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The fast melting of the snow went on. If at the beginning of the week the first dark patches could be seen in the fields and the average snow depth was near to 20 centimetres, then on Friday most snow was already gone from open areas. The melt water collected in great pools, flowed across the roads, caused soil erosion in the fields and pressed into cellars. In the middle of the week  Pedja River rose over its banks, the springtime high water began.

 

Snowdrops and snowflakes, freed from the snow, started flowering in sunny gardens. The sap flow in maples ended, and started in birches instead. Catkins on alders and hazels had become a little longer towards the end of the week, but didn’t provide any pollen yet. Cchaffinch and thrush song echoed in the woods. There was an intense bird migration: chaffinches, wagtails, thrushes, redbreasts, gulls, geese ...

 

10-15 centimetres of the soil in ploughed fields and winter crop fields managed to thaw, but down in the ground a 20-25 centimetres thick frozen layer was still left. Winter crops had suffered from the long time under the snow and  leaves were sodden. In places it had been damp and without frost; snow molds occurred. Since growth hasn’t started yet, it is still too early to judge the extent of winter damage.

Jõgeva, 05.04.2010.