The average temperature for February was minus 8.2 degrees compared to: 2020—5.7 //10 year normal—8.0 // 50 year average—8.1 // coldest 2015—15.8 // warmest 1981—0.4.
Precipitation included 19.8 mms. of rain and 62 cms. of snow which melted to an additional 71 mms. of water producing a total of 91 mms. of water which is normal. The ground has been covered with an ever increasing blanket of snow beginning on January 2. The total snowfall so far this winter is 149 cms. or 58 inches. The old rule of thumb for winter snowfall in Montreal used to be 100 inches. It is doubtful that the March accumulation will bring the total to that quantity. The open fields at months end have an average depth of about 45 cms. A core sample at one location measured 53 cms. in depth which melted to 138 mms. or 5.4 inches of water. While the top 20 cms. was heavy and dense, to the extent one could almost walk on top, the lower 30 cms. was powdery holding lots of air which will prevent any growing crop from smothering except where snowmobiles or farm tractors have packed down the snow.
As a comparison, the famous winter of 1970/71 had continuous snow cover from December 4 to April 25 and a core sample that year from a field on March 10 yielded 36 inches of snow which melted to 10 inches of water. By the end of March that year, the snow had settled to 29 inches but still contained 9.75 inches of water.
The barn roofs, which have been overloaded with heavy snow, have finally cleared off with the rising temperatures at months end. Our local bald eagle appeared last week and the sugar bushes are showing signs of activity.
I expect everyone is looking forward to spring including farmers that have a new shiny piece of machinery to put to the test to speed up the spring work. With new planters today completing their task at over 10 MPH, I can only imagine what my neighbours said when I got out our fifty-year-old John Deere 1240 and travelled up the field at the “LET’S GET-ER-DONE” speed of 4 MPH. However, it has always completed the task with few glitches except for one notable exception when it missed one row for about 800 feet. That fall, a helicopter was circling my field. When I went to investigate, I was told the police were looking for marijuana and were convinced the missed row was a path to access the more profitable area in my field. The old planter owes us nothing and after planting 4000 acres in its life is due for retirement. I am looking forward to try out its replacement—a 30-year-old John Deere 4000. I can only hope that it performs as reliably as the old 1240 but it will still be at 4 MPH.
Peter Finlayson
