Cold?

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Azuleja
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Re: Cold?

#201

Post by Azuleja »

The hail was little bb size pebbles. I can't tell if anything was damaged. My most tender plants are still indoors.
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Spination
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Re: Cold?

#202

Post by Spination »

::roll:: blue face = cold 32 F only 3 degrees under what they said, not too bad. No ice in water bucket outside, so that's a good sign.

EDIT - don't know what I was looking at earlier - there most definitely are shards of ice in my water buckets. Also, while listening to the local TV news in the background... hearing "it's cold...but a REALLY cold system due Monday after some warming Friday and Saturday. Expect it to be REALLY cold" :huh: Not good. Indeed, just looked at the 10 day forecast, and starting Monday lows predicted of 32, 31, 31, 34 for the the first several days of the week. Given that they're off by several degrees one way or the other more often that not - that could easily translate to a couple of lows in the 20s. Already decided to not take any chances. Everything I lugged out for our fake-out-spring-weather, I'm going to lug back in this weekend... ::x :frown: Yeah, great fun! Not...
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Re: Cold?

#203

Post by Stan »

Accuweather isn't predicting another 70f for Haywood until April. I think this week we might touch 70f. It looks like the cooler air is this years version of rain from nature. The cool air passes- back to mild.
WC says you might skirt freezing tomorrow Tom,after that,they go with cool,but not frosty morns.
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
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Spination
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Re: Cold?

#204

Post by Spination »

Check the more extended forecast, starting Monday. If they're saying 31F - that's a bit scary given the average forecast for lows since mid December that I've been watching like a hawk, is usually off in the wrong direction by several degrees. Anyway, although I feel pretty stupid doing the same work I had done back in December, round one of the Winter Migration Part 2 has a couple of hours invested already - and all my Echeveria, Mangaves, Blue Flame...are back inside. Another hour or so will finish the job. I just need to be done by Monday - no problem.

I am wondering though if all my E. agavoides are going to abort the blooms they've started, given that I moved them to more sunny locations that appears to have stimulated blooming, and now they're back in more gloomy lighting? I guess I'll find out soon enough. In general, I wonder how most plants are going to deal with what appeared to be an early spring, and weeks of really warm weather, and then more freezing soon to arrive (at least here)?
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Re: Cold?

#205

Post by Stan »

Now they are talking very cold next week. High 30's here( record cold is very low 30's)..and I see lots of freezes in Petaluma next week. We will see. 70f on Saturday Spines,then the drop off the ledge!

Btw - My Plumeria obtusa that looked great in 70's we had? Its dropping perfectly good looking leafs with the drop back to seasonal. So,its good to go from cold to warm..not good to take warm away and plant is caught amping up.
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Spination
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Re: Cold?

#206

Post by Spination »

That's pretty much what I was wondering about. All these plants everywhere I'm seeing showing signs of (very early) spring growth, and now a return to cold. Seems like they are getting caught in the lurch with the fake-out early spring. New buds to freeze back, or what? And then what after that? When the real spring comes along, do they just start over like nothing happened? Anyway, I feel like some new learning experiences shaping up here. Every year, it would seem, brings new twists and curve-balls of weird weather to cope with. I'm afraid it is indeed the new normal. Forget everything I think I know about our climate, and just try to endure whatever comes along by the seat of my pants.
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Re: Cold?

#207

Post by Stan »

Before I call it a day...Accuweather says the low on the 24th? 34f!!!!....that here in Hayville! I.M. Dubious.
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
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Re: Cold?

#208

Post by Gee.S »

Stan wrote:No Vortexes in Arizona's future, Better not..spring training. When it rains here? Nice to watch the Giants or A's play in 80f Scottsdale. It was 73f here today. Nice since they had said the 60's would start today.
You should have never doubted my powers. My mastery over all things meteorologic is legendary. Why, I can produce rain with a single trip to the car wash.
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"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

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Spination
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Re: Cold?

#209

Post by Spination »

Well, that's 10 days out - a bit too far away to take too seriously. But, the calls up here for low 30s as early as next week are probably more believable. Also, that's pretty scary to me... if you get a 34 F where you're often 10 degrees higher than me right here, that doesn't sound too good for me! Let's just hope AccuWeather is not too Accu with that call. :))
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Spination
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Re: Cold?

#210

Post by Spination »

Ah yes... the magic of the Car Wash. Better than a Rain Dance. ::wink::
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Re: Cold?

#211

Post by Stan »

Tom- get your "stuff together" as CCR once said...I read a 35f in Hayward and that's close to taking out my mango flowers. I might cover. I hope the banana leafs don't melt...this time of year? Give me a break.
The last time we got this kind of cold in mid February? 1990...play drama music.
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Spination
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Re: Cold?

