Major pattern change bringing taste of summer to region

If you’ve been in Ohio for a fair amount of time, chances are you know well about the Mother’s Day rule for planting. If not, you likely found out the hard way a little over a week ago when temperatures plunged to 33 degrees last Monday morning. Generally, the best advice is to hold off on planting until Mother’s Day. However, the latest freeze on record in Dayton actually happened on May 21, 1907.

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It does appear we’ve turned the corner away from any freeze threat, and by the crowds I saw at garden centers over the weekend, it seems many were anxious to take advantage of the nice weather. Despite my struggle with pollen, I was out planting just like the rest of my neighbors, ready for the (hopefully) long stretch of nice weather.

For those of you ready for the warmth, then you are in luck. We are in store for the longest stretch of warm weather, that is 80 degrees - plus, since mid-September. This will mean temperatures will range from 10 to 15 degrees above normal for most of the week. Expect temperatures to stay near or above 80 degrees over the weekend before a cold front brings in more seasonable temperatures to start next week.

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Speaking of those who struggle with allergies, keep in mind with the dry and warm weather - and all the freshly planted trees, shrubs and flowers - you can expect the pollen count to soar again. Also, with all the rain we had to start out the month, we have also noticed the mold count has climbed in recent days according to the Miami Valley Regional Air Pollution Control Agency. It will likely take until we get some decent rainfall later this coming weekend to knock some of the pollen out of the air.

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Of course, with the warmer weather, we’ll also have to be on the lookout for a few stronger storms by the weekend as well. Stay tuned!

Eric Elwell is WHIO StormCenter 7 Chief Meteorologist. Contact him at eric.elwell@coxinc.com or follow him on Facebook and Twitter

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