45 replies to this topic

[Takil-Explorer]

I have never seen this in Februari downhere! I think I gonna grow Dryas here instead of palms/exotics...

Alexander

[Takil-Explorer]

And the last 3 winters where also cold. Seems we are in for a new little iceage here!

Alexander

[DALION]

Good luck with the cold. I don't know what palms you are growing but those temps are very low.

[Sutter Bob]

Ouch!
And I thought -7C here was cold.
Good luck!

[palmnut-fry]

As our friends in Europe and Asia suffer, here we sit on mildness and unbelievable warmer temps for our winter in N/E Texas. Yesterday was the last in a series of 72+ degree F. days, so many this January that I've lost count. Whereas a year ago we had a frigid outbreak of ice and snow conditions many times, only temperate cool has moved in for the Super Bowl weekend to break the early Spring. And, most importantly, Texas has recovered from a severe drought in many counties due to the freakishly wet couple of months. Truly blessed.
I had seen the European Journal on DW TV the other day with the footage of palms in Nice, France and other areas showing the snow cover and it's incredible to see. I sure hope it doesn't do much damage to these beauties out there! Bologna, Italy looks like was clobbered with the icy grip of Mother Nature as well as she closed airports. Incredible! But, much how we've felt here the last couple of winters. I feel yall's pain! Good luck and here's to an early Spring for you!

[Takil-Explorer]

Well in Southern Europe its not that bad. They had some snow in Italy and Southern France. But there its always a short coldsnap, at leasat along the coast. But here we get a cold wind from Russia due to a high pressure zone above Northern Europe. Low pressure above Italy wich works like a conveyor belt for deepfreez air from Siberia.

These systems can be very persistent. Last winters we had similair shit here! But not that cold as now.

The palms I grow here, mostely Trachycarpus fortunei. I have Chamadorea microspadix and that other hardy one. Well they both will probably dead by know. And an oleander grown from seeds from Cordoba will be dead also I am affraid.

I have Trachycarpus takil seeds here from Kalamuni. I hope that species will be hardy here, time will tell.

Alexander

[gsytch]

Don't look now, but a quick cold surge is coming in for Florida. It appears to be chilly, not really cold, but after all this warmth it will be a SHOCK. Right now I am seeing possibly lower 40's upper 30's for Tampa Bay on Sun/Mon/Tue and then warming up. I guess a piece of cold is coming down. The thermometer hit 85F today, after 82F Sat and Sun...and we are hearing seabreeze thunder just inland of me! Greg

[palmsOrl]

That is music to my ears. After 8-9 months of hot weather (like every year), this winter has not been much of a respite. I don't want to see damaging freezes, but a bit more chilly weather would be appreciated by me.

[PalmGuyWC]

So far Northern Calif. has escaped any real cold except for some frostey nights back in Dec. I had 3 nights in a row that got down to 27F and that's the coldest I've been this winter. Day time temps have been warm and sunny in the 60's and night time temps above freezing. It looks like all of Calif. is getting rain today, but not much here as the front is fizzling out as it moves over land. Every little bit of moisture helps as we are very dry.

Dick

[Palm crazy]

Been really nice here in WA the last five days highs 60F-65F, pure sunshine, cold at night with heavy frost in morning, normal for my area this time of year. Back to milder nights cloudy and drizzle, tomorrow.

I hope the cold in Europe isn't to bad.

Edited by Palm crazy, 07 February 2012 - 06:42 PM.

[Ray Tampa]

Right now I am seeing possibly lower 40's upper 30's for Tampa Bay on Sun/Mon/Tue and then warming up

Where are you seeing this? None of the models indicate anything below upper 40's for TB area.

[Moose]

Right now I am seeing possibly lower 40's upper 30's for Tampa Bay on Sun/Mon/Tue and then warming up

Where are you seeing this? None of the models indicate anything below upper 40's for TB area.

[gsytch]

BN9 has 45F as the low for Sun night, and models show the 40F line edging into NE Pasco. I realize our warm waters, and hopefully moist atmosphere will prevent the local area from chilling, it may be quite a shock to us just to get below 50F because it has been so long. It does appear short-lived.

[Ray Tampa]

Don't worry Ron, it'll be "85F" in Miami when it's 45F here. At least that's what all the folks there will say.

[PalmatierMeg]

Supposed to be 47 Sun night here. Should bounce back quickly.

[gsytch]

Now they are calling for a frost/light freeze Hernando, Citrus extending into inland Pasco and Hillsborough....40F here. Brrr after all this warmth but yes, looks like a quick warmup. I hope this does not last long. It was nice getting used to those 80'sF.........

[Ray Tampa]

The plants accustomed to all the warmth will struggle with this. Expect damage where you wouldn't otherwise in mid February.

[gsytch]

The latest has upper 30's Sun and Mon AM in Tampa Bay, near 30F far north and east, then a quick warmup. A quick piece of arctic air shooting down. I hope the warm waters modifies this, as it can actually be harmful with all the warmth of late. I was waiting to see if this would happen. Oh well, it is February after all. Time to move in some sensitive stuff! Wish it wasn't the weekend.

[teaksmith]

This February cold blast will be here in south Mississippi Saturday night. Earlier this week the forecast said 24 or 26F. Now they've revised it to 21. This is bad news after most of January has been in the 60's and 70's. The lowest low so far was in early January and hit 25 briefly. Otherwise, it's been like spring here with lots of stuff blooming and the grass about to need mowing. I hate it when this happens. I'm pushing my 8b zone with several queen palms planted last year that so far have come through this mild winter with no sign of damage whatsoever and no need of protection. They have started putting out new growth with the recent warm weather, and now this. Not good, but maybe with some protection they'll pull through. It is supposed to warm back up Sunday.

