OK, now I'm really disappointed. SAT was sunny and we got up to 66 F degrees. I had to work. Put in 12 hours. I thought, no problem. Forecast called for the same on Sunday so I can go look for snakes then.

I slept in 'till 11am. Clouds started rolling in and by noon it looked like rain and it was only 56 degrees. It just kept getting colder and now we have rain. So much for my herping weekend. I think someone is trying to teach me patience and I am resisting furiously.

@snakeknot:

There is no particular month. Much of it depends on ground temperature. You can suddenly have several days in the 70's and see no snakes at first. You can also have a mild late winter and see snakes when it's only 60 degrees. Still having overnight freezes?

Are there any spring bulbs in the ground that are now flowering? Tulips perhaps? That's your cue that the brumating snakes may also be feeling the warm up.

I know that where I am, if spring tulips are blooming (they did so about a week ago) then you can find garters near den sites on a sunny afternoon when its at least 60 degrees.