COLUMN: Winter Is Almost Over
It's been a dry year, and a drier winter with no snow. That could be tough for planting come the spring. On the other head, baseball is right around the corner.
By Donnie Johnston
COLUMNIST
Winter is almost over.
Yes, I know it is just the first full week of January, but the outlook for snow or icy weather is practically non-existent for the next 14 days, which puts us midway through the coldest month of the year.
And yes, there is always the possibility of a snowstorm during the first two weeks of February, but the storm patterns will need to change dramatically for that to happen.
Those patterns have been in a rut for almost six months, with precipitation either riding north of us, through West Virginia and the Ohio Valley, or south, through lower North Carolina and South Carolina.
For the fifth straight month I recorded less than two inches of precipitation in December (3.5 inches per month is about average). For the year, I recorded 39.3 inches, about four inches below average. But 20 of those inches came during a three-month period – May, June and July.
That means we averaged only 2.1 inches of precipitation per month over the other nine months, which is not good. The saving grace was that the copious amounts of rain that did fall came during the growing season, which made for bountiful crops.
But then the rain stopped in late July and precipitation has been sparce ever since. Only three times in the last 160 days of 2025 have I measured more than one-half inch in any particular storm. Most of the time we got only two- or three-tenths per event. Such small amounts evaporate quickly, are soaked up by thirsty grass roots and never benefit tree roots or the water table.
Two ponds near my house are drying up, which almost never happens this time of year, even in the driest winters. In summer heat? Yes. In the cool of the fall and winter when there is much less evaporation? No. Still the water is disappearing.
And there are no signs that the drought is breaking. At this point, the outlook for January is for less than average precipitation. That’s not good for the water table. Winter, when plants are dormant, is when rain and snow seeps through the soil and into the aquifers deep below. Winter is when we build reserves. So far, that isn’t happening.
I know that I have mentioned this winter drought in several previous columns, and I understand that one two-inch gully washer would help restore the ponds, and that two feet of snow that melts slowly would keep the wells in good shape. But if that doesn’t happen and we start the next growing season on a dry note, water supplies could be in big trouble.
I began this column by saying that winter is almost over. Yes, I know January can be a long, cold month, but let’s look at it from an optimistic standpoint.
First, the days are getting longer and a month from now it will still be light after 6 pm. Two months from now we will begin Daylight Saving Time and the sun won’t go down until almost 7:30.
Major Leage Baseball starts next month. Yep, camps open around Feb. 15 and spring training games will begin later that month. Baseball is always a good sign that spring is just around the corner.
Seed catalogs have begun to arrive in the mail and gardeners start thinking about planting this month. Some of us will have potatoes in the ground in seven weeks.
For those who hate snow, just look at it this way. The sun is getting higher in the sky and the chances of any snow that might still come lingering for a long period of time are getting slimmer. An early December snow could theoretically stay on the ground for three months. Any late January or early February snow will likely be gone in two weeks at most.
Still, we snow lovers remain hopeful that a mini blizzard might sneak into our area. After all, it is not winter without a good snow.
Which brings up another point. Remember all those long-range winter weather forecasts last fall (including my own) that predicted 20-30 inches of snow? Looks like those forecasts might be a bust for the second year in a row.
Usually we have the moisture, but not the cold air. This year we have the cold air but not the moisture. Here in Central and Northern Virginia, we just can’t win when it comes to snow.
If it is not going to snow, I hope it gets warm so I can get back on the golf course and plant an early garden.
Next winter, if you really want snow, move to Soda Springs, California, or Buffalo, New York. They’re getting it by the foot.
Meanwhile, think positive and look ahead. Winter is almost over.
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