The Winter of 2011-12

According to the Irish Met Office the winter of 2011-12 was  the mildest since 1989 at several of their stations. During January when the cold snap was at its height on continental Europe Ireland enjoyed moist warm Atlantic airflows. A slight touch of frost in the morning was as bad as it got. Sometimes it is great to live on an island out in the Atlantic.

Frogs Feb 28th

Like all Irish households we consumed a lot less heating fuel than the previous two winters. We were also better prepared for the cold than in the last two winters, with blinds fitted on windows and heavy curtains on both our outside doors.

I was caught out by the mild winter in the crops I grew. The previous two winters I had crops of winter cabbage and purple sprouting broccoli. Both were destroyed by the cold weather, but would have done very well this winter. The only crops in my garden right now are leeks and scallions, both of which will withstand extreme cold.

Another great advantage of the mild winter is that my cycling has been unaffected. I have been able to keep cycling all winter.

It is not certain that we will not get a cold snap yet, but as each day goes by it gets less and less likely. It is a very early spring, with the frogs already having layed their eggs in our garden pond, almost three weeks earlier than last year.

Roll on summer

Irish Met Office report on Winter of 2011-12