After a light freeze and fronts early last week it now appears safe to go forward with your warm season flower and vegetable plantings. We are well past the average last freeze (March 15th) and a look at the weather maps and the forecasted weather pattern over the next week there appears to be no threat of a big cold air outbreak. Spring has sprung and the heat and humidity are not too far behind.

Here is a note from a viewer who saw the SPACE SHUTTLE AND THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FLY OVER HEAD TONIGHT.

A quick observation... At approximately 8:43 this evening my friend and I saw what appeared to be a star overhead, but it was moving rather steadily off to the north-northeast. So we figured it was a plane even though it only appeared to be one light (and not composed of two or three lights - certainly none of them were blinking from what we could tell). Then another light of similar brilliance appeared not too far behind moving in the exact same direction. Both objects continued to be illuminated for about 20 seconds, until the first one we had noticed faded away. When the second object got to about the same point in the sky that the first one faded away, it also slowly faded. Both my friend and I are logically minded people, and we are sure that there is an explanation, a satellite entering the atmosphere (maybe pieces of the one blown up a couple weeks ago) or perhaps some testing weather rockets of some sort, or something... I didn't know who necessarily to contact with this report, and thought perhaps you were alerted of something or had some other reports? just curious... Thank you.

William King
Senior, Millsaps College

Link to view International Space Station and Space shuttle the next few nights.



http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/view.cgi?country=United_States®ion=Mississippi&city=Jackson

The average last freeze for Jackson is March 15th. Last year our last freeze was on March 6th and in 2006 the last freeze was on March 26th. That's why it is an average. Depending on weather conditions the freeze can be before or after the 15th. In the end it all averages out to about March 15th. I mention all this since the low was 32 in Jackson early this morning. This will probably be our last freeze of the spring. My typical planting rule for early spring. THE FIRST WEEKEND OF APRIL. You have to remember it is not enough just to have warmer air. Soil temperatures need to warm so the plant roots can survive. Cold, cool and wet soil conditions can create root rot and destroy your tender plant lings. While you may be tempted with the great spring weather. Wait just a little longer!

The light snow that fell on March 7th was the first measurable snow in March
in 15 years here in Jackson! WOW. The pattern remains active and looks
to remains so for a little longer...thanks LA NINA! For Friday, it
looks like we will see little or no significant rain here with the bulk
of the storm energy remaining to our north. The severe threat will
remain to the north as well. Warm to mild weather will persist through
the weekend. Our next chance for significant rain/strong storms looks
like it will come about the middle of next week.

All and all SPRING BREAK WEATHER LOOKS PRETTY GOOD!