2023-05-10 20:56:13
Kare they coming this year or are they not coming? Hobby gardeners and farmers fear the late frost of the ice saints in mid-May. Because sensitive plants often cannot withstand the cold. Many people therefore only plant their balconies and gardens at the end of the Ice Saints, the “Cold Sophie”, on May 15: “You are never safe from night frost until Sophie is over,” says the associated farmer’s rule.
The Ice Saints begin on May 11th with the Mamertus. He is followed by Pankratius, Servatius, Boniface and finally Sophie. The days are named after early Christian martyrs and bishops from the 4th and 5th centuries. The tradition arose from the farmers’ centuries-old observation that cold air snaps often occurred in May, as cold polar air flows into Central Europe and causes ground frost.
Which plants survive the late frost
Sensitive plants such as tomatoes or geraniums should therefore not be placed outdoors too early – if they are, they should be insulated with cardboard or fleece. On the other hand, lettuce, potatoes or strawberries are considered to be much more robust. They can also be planted outside without hesitation.
This year, however, it seems that the ice saints are not showing their frosty side. In its forecast for mid-May, the German Weather Service (DWD) expects fluctuating temperatures. During the day, up to 20 degrees are expected in some regions. At night the temperature does not drop below four degrees.
Why the ice saints apply less and less
However, a look at the past decades shows that the ice saints are no longer a precise forecast for the last frost of spring – rather a rough rule of thumb. Because they failed more often than they actually took place. Sometimes it freezes at the beginning or end of May. Another curiosity: in the Middle Ages, Pope Gregory reformed the calendar and the Julian counting system was followed by the Gregorian one. Several days were lost in the process. That means the ice saints should actually fall at the end of May.
Evaluations by the German Weather Service show that the ice saints are occurring less and less. In the 19th century, the cold nights afflicted farmers and their fields even more frequently. Nowadays, however, frosts in mid-May in Germany almost only occur in the low mountain ranges and unfavorably exposed locations, according to an analysis by the DWD. Especially in the south, the ice saints could hardly be seen anymore. This has to do with climate change, because global warming means that cold snaps are milder than they were 30 years ago.
Sheep cold: The really last night frost?
It’s been three years since the last real ice saints. In May 2020, the night-time temperatures fell below freezing for the last time, in the high areas of the Thuringian Forest and the Ore Mountains there were even several centimeters of fresh snow.
In a month’s time, the next farmer’s rule is due: the sheep’s cold. Around June 11th, the frost should really be over. The name goes back to the sheep, which are traditionally shorn for the first time and for which the cold at night could have life-threatening consequences.
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