Detailed Weather Zone Map for San Diego County

[palmaddict]

I picked up today's paper and there is a detailed weather zone map for San Diego. My home in Bonita is at the junction of zone 24 and 25 so one of the warmer areas in San Diego county. It also helps that I am up on a significant hill with cold weather drainage. I though others might want to see the map so I scaned it and I hope it loads.

Patrick

[palmaddict]

Its a PDF file so it does not want to load. Anyways it is on the front page of today's Union Tribune.

Patrick

[happ]

Here's the link:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/i...s/090504geo.jpg

[MattyB]

worked some magic on my super-computer. Looks like Sunset zones to me. There is no 25 Patrick yer crazy.

[PalmGuyWC]

Wow!

What a neat map. It really helps me understand the different micro-climates in S.Calif, and the different locations too.

Dick

[gsn]

I don't really get these maps,whether for California,Florida,or wherever? You can grow what you can grow, no matter what a MAP says!

That map shows Oceanside as one of the warmest zones fairly far inland, however unfortunately poor Osideterry(sorry Terry) seems to have some of the lowest temps reported on the Cali low thread?

Seems the only one that reports lower temps on a consistent basis is freakypalmguy in Temecula, which is well inland, and not even on that map ,unless I am missing it?

[palmaddict]

I don't really get these maps,whether for California,Florida,or wherever? You can grow what you can grow, no matter what a MAP says!

That map shows Oceanside as one of the warmest zones fairly far inland, however unfortunately poor Osideterry(sorry Terry) seems to have some of the lowest temps reported on the Cali low thread?

Seems the only one that reports lower temps on a consistent basis is freakypalmguy in Temecula, which is well inland, and not even on that map ,unless I am missing it?

Matty,

My mom told me to look out for people who are always correcting people Actually you are right I am at the interaction of 23 and 24. From my experience I think the map is fairly accurate although generalities do exist. My ten year low is -29 for three nights and that was that really cold stretch about two years ago. I do not think I saw less than 35 degrees this winter and that would have been a very cold night for this winter.

Patrick

[Phil]

I've never really been a fan of climate zones and maps. If you look at the coastal strip, it's all the same north to south. But, we know there are tremendous differences in this strip. I think it's benefit is saying La Jolla is different than Escondido is different than Mt. Laguna. But, there are inland hilltop areas that beat some parts of La Jolla. So, I'm with Mat. You can grow what you can grow. Keep track of your accurate long term high lows and talk temperatures, not zones.

Phil

[Gtlevine]

I agree Phil, that map is really useless. If you go to Oceanside the weather is freezing cold and down around Del Mar it is quite warm yet the map shows the same numbers as you indicate. My zone shows the same number as El Cajon and parts of Ramona where temps get down to the low 20's and I rarely get below 40. So I never use any of these zone maps.

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

Its a PDF file so it does not want to load. Anyways it is on the front page of today's Union Tribune.

Patrick

I love that map, Patrick & Happ!!

I would wonder how my own (hypothetical Broward Co., So. Fla.) map would look as urbanization has defintely changed it over the last 20 years! BTW, Happ: the Royal Poincianas are just starting to blossom. Since it's been so ridiculously dry here (2.6 inches of rain since Oct. 1st., 2008 at my place,) the blooms are going to be spectacular!

Pablo

[happ]

Its a PDF file so it does not want to load. Anyways it is on the front page of today's Union Tribune.

Patrick

I love that map, Patrick & Happ!!

I would wonder how my own (hypothetical Broward Co., So. Fla.) map would look as urbanization has defintely changed it over the last 20 years! BTW, Happ: the Royal Poincianas are just starting to blossom. Since it's been so ridiculously dry here (2.6 inches of rain since Oct. 1st., 2008 at my place,) the blooms are going to be spectacular!

Pablo

A friend was in Miami last week but too early to see the magnificence of delonix regia in flower [please capture the sight on photo Paul

Yeah, as I look closely at the map it is one more step in identifying zones but not nearly as nuanced as our own observers. PALM TALK could actually put together a more detailed map for San Diego county [seems to me that epicure or another member presented a better zone map a while back, right?].

The San Luis Rey river valley isn't defined enough to avoid pitfalls of frost uncommon in Sunset zone 24 or 23. This is where USDA zones are more precise as an overlay on Sunset. I sent an email to Robert Krier\ San Diego Union-Tribune thanking him for the map & mentioning PALM TALK. According to Krier's blog, he encourages feedback from gardeners.

[osideterry]

The Sunset folks have a Zone 22 in Orange County that defines areas as having colder lows in low coastal areas due to air drainage. It shows these as existing in Laguna Canyon. They don't seem to apply it in San Diego County.

[KMartin]

I can try to put together a micro-climate map lol. I agree, that map should split a lot of those. The climates along the coastal zones are not the same for Northern and Southern areas. Maybe it was meant as a basic map?

[osideterry]

Here are Sunset's definitions of the 3 primary coastal zones in San Diego and Orange County. Zone 22 defines my area really well, but I'm positive that the 20F historic low for Zone 24 is the Oceanside Airport for 1990.

ZONE 22. Colder-winter Parts of Southern California's Coastal Region

Growing season: Mar. to early Dec. Winter lows seldom fall below 28 degrees F/-2 degrees C (records are around 21 degrees F/-6 degrees C), though colder air sinks to this zone from Zone 23. Summers are warm; rain comes in winter. Climate here is largely oceanic.

ZONE 23. Thermal Belts of Southern California's Coastal Region

Growing season: almost year-round (all but first half of Jan.). Rain comes in winter. Reliable ocean influence keeps summers mild (except when hot Santa Ana winds come from inland), frosts negligible; 23 degrees F/-5 degrees C is the record low.

ZONE 24. Marine-dominated Southern California Coast

Growing season: all year, but periodic freezes have dramatic effects (record lows are 33 degrees to 20 degrees F/1 degree to -7 degrees C). Climate here is oceanic (but warmer than oceanic Zone 17), with cool summers, mild winters. Subtropical plants thrive.

[MattyB]

Good catch Terry. I noticed this too while reading my Sunset Garden Book. They seem to have made the LA area map much more detailed than SD. This is the first time I've even seen a Zone 22 on a SD county map, which as you pointed out exists in many places. At least they've got it over Rancho SD, El Cajon, Santee areas. With our difference in terrain it's gotta be much more detailed. But as you can see the low temps are quite variable within the zones, inidicating warm and cold spots within them.

[Don_Licuala]

Is z23 better for Cocos than z24?

[happ]

Is z23 better for Cocos than z24?

Frankly, neither zone is good for coconut palms but have been grown in both zones.