APRIL 28th 2016 - SOUTHEAST - SNOW!!

[Philthy]

Just been outside (at the rather ridiculous time of 2.15am) and to my amazement not only has it snowed at some point in the last few hours, but it has snowed enough that there is a covering at least 2" deep and it will not melt for now as the mercury shows -1 celcius.
To put that in perspective, I am south of LONDON. Summer is barely a month away. It is officially less than eight weeks to the longest day of the year. Last week it was warm enough to sit out and TAN! It rarely snows this much in January round these parts based on the average winter.

Fascinating though this is, my tender plants including many of my overwintered chillies are residing in the GH at this very moment (all vents closed but it's still an otherwise unheated structure), all potted up and everything. I'll be sorely peed off if this cold snap does any damage... Fingers crossed.

[gardening_gal]

Sympathies. It was baltic here last night, too cold for snow as they say.

With every passing year our Summers are getting shorter imo. I'm moving to Spain!

[Containergardener]

I hope you havnt lost anything, weathers such a bvmmer.
I've never been able to shift much from house til after may here so already have a short season.

[Bacchus]

Yes - there have been "skifts" of snow here too. I've only planted a few tomatoes in the tunnel so far - no chillies - and have been fleecing them at night. so far so good - but my house is resemble a jungle!

[Bren In Pots]

We've had snow for the last couple of days but its not stayed around for long, I've still got my toms in the house and I've not sown cucs or courgettes yet.

[Thelma Sanders]

I don't like the weather, but the cold and snow wasn't a surprise!
There were warnings on here about the cold and snow to come, and plenty on weather forecasts on TV and online weather sites.
Can't change the weather but being prepared for it with fleece or bubble wrap can make a huge difference.

Here all my tender plants have been brought back into the house every night during the cold snap, a lot of work but I'm not prepared to take any risk with them.

Hope all your plants have survived.

[Mr Bones]

Snow and hail here last night (not two inches though, just a covering), lightning too. Afternoon temps were steady at 4.5C then it suddenly dropped to about zero.

[SusieG]

Snow and hail here last night (not two inches though, just a covering), lightning too. Afternoon temps were steady at 4.5C then it suddenly dropped to about zero.

Yes ditto Mr Bones and a hefty frost this morning ...
My house is also overrun with chilli plants/toms/cuces/courgette/squashes - it'll be lovely to get them into GH and finally outdoors!!!!!

[Philthy]

There were warnings on here about the cold and snow to come, and plenty on weather forecasts on TV and online weather sites

I was expecting a dusting of snow, nothing significant, and yes I was aware of a period of unseasonable cold heading this way. As stated though we do tend to miss the worst weather events down here so (to me) it was still a surprise even though it was half expected and given the timing of it. TWO is a good forecast site that I check most days. It's not perfect of course and never will be, it's a forecast afterall and subject to constant change. Better than most though ie. the online BBC weather service which is just hopeless - barely get it right when giving current local weather conditions nevermind 48 hours ahead.

I could've put a bit of fleece protection over the plants, granted, so that's my oversight.
But I haven't watered recently so that should've reduced the effects of the cold nights some. I won't really know if anything has been affected until it warms up again.

Next week it's set to be back in the high teens........