We have been in Roanoke since last week, and I believe this afternoon is the first time I have seen the sun in five days.
Mountain weather can be tricky. This part of the Blue Ridge Mountains often seems to trap wedges of cold air and plumes of moisture.
A few springs ago I can remember being in Washington enjoying some spring like weather while it was snowing in Roanoke.
Fortunately we have not seen any snow, but we have seen lots of clouds and drizzle. Any of amount of moisture is welcome since this has been a dry winter for Roanoke with only one snowfall.
There have even been some forest fires and smoke hanging over the valley earlier this winter.
With that as a perspective this morning's gloomy view is just part of the quirky mountain weather.
It can bring one type of weather in the morning, another in the afternoon, and a third in the evening. It is part of the cycle that we need to see to keep things green and growing.
The cool temperature and damp weather might just be a short respite before the heat of summer descends on the Roanoke Valley.
Actually even Carteret County on the Carolina coast has been pretty cool and damp for the last few weeks.
Actually this is the time of year that I usually issue my annual invitation to Canadians to come see what a few days real spring in the South can do to your attitude.
I did notice it was snowing last Friday in Halifax, Nova Scotia. However, when I pulled up Weatherunderground today, I was surprised to find the temperatures in Roanoke and Halifax are very close.
Actually what we are seeing is a heat wave in Halifax and cooler than normal temperatures in Roanoke.
Roanoke's average daily high in early April is in the lower 60s. Thursday and Friday Roanoke will see high temperatures around 76 while Halifax will be back to its seasonal average of 46 degrees for a high temperature in April.
With substantial moisture in the ground, you can expect the Roanoke Valley to explode into full spring by this weekend.
The redbuds already look great, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some early dogwoods blooming this weekend.
We saw lots of dogwoods and wisteria around Raleigh, NC about a week ago, so this should be a great weekend to enjoy spring in the Roanoke Valley.
Those tiny leaves on the trees will grow quickly, and it will won't take long for the waves of green to ascend the mountaintops. My guess is that even Bent Mountain and Floyd might start showing real signs of spring this weekend.
I will have to check in with Fred at Fragments of Floyd to see what is happening on the mountain. He has probably been looking for some spring warmth.
If you see any Canadians, welcome them. They are among the friendliest and most polite people on earth. Also they have some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and a summer climate which can look pretty good to Virginians suffering from 30 days of heat and humidity. I still miss the view from the top of the hayfield on our old Nova Scotia farm.
When Roanoke gets that way, you can check out my travel guide to Maritime Canada. Nova Scotia is the greenest place on earth in the summer, and the PEI lobsters and blue mussels are the sweetest in the world.
