun to dominate the weather.

Indian Summer, on the other hand, is an opposite phenomenon: a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather in autumn. We may call any excessively warm day “Indian Summer” but a true Indian summer, as well as warm and dry, features a hazy or smoky atmosphere, no wind, clear and chilly nights.

Origin of the name is not definitely known. Perhaps it was when Native Americans started their fall hunting season, perhaps they so described the period to Europeans, perhaps someone first experienced it in regions inhabited by these citizens.

Enjoy Indian Summer days—because winter won’t be far behind. And be prepared a few weeks from now for “Blackberry Winter” to herald berry-picking time.

Sharon Daniels is a Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener volunteer.