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  • From: KTCopsey@aol.com
  • To: gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [gwl-g] Last Frost Date
  • Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2006 22:25:43 EDT

In a message dated 4/21/2006 10:10:09 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, cterler@gardenvista.com writes:
...I suspect that the National Weather Service did the compilations over the years when they collected agricultural data.  But about four years ago they cut back severely on items such as frost and freeze warnings for farmers.  You might get an answer here but it won't be quick:
Certainly the Weather Service did record temps and as far as I am aware that was what the first Zone map was based on.  The increase in the number of weather recording stations is what prompted the new map and got all the bad publicity plus was the base for the Heat Zone map as well.  Yes, that data is available on a zip code basis now, thru many sites.  Individual Extension Educators or offices also took that early data and extrapolated it for their county where there were major climatic differences such as a mountain.  Loudoun County Va had an average last frost date that varied by as much as 2 weeks (I think) between the top of the Blue Ridge Mountain and the Washington suburbs.  The date was only given after the MGs established which town you lived near and where on the mountain you were.  I assumed that the data was also based on the average date from those Weather Stations over a matter of years.
 
Kate Copsey
Freelance Garden Writer
Herbs, Historic Gardens
Pittsburgh, PA
www.katecopsey.com



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