Windy and rain all night, and only recently have both stopped. Unfortunately quickly enough for me to get the tax return down to the post box before the collection time. Will have to post it tomorrow.

Ahaha ah well- Spring had sprung ...


20cm of very heavy snow overnight- can't even use snow blower as snow too heavy! And the one lilac tree we didn't prune 2 years ago looks like it will need VERY heavy pruning this year- what survives that is.

I love lilacs People look at me strangely when I cut some flowers for a bouquet

They don't last long in a vase, I'm afraid.

But my cleaning lady in the UK, from deepest Newcastle- nearly fainted once when she got into the dining-room and there was a big bouquet of mixed lilac (I had 6 in my old garden- double white, single white, and several shades of purple, single and double). She asked me to take them out and she had to sit down to catch her breath... Apparently it is very bad luck, as a mother during the 1st world war had just brought a bouquet of lilac in when she got the message that her son had died in the trenches...

So I continued to cut lilac for the house- and just made sure I hid the vase by the side of the house before she came. Ahhh our Margaret- she was champion (as she use to say for anything good). Ours here are just simple single basic lilac - and that is fine for a simple basic lovely country farm/vicarage - the borders are also typical of a Curate's garden- most of them from our garden in the UK (5 or perhaps 6 trailor loads over the 2 years we had the house before we moved in).

Raining blankets in Bienne as well, interspersed with snowflakes.....that proper rain was long overdue, You can almost see how quickly the lambs salad on the balcony is growing now

Put some nutrients in the water and a few copper coins (copper is toxic to microbes and fungi but not to the plants). They will last at least a week and smell beautifully

Very windy and rainy here again now. Thunderstorm evidently passing through. From Meteocentrale.

"On 2017/02/28 at 14:00 local time a severe thunderstorm of level orange was detected. The center is located in the community of Hôpitaux Neufs (Les). The storm is approaching from west and is moving in eastern direction at a speed of 86 km/h. Regional heavy rain and isolated storm gusts are possible. Local hail of small size can not be ruled out. The lightning activity is moderate. The severe thunderstorm is expected to cross the following communities: vaux et chantegrue (14:00), Baulmes (14:03), Vuiteboeuf (14:07), Orges (14:09), Giez (14:11), Grandson (14:13), Onnens VD (14:15), Cheyres (14:17), Font (14:21), Estavayer-le-Lac (14:23), Autavaux (14:25), Grandcour (14:27), St-Aubin FR (14:31), Avenches (14:33), Faoug (14:35), Courgevaux (14:37), Münchenwiler (14:39). The arrival time of the storm is stated."

We have a blizzard here with heavy snowfall - has eased up the last 5 mins..

https://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzo...ex.php?lang=en

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Snow storm in Pontarlier this afternoon- massive snow flakes. Now all quiet here on the western front- no wind, no snow.

Now an interesting linguistic point- those huge snowflakes are called 'pattes de mars' in French (march paws) and 'Aprilwetter' in German (April weather) ...

and yukkie wet snow in Romandie sounds rather Swiss German 'la peutsch'!

Looks like it will be incredibly windy tomorrow, with 140kmh gusts expected across the northern Swiss alps.
Most of the Bernese alp ski resorts are likely to be closed.

If you're thinking of going skiing, check first!

Wow! Yeah, looks like it's going to be really nasty. I haven't seen a purple warning issued before.

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Violent weather warnings issued for tomorrow.
(oops didn't see Medea posted already)

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Phew. We appear to be in the green bit.

Lovely skiing today in Portes du Soleil! Snow a bit sticky but oh well A day off well spent

Nice and sunny in the Neuch Jura and not a puff of wind today.

Where were you in the Portes du S Jakub?

Champery - Les Crosets- Avoriaz and around 67km on downhill according to Endomondo

Done it many times- a great ski day. Pas de Chavanette is a great run

Another lightning storm is approaching from Jura mountains...

Had a nice sunny morning today- managed to dry 2 loads of washing in garden- then strong wind for about 45 mins- then greyish with a little rain - but no thunder storm... so far

Edit Oooops- just gone all dark and two rumbles of thunder !

Second edit ooops - big hail storm!

Treble edit - huge fork lightning

4th edit - all over