Maple syruping: Funny you should mention this, jo; in local news coverage of today's record high (73F/23C, shattering the old record set just 2 years ago), some local syrup producers were interviewed and indicated they've pretty much given up on this season. Normally it can extend to mid-April, but requires both warm days and nights below freezing. Recent nights have been extremely warm (around 48F/9C), and apparently this makes the sap too bitter to make into syrup.

After a minor dip tomorrow ("only" about 67F/20C), the next 6 days or so will be in the 70s, approaching 80 - nearly all record highs.

I'm not surprised to hear that from the local syrup producers. Disappointing for them, indeed, as well as for the many who love that sweet syrup, and who enjoy heading out to the sugar bush come March/early April.

This morning the sky was amazing, albeit somewhat eerie: the west was filled with billowing rainclouds, ominously dark, whereas in the east, the rising sun created a bizarre yellow-ish/orange glow everywhere to the point where it even appeared the air, itself, was coloured likewise. Shortly after the cloud cover took over, and the sharp lightning and heavy rain hit. It subsided after awhile, but should be returning with a vengeance tonight.

Today, and for the next two days, the daytime high is to be 19C/66.2F, and then even warmer after that—in the 70s, but on the lower end (still unusually warm for this time of year)—so not as warm as your predicted high 70s, 'gazer.

UPDATE: The GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and Environment Canada have issued a "Severe Thunderstorm Warning" for this evening and tonight, with the possibility of ping-pong sized hail, heavy rain, and severe lightning ... most rare for March here.

They also mentioned that the usual daytime high this time of March is 4C/39F. Now, however, in Celsius, we are nearly 5 times that!

Ping Pong sized hail? My college is probably gonna get the same storm too...

glad I'm home for break! Stay away from that hail!

Nice and sunny today. High is expected to be about 79F. Tomorrow is supposed to be windy and ugly (meaning dirt in the air). We'll see.

It's 81F here right now and it was 83F yesterday. Spring is definitely here, I think it's going to be a hot summer.

We had some marble sized hail yesterday. It was neat watching it. I took a picture of it, I need to put on my photobucket so I can post it.

And then very early this morning, we had a very loud thunderstorm. It was kind of cool. It looks like this is what it going to be like for the next week or so, 80F or more and thunderstorms.

SnowAngel

Thunderstorms are in our forecast as well. Today's record high of 79F/26C was a whopping 38F/21C over average! More like late-May weather.

And how do we greet such things? With a blazing bonfire. Multiple neighbor kids joined us for hot dogs and S'mores, and after sunset we showed them the view of Jupiter near Venus. Very pleasant, except for some unwelcome guests: some mosquitoes - in March!

Similar heat is expected to continue into next week.

Looking out my bedroom window at about 1:00pm PST, it looks like a cloudburst! Very heavy rains and wind for today with perhaps 2-3 inches by Monday morning. Cool too with current temp at 56.7F/13.7C.

Will be staying indoors today and hope the power flickers have stopped.

Well, we can't see the mountains less than a mile to the east of where I live. We are missing about 1/3 of our shingles AFTER several regluings and nails, but our house is still intact. I have heard the thumping of shingles all afternoon. It's supposed to get worse tonight. We may have to get a new roof sooner than we hoped.

Hope you know some good roofers Fencer. Had ours done a few years ago. Trust me, it pays not to go with the cheapest labore. Afew calls around for references is always a good idea.
Had some warmer than avarage weather here as well. Also had a mosquito buzzing about, but no bites. Guess my blood is too sour for their taste.
Enjoyed a fire too. though I was just burning up a lot of scraps from the shop, and not cooking anything. Shouldn't take the chance anyway even if there were only a few stained peices.

Well, as for that 'severe thunderstorm/hail' forecast, we received not a drop nor any thunder. (Thanks for the safe wishes, wolf.) The entire night, as far as I knew, was completely placid. Quite the disappointment, actually.

Fencer, that must have been quite the wind, wow!

Sounds like you're having some adventurous weather, Snow Angel. Take care!

stargazer, your bonfire get-together sounds simply lovely! As well as the stargazing. Everything, in fact, but those pesky mosquitoes.

Whoa, a lot of rain, eh, Glimmie?! Funny that our northern temperatures are a fair bit warmer than yours now. What an awfully strange March up here, which follows an even stranger winter.

I didn't realize Wiggles had sour-tasting blood, Friend Puddleglum. But you're fortunate, when it comes to those blood-thirsty midge-like insects.

We are hitting record after record this week, particularly tomorrow when the humidex (of all things in March!) will reach 30C/86F!!! Thursday is to be in the lower-mid 70s, and Friday heading down to more comfortable temperatures (late 50s/low 60s), but still above normal. Our average this time of year is 5C/41F!

I continue in wondering what all this bodes for the summer season ...

I continue in wondering what all this bodes for the summer season ...

Ditto. BUT! When I drove down to Houston over the weekend, everything in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas was GORGEOUSLY green and growing. Last year was the beginning of our drought season because we got next to no rain until April, and then the massive dry spell that ran from May on into the fall. So that's a big improvement over last year so far. We got a good 1.5" of rain yesterday.

But the biggest downfall to the early warm temperatures and lovely amounts of rain... my backyard desperately needs to be mowed. C'mon!!! IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!

Our windstorm on Sunday was officially a Category 1 storm. Officials winds were above 74 mph. Yes, we know about roofs. We grew up in Colorado with 150 mph gusts. We know what we are getting and who we are getting to do it. We are having our insurance agent come today to assess the damage.

Yesterday was rather wacko. After all that wind on Sunday, I woke up to dark clouds and overnight rain. That overnight rain turned to very thick fluffy snowflakes around 9:30am. It was a blizzard for about 20 minutes. Then it went back to rain. Then it hailed (pea-sized, but hail nonetheless). Then it rained again. This morning I had to carve my car out of the ice it was caked in so I could get to school for teaching. Today is sunny but chilly.

We are hitting record after record this week, particularly tomorrow when the humidex (of all things in March!) will reach 30C/86F!!! Thursday is to be in the lower-mid 70s, and Friday heading down to more comfortable temperatures (late 50s/low 60s), but still above normal. Our average this time of year is 5C/41F!

I continue in wondering what all this bodes for the summer season ...

News is the same across the lake... We have flowers out already... and it's not precipitating! and the water's calm and it's sunny out!!!

I think I might go into shock...

Ok not really, but I am enjoying it even if we didn't get much snow... I actually hope it doesn't snow now, cuz with all the plants blooming early snow would kill them off.

Like Jo said though, this makes me wonder about what the upcoming year shall bring.

Heavy rains fell last evening in southern Minnesota, which is nice due to the drought. Some of the earliest trees are hinting of green (weeping willows generally). It was also unseasonably hot there (80F).

We drove across South Dakota today; it was much cooler (around 60F), and pretty brown everywhere we looked.

In a day or two we'll be seeing mountains and snow!

Wolfloverisk. Loks like we will have some early blooming this year too. the Irises, and Tulips are already several inches high on the south side of the Wig-wam. Though parts of the garden that I have not cleared of leaves still has some frost under them, not three feet away are shoots from the columbine wanting to start up.
I keep checking the sump pump in the basement, but the frost up the hill must not have broken yet. With all the rain I expect to hear it start up any time.
Enjoy the mountains stargazer, I would think they make an excellent horizon to the backdrop of stars. Looking at any goldpanning while there? I would suggest asking some of the local dwarfs. They should know the good spots