Light is shifting noticeably now. Sunrise moves toward 6:45 a.m., and sunset approaches 6:00 p.m. By week’s end, we will pass 11 hours of daylight. The gain is steady — just over two minutes per day — enough to change how late the woods hold shadow.

Afternoons should reach the upper 40s to mid-50s if cloud cover stays light. Nights are still expected to dip to or just below freezing several times. Freeze–thaw cycles will continue to work the top layer of soil loose while deeper ground remains cold.

South-facing slopes will begin drying first. North-facing woods will stay damp and tight. Watch fence lines and open pastures for soft mud forming where winter grass thins.

Birdsong should increase during mild mid-day stretches. Red maples in town and along creeks are nearing visible bud swell. Nothing has opened yet — but the shift is close.

Week of: February 25 – March 3, 2026

Sunrise (Feb 25): 6:45 a.m.
Sunset (Feb 25): 5:55 p.m.
Daylength: ~11 hours 10 minutes
Daylight Gain: ~2 minutes 15 seconds per day

Average High (late February): 47°F
Average Low: 28°F

7–10 Day Trend:
• Highs: upper 40s to mid-50s
• Lows: upper 20s to low 30s
• Additional freeze events are likely
• No sustained warm spell indicated

Frost Risk: Ongoing. Plan for freezes through early March.

No widespread bloom yet. Mosses are brightening after moisture. Chickweed is beginning to thread into thin lawn edges. Red maple buds are swelling but remain closed. Silver maple will likely show first color if a warm stretch holds.

Carolina wrens are singing more consistently now, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Their calls carry farther in the thinner winter canopy. Watch brush piles, wood stacks, and cedar thickets. They move low, quick, and close to cover, rarely out in the open for long.

Much of the gravel underfoot in the central Ozarks is chert — a hard, silica-rich rock that formed within ancient limestone. As limestone weathers away, chert remains behind because it resists erosion. That is why Ozark hillsides are often littered with angular, rust-colored fragments.

Chert influences soil drainage. Areas with heavy chert fragments warm faster on the surface but hold less moisture. In garden beds, removing larger chert pieces can improve root contact with soil, but scattered small fragments help prevent compaction. Its presence is one reason Ozark soils can feel thin and rocky compared to prairie ground farther north.

Soil temperatures remain too cold for most direct sowing. Freezes are still expected.

Indoors:
Start onions, leeks, and early brassicas under light if not already underway.

Outdoors (limited):
You may direct-sow spinach on a well-drained, south-facing bed if the soil is workable, but expect slow germination.

Check perennial beds for frost heaving. Gently press exposed crowns back into soil on a dry day. Avoid working garden beds while they are wet — compaction now lasts all season.