MINNEAPOLIS - It's just not as cold as it used to be. And if days like this don't convince you, this should: it's the USDA's new growth zone map, which charts cold temperatures and shows whether certain plants can live through winter.
"There are some locations around the metro area where the average January minimum temperature has gone up two or three degrees, which is fairly significant," said University of Minnesota Extension Climatologist Mark Seeley.
So much that the map is changing for the first time in 20 years. Much of Minnesota is now in zone 4, with part of the north in zone 3 and part of the south in zone 5. That means dozens of plants and flowers we could never grow before will likely now survive our coldest months.
"Perennials like lavender and sage are good further south of us, so those are ones we could try," said University of Minnesota Horticulturist Mary Meyer.
That's because the map is shifting a half zone north, meaning our low temperatures average about five degrees warmer than they used to. That's still not enough to affect most crops or our cool weather plants, but it may encourage gardeners to try growing new things. And while it's the first time the map's changed in twenty years, it probably won't be the last.
"These changes that are going on around us," Seeley said. "I don't see them suddenly abating."
And, of course, that's not all good. Experts warn this new warmth could bring new worries, possible problems we've never had before. But warm up or not, some things Minnesota will likely never have.
"Peaches, citrus, we still won't have those," Meyer said. "No orange trees yet!"
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