#212

Post by Spination »

Really? Just last year, we had 30 1/2 F on the AM of March 1. 32 1/2 F the next AM. The highest low from 2/21- 3/1 was 36 (one), and the next highest was 34. 30 on 2/24, 30 1/2 on 2/26. So, I don't know about looking back to 1990, I only have to think about the very last winter we had before this one. :)) What kicked my outdoor plants' butts last year was all that wet, combined with all those freezing lows. What's saved me this time around, is that the freezes we've had have hovered right around the 32 mark, so the best possible (highest possible freeze temp) of the worst possible (any freeze at all) - and it's been dry. Dry plants handle freezes waaaaay better than wet ones. The big difference with the cold this year is we had that really unusual break of warmth for a couple of weeks. Was it San Jose that recorded record highs for 6 days straight? Thought I overheard something like that on the AM TV news around then. Anyway, it was like spring was already here, and now it's almost like winter again except we're supposed to have nice weather Fri and Sat before the next round of cold hits us starting Monday.
Just checked my record sheet and I count up 20 freeze dates from 12/16-3/1. I only count ones that were 32 or lower, and ignore all the 32.5, 33, etc that we also had. Close doesn't count. I only worry about when water actually gets cold enough to freeze.
This season, only 13 @ 32 or lower, but if next week stacks up the way they're predicting, only 7 more to go to equal last year's total.
Again, the big difference between last year and this one - last one was super wet, and this one super dry. One extreme to the other....
I've moved most of my stuff back inside. I just have some variegated agave I put out to get acclimated to bright light early, and those will go back in on Sunday. Hopefully, only for a week or so...
It is getting pretty late in the winter season. I expect the timing for an absolute end of freeze nights should be similar to last year - circa March 1.
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Re: Cold?

#213

Post by Stan »

WU says 34f for me. BUT,they also claim the day before and that Monday as "partly cloudy" I never heard of us having a frost with clouds in the sky. Its so late in the year too. Lets hope Spines for some air moment to temper the cold.
I myself predict a 36f as our coldest. I cant handle brown banana leafs :eek: ;)
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
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Re: Cold?

#214

Post by Stan »

They revised up. Accuweather says 35f WU says 36f. I might revise my call to 37f. ITS MID FEBRUARY! :shock: Way too late to have 30's.
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Spination
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Re: Cold?

#215

Post by Spination »

Yours revised up, mine revised down. Starting Monday: 28, 30, 31, 32. Whatever the actual - it comes down to this... It will be cold
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Re: Cold?

#216

Post by Stan »

Are your temps closer to Napa or Santa Rosa? I saw those lows for Napa but didn't check SR. Just haul under cover. With me? I cant haul big in ground plants to shelter. Even my largest potted plants are too big and surrounded by other big potted plants. Like Beaucarna variegated. Pachypodium lameri..both in ground and a big potted one I mean to plant soon. Plumeria might not look like much..but in 5 and 10 gallon pots,finding where to put them for one night is not possible.
Plastic sheets here and there. Darn,I need to get like 6-8' stakes for the covers.
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
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Spination
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Re: Cold?

#217

Post by Spination »

Yo. Here's the last 7 lows here - 2/10 7 AM 43 F, 2/11 7 AM 33 F, 2/12 7 AM 36 F, 2/13 7 AM 42 F, 2/14 7 AM 32 F, 2/15 7 AM 38 F, 2/16 7 AM 31 F
How I meant to start, was actually yo-yo. From the first day to the second -10, then +3, +6, -10, +6, -7 :lol: with the exception of two up days after the low dropping 10 degrees from one AM to the next, up and down like a yo yo.
Anyway, one more freezing temp to add to this season's pile. Only 6 more to equal last year's total.
Not good is hearing the AM TV Weatherman saying things like... "Its cold now, but if you think it's cold now.... significant change coming Sunday to Monday". I'm guessing we'll definitely see several sub 30's come next week. The good is we've had plenty of advance warning, so no excuses for not being prepared.
Also on the plus side, the sunny AM's mean direct sun warming plants up right off in the morning, and the other good thing is that we now have 1 hour and 20 minutes more sunlight now as compared to 12/21, which means that the sun is coming up 40 minutes earlier now than then. The coldest is right before the end of the night before first light, so every little advantage - longer days, earlier sunrise helps.
Again, while we really do need rain, I'm glad for my plants' sake that it has been dry. We've got a warm day today and tomorrow, and hopefully pots that I was watering during our hot streak will be nice and dry before the freeze streak hits on Monday AM.
I have my new blooming africana huddled up together with the blooming arborescens and spicata, and I just raised it up a foot higher off the ground. They've been covered up very well every cold night so far and none of the blooms have imploded. So far, so good. Just have to make it through this next rough patch...
It will be interesting to me, Stan, if your typically and significantly higher lows than here only 40 or so miles north of you also continue starting Mon AM. Will the widespread overall colder area temps mean pockets of refuge won't be quite so much, or will you again be up to 10 degrees warmer?
Anyway, good luck to us all.
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Re: Cold?

