9b gulf coast winter

[Tropicdoc]

I am very thankful for this past winter. Ultimate low was 27. This is a typical winter I believe for my location. We have seen 10a and also 8b. I hope to see many more 9b winters in the next 20 years. How did the rest of you fare in the gulf south?

[_Keith]

Pretty much same as you, buddy. Interestingly, I am not sure if I am seeing latent damage from the single night of mid 20s, or damage from the late sucker punch freeze. I am suspecting the latter, and it not catastrophic by any means, but it sure isn't pretty either.

[Tropicdoc]

What palms are damaged, Keith?

[Ed in Houston]

The worst of the cold spells went east and west of my place in S.E Houston. The lowest was 31 in January. Although this is about 3 degrees higher than the average for my place post 1989, it seems to have been cooler than average overall.

Ed in Houston

[Tropicdoc]

This year, as opposed to you, Ed, I feel like December was very warm. First real freeze was not until January. I recall 3 arctic fronts. One around thanksgiving that barely froze here. The bad one on January and then the kind of double one in mid February. Anyways like I said if I could count on 9b winters I would have it made. But I can't count on that.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

10B here in Flour Bluff on the east side of Corpus Christi near the water with the lowest at my place of 36.3F back on Feb. 8, with one light frost that morning. 10A at the airport with a low of 32F that morning. Normally, where I live there would be one or two light freezes around 31F or 32F, with a total number of about 5 or 6 nights in the 30's. The airport would normally get down to about 26F or 27F once each winter, with about 5 or 6 total freezes, and probably about 10-12 nights total in the 30's or lower. The problem with this winter, like last winter is that we have had such UNUSUALLY extended chilly periods for a week or more at a time with many lows in the 30's and low 40's and highs only in the 40's and 50's when we should be having highs in the upper 60's to low 70's! We have also had a much wetter winter than normal. We are about 2.5 inches above normal for the year, which is good coming out of the worst drought on record, but chilly damp weather has really done in my Green Malayans coconuts.

[gsytch]

Here in coastal New Port Richey (Tampa Bay) this was our 4th straight 10a winter with ultimate low of a few hours just at or below freezing. Overall winter was chillier than usual, but just a little bit. I believe Feb averaged 4F below normal with January a little above. March has been WARM. Already seabreeze showers and storms have formed inland the past few days, and almost every day has been into the 80'sF. This morning's low was 70F. High today and yesterday 86F. Winter was a few weeks ago?

[Jimbean]

Well this is my fourth straight 10B winter and I live in zone 9B

[palmsOrl]

Typical 10a winter here. Coldest day of the winter was in the first half of November. The cold event from the third week of February left some cosmetic damage on some of the palms and other tropicals. Covering seemed to be of little benefit except where a blanket formed a tent around the palm that extended to the ground. Kept my Clinostigma ponapense undamaged. I cannot wait to see it finally go pinnate this summer(hopefully). My in ground Kopsick coconut seedling around 2 feet tall had a trash can over it for protection, but still was 1/3 -1/2 defoliated.

We have the heat lately, we just need a good soaking rain.

[Tropicdoc]

Wow. Coconut half defoliated from I'm guessing 30 f. Those things are so sensitive. I had mine in a greenhouse and they never went below 40. But the long chill of winter took its toll. Lots of brown spots I think it's potassium deficiency. Even in the fall they began to shed fronds when nights went below 60.

[palmsOrl]

Yeah, I think we were 30-31F, but I think the palm's very small size is the main reason for the damage. It had better toughen up with some size, because winters with this kind of lows are very typical here. I covered my large in-ground triple Adonidia with a tarp carefully tied in place and it came through beautifully. It has shed its oldest leaves, but still has a full crown of unblemished leaves.

I may be installing my Cyrtostachys hybrid in the ground in the near future. If it is a 10b palm, I can treat it like all the other 10b palms I have in my yard.

