January Rainfall

We got just under five inches of rain in January, which goes a long way to replenish the subsoil moisture depleted last summer. The growing season in 2016 was characterized by drought conditions, which cost the newly planted vines their much-needed development.

The rain also kickstarted the crimson clover, and has it coming on strong.

The month had several cold snaps that drove night-time lows into the teens, with at least eight days hitting subfreezing lows. There was also an ice storm and what had been expected to be a major winter snow storm that failed to achieve "major" status in our neighborhood. It was cold and wet overall, delivering a $200-plus heating bill.

There were a few beautiful days, however, where I was able to get some pruning done. I also re-installed some of the drip irrigation pipe in preparation for the growing season, noted in a previous post.

All-in-all, I like the start of 2017.