#218

Post by Stan »

4 weather sites- WU,WC,WN, NWS..give 36 and 37 as lowest low....Accuweather says 32f. I rule that one out as way off. Accuweather is not accu. They cant even get yesterdays temps right. Some of those 70's we had? They listed at 80's.
I'm betting on setting the thermostat those cold nights-lol - in the house- and just putting up with darn cold. GW causes wide swings huh?...
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
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Re: Cold?

#219

Post by Stan »

They've revised- well,WU has..they lowered their call from 36 to 33. NWS on the other hand says 37f is lowest. I don't see less then 35 as even possible. If it happens? I will punch somebody! ::x
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
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Spination
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Re: Cold?

#220

Post by Spination »

Stacking up for the upper end of the yo-yo effect tonight - 39 or so. That would be nice... Ouch - Tuesday revised down to 27. Doesn't mean much - whatever they predict always comes down to seeing what actually happens anyway. ::wink::

EDIT
The obligatory off by -several degrees, the actual this AM 35. Cold, but not freezing so A-OK. Still, AM TV news all about how cold it's going to be starting Sunday afternoon. I just hope that the cold #s predicted don't also turn out to be off by 4 degrees lower. As it is, starting Sunday (Mon AM) 31, 29, 27, 33. With sub 30, every degree colder could be not so good for the likes of Aloe pillansii, plicatilis, 'Hercules', Barberae, 'Goliath'... Too big to move, all I can do is cover them up as I have been, and hope they can handle it. I think 27 would be OK - 23 might be a problem.
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Re: Cold?

#221

Post by Stan »

Its gone down!...34f now seems to be my lowest low..34!!!!. 26f in Sonoma...AND the ch2 weatherguy said enjoy the weekend in Arizona watching spring training- its going to get COLD there Wednesday.
I knew it was bad when they said 37f in San Francisco. Must be decades since SF downtown had that this time of year.
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Re: Cold?

#222

Post by Spination »

Yup. And the Channel 2 weatherguy this AM said a chance for precipitation directly preceding the cold front coming in Sunday afternoon. Even he said - make no mistake..."we want the rain, just not then." Amen to that.
Only thing worse than having that kind of cold come in is having everything hosed down first, and then freezing... UGH I have maybe 1/2 hour left to move the rest of stuff around tomorrow - just spent an hour or so squeezing plants back inside that I took out some weeks ago. What I don't understand is - they all came out from inside, how come I can't get them all to fit back in there??? :lol: Funny, but not funny. One of the greenhouse kits is so packed now, I can't even walk inside. :huh: Plastic sheets ready to cover stuff up in case it does rain tomorrow to keep it all dry, and then lots of extra blankets and sheets to cover everything for a week or so. The 10 day forecast shows the highest low @ 36 F a week from tomorrow, and everything else lower than that, including what shows now 31, 28, 27, 32 from Sun (Mon AM) to Thursday AM. :eek: Wow.
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Re: Cold?

#223

Post by Stan »

I looked at the records...it's not been since the early 70's to have been this cold this late in the year. Just hoping longer days,shorter nights cut if off before killing frosts.
Three weeks of RECORD warm...then turn around and pull this. Very unhappy,Ma Nature. I'm disappointed in you. ::x
Up to now Hayx has been averaging 69f and 45f.
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Spination
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Re: Cold?

#224

Post by Spination »

It's 70 outside right now! I have doors open, enjoying it while it lasts. Hard to believe we're in for a nasty turn around come tomorrow evening... ::x
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Re: Cold?

#225

Post by Spination »

This here Aloe 'Always Red' was fixing to put on it's most spectacular floral display since I got it - with a quick count of 50 some blooms popping out of the cluster all around. Orange leaf tips from freezy AMs to date - but low looking to get slammed with the coldest string of lows this season. I'm going to toss a blanket over it Sun-Thursday nights and hope it doesn't get thrashed like it did last year...
2018 02 17 Aloe Always Red.jpg
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