[palmnut-fry]

Bracing for mid 20's next couple of nights in Big D! Coldest it's been all winter. It always seems to hit around Valentine Day! Oh well, but warmer weather's around the bend. Sorta nice to wear the parkas again for running around in the cold breezes. We will all too soon be hotter then hell, again...

[Moose]

Don't worry Ron, it'll be "85F" in Miami when it's 45F here. At least that's what all the folks there will say.

Low of 53F Sunday, 50F Monday forecasted. Supposed to rebound for all of us Tuesday. Don't really see this as a major concern after what happened the two previous winters?

[gsytch]

They have posted Freeze Watches all the way to Tampa Bay, with 29-32F expected north and east and 34-36F immediate bay area. This trended down real quick as that low ramped up. I saw this coming a few days ago but not this cold. I am concerned due to the recent warmth. Yesterday was 79f with sun, and last night it rained about 1/2" or so. Time to cover/bring in the sensitive stuff! You kinda knew this would happen - a quick shot of that cold air coming down for a visit!

[PalmatierMeg]

Supposed to hit around 40 Sat & Sun nights. Like Ray, I'm concerned the warm winter has "wimped" out my palms. Guess the lipsticks and dwarf Arecas will be coming indoors. Just hope this is a final parting blast from winter.

[Moose]

Supposed to hit around 40 Sat & Sun nights. Like Ray, I'm concerned the warm winter has "wimped" out my palms. Guess the lipsticks and dwarf Arecas will be coming indoors. Just hope this is a final parting blast from winter.

Meg - if you were not such a softy - one of your dwarf Arecas could be wearing a toasty warm racoon coat.

[PalmatierMeg]

Supposed to hit around 40 Sat & Sun nights. Like Ray, I'm concerned the warm winter has "wimped" out my palms. Guess the lipsticks and dwarf Arecas will be coming indoors. Just hope this is a final parting blast from winter.

Meg - if you were not such a softy - one of your dwarf Arecas could be wearing a toasty warm racoon coat.

My dwarf Arecas are quite happy to snuggle up to their fellow Arecas and the lipsticks indoors at a toasty 76F. Guess I'm a softy. My niece who lives a few miles away says she has one neighbor who feeds raccoons and another who traps and kills them. Quite a neighborhood dynamic going on there.

[Trópico]

32°F tomorrow evening.

[gsytch]

Nice cloud deck moving across the GOM tonight. Perhaps that may linger Sun night and modify the cold some....or I can hope. The wind tonight is brutal. It still in the 50's but the wind is gusting, and it feels so MUCH colder! I just hope this does not shock the plants!

[Moose]

Well - we got to remind ourselves that it is February, this morning temps should bring back the reality. Forecasting proved to be spot on here.

Monitoring my temps:

3:00 am - 54F
4:00 am - 53F
5:00 am - 52F
6:00 am - 50F

Winds are 13 mph, gusting to 26 mph. These winds negate any micro-clime warmth retention created by a canopy. Does provide some protection from wind damage. Pretty thick cloud cover observed, kept temps from going any lower.

Forecast: Today - Temps to rise to 63 F by 3:00 pm. / Tomorrow 50F overnight low 70F the high

Basically a typical February cold front. Couple of days of cold then temps return to a comfortable zone for our plants. Hopefully you guys in the Central Florida and Tampa Bay areas are experiencing the same only @ 10F degrees less. See Ft. Myers reporting 40F - seems that a dreaded freeze was thankfully avoided up yonder.

Lets hear what temperatures your garden experienced?

[Dakotafl]

35 here in inland south brevard, Lower 40s on the barrier islands.

It's been such a great winter so far, I'll take this over the last two years.

[gsytch]

33.1F at 7am with a stiff wind in New Port Richey. It was 44F at 3am...then the wind turned N/NE and lost the Gulf effect. Only 42F right now. Tonight will be interesting. I am going to have to cover tonight, and then near 80F by Wed! Why even bother to have the warmth if this cold snap will zap the new growth? Oh well, hope it is the last significant cold snap AND THEY BLEW THIS ONE BIG TIME! I saw it coming and should have listened to my instincts a few days ago.

[PalmatierMeg]

41.2 low overnight. 51.4 at 1 p.m. Sunday and winds are howling. 37 forecast overnight.

[Trópico]

Hey Moose how about @ 20F degrees less? My instincts woke me up at 5:30 AM and the thermometer was spot on at 32°F. Bottomed out at 30°F at around 6:30 AM - 7:00 AM. Only damage was to new banana leaves. I am overall happy for this winter.

[Eric in Orlando]

Low was 32F here Sat. night/Sun. morning and 33F last night. No big deal, normal for Feb. Its still been an awesome winter.

[PalmatierMeg]

39.6 overnight on the Isabelle Canal. Then warmer weather. If we don't get another blast, I'll be tickled to death.

[Mandrew968]

I brought in my tortoise, but didn't do anything for my palms...

[Xhoniwaters1]

pensacola beach lows: 29 yesterday and 38 this morning

[tank]

22F low for Gainesville this morning with a high yesterday around 50F. Played soccer Sunday morning and it was ~30F.
Typical rollercoaster weather for us as it will be 80/50 F on Wednesday. 3 days later and the high temp will be the low temp.

[Alan_Tampa]

I think I only got down to right around freezing. Sentinel plants just a bit wilty. Otherwise, don't think much happened. Saw no frost.

Alan

[spockvr6]

Flirted with the freezing mark in Palm Harbor, but managed to stay above it a bit on 2/12 and 2/13 (34.3F and 35.2F respectively). Not that I mind much as pretty much everything in my new yard here is good to 20F or lower!

[Eric in Orlando]

and it is back to 80F today