Happy June - or whatever month this is

Now THIS is March Madness.

No, I’m not talking about the NCAA basketball tournament or the fact that four Ohio teams made it to the Sweet 16. Nor am I referring to Manning Madness, as Peyton chased Tim Tebow out of Denver and into the country’s sports mecca of New York City (He was traded to the Jets.) This weather is crazy. Crazy good. The average high temperature for Youngstown in March is 46 degrees. On Wednesday, the mercury climbed to a record 80. Even the low for the day (54) was higher than the average high. The 80-degree day broke the record of 70 in 1948. And, there was no rain, which is always a bonus.

This summer-like weather is just a continuation of the mild winter we had. The winter was not necessarily really warm, but it was absent of a ton of snow. We did a couple doses of the white stuff, but nothing like we had the past few winters. But who would have thought this amazing weather trend would continue into March?

I haven’t worn a jacket for weeks now and my kids have already traded in their sleds for roller blades. They’ve played outside pretty much every day for the past week — without hats and gloves.

I’m all for nice weather. I usually don’t complain too much about sunshine and warmth — unless it’s humid. So, I’m thrilled with how we’ve pretty much gone from fall weather to summer and skipped winter and spring. I mean isn’t having just two seasons instead of four more efficient? Of course, there are some negatives to this situation. First, my grass thinks it’s June. The rain we’ve had, plus the warm temperatures and sun, have been kind to it. Not only is the yard now green, it’s also ready to be mowed in some spots. My mowers, on the other hand, aren’t prepared. Nor is the one who is expected to operated them. I just can’t make myself mow in March. It just doesn’t seem right.

Another consideration is that the cold weather is actually necessary. Because of the mild temperatures and little snow, insects that are normally killed are surviving, growing and already munching on budding plants. I’ve even seen bees already when they normally don’t make an appearance until May or June. All these insects can wreak havoc on our plants, flowers and potentially our gardens once we start planting.

We might end up paying a price for these warm days. Depending on if we end up getting a cold spell in April, the chaos could cause issues for farmers — those here and around the country. If insects or cold weather impact crops, we’ll be paying big money at the grocery store for produce. That’s in addition to paying nearly $4 a gallon for the gas to get there.

Sorry if I’m going all doom-and-gloom on you. Like I said, I embrace warm weather as much as anyone. I guess the best we can do is enjoy the benefits and hope it will last.

So, until that freak snow storm we’ll get in July, have fun in the sun.

(Disclaimer: If we get buried in snow for July 4th, it’s not my fault).