[Tropicdoc]

They are pricy, but the spring gardener gable greenhouse would suit that cyrtostachys perfectly, Then you wouldn't have to run around crazy when a freeze is coming. I have used them over palms in the ground and they work great..... until the palm outgrows the greenhouse

[Silas_Sancona]

With one full day left of winter, definitely doesn't feel like it.. nothing but mid 80's here for about the last two weeks. Pretty sure I spied 92f on a near by weather station several days ago. If anything, temps locally have resembled late April/ May more than anything with some modest Sea-breeze type shower attempts just east of here last week. SSTs off local beaches are back to around 75F after an impressive rebound.

With all the heat, everything in the garden is throwing new growth/ flowers atm. Stuff I wouldn't expect to see budding until at least mid April, is already close to flowering including something I didn't expect id see flowers on for at least another year. More on that soon. First flowers should open over the weekend.

Around town/ in the neighborhood, seeing numerous Plumeria getting ready to flower. Red ( and Orange) Kapoks are peaking all over town. Have spied many more specimens than I thought existed in local neighborhoods. Numerous Mangos are budded up again and several Ipe that had flowered awhile back are putting on an encore display. Noticed a large Jacaranda I pass daily heading home from work is flashing Purple in it's canopy. I'll bet the local Royal Poincianas won't be far behind.

About now, the only thing we need, just to get everything even greener, if that's possible, is a good soaking rain.

-Nathan

[Tropicdoc]

Sounds like paradise Nathan.... except for maybe the swarms of wasps that are probably active for you too. I have been fighting paper wasps at my new place since the temps went above 75. My wife and I have a competition going for most killed. Anyway, we have warmed up quickly too. Azaleas are showing off, bougainvilla is leafing back out, live oaks are covered in pollen.

[mnorell]

Sounds like paradise Nathan.... except for maybe the swarms of wasps that are probably active for you too. I have been fighting paper wasps at my new place since the temps went above 75. My wife and I have a competition going for most killed. Anyway, we have warmed up quickly too. Azaleas are showing off, bougainvilla is leafing back out, live oaks are covered in pollen.

I'm curious why you would kill your "paper wasps" if you're talking about the yellow & black, smallish Polistes wasps? You might want to read up on these before you act too strongly against them. They are not aggressive like the orange-red hornets people usually call "wasps" (and maybe that's what you're referring to)....they are not known for attacking people unless people attack them. We have them all over here and they never bother us. And they are also known beneficial pollinators and controllers of many small garden-pests.

[Tropicdoc]

_{some call them red wasps. Yes, I read, "they are not aggressive" Blah, blah, blah. I've been stung too many times and I cannot sit and look at a nest being built buy insects that will sting my kids. Also, having them nest in the gable vents and intrude into the house is not cool either. I leave the honeybees and bumblebees which have never stung me. I'm guess I'm destroying natures balance because I read that they feed on caterpillars.}

[Tropicdoc]

Polistes metricus

[Alicehunter2000]

Cold 9a here again......hit 21 in November....it damaged some stuff, but overall not too bad, didn't last very long. Pretty much a normal winter...just seemed to last forever.

I'm shell shocked from the winter before....so this winter was a piece of cake.

[Tropicdoc]

David, 21 F is a normal winter for you? OUCH! Better stick with solid cold hardy palms. I think you could have a nice beach house garden with mules and sabals, with an understory of hardy hibiscus, chaemadorea radicalis and a perimeter of hardy citrus. I have no idea what your set up is, its just my imagination running wild, fantasizing about having a house on the emerald coast for myself!

[_Keith]

David, 21 F is a normal winter for you? OUCH! Better stick with solid cold hardy palms. I think you could have a nice beach house garden with mules and sabals, with an understory of hardy hibiscus, chaemadorea radicalis and a perimeter of hardy citrus. I have no idea what your set up is, its just my imagination running wild, fantasizing about having a house on the emerald coast for myself!

I'd say 31 is more David's normal, but what has been normal about the last few winters.

[Silas_Sancona]

Tropicdoc,

Paradise-like to a degree though we went from cool to sweaty hot fast unlike last year where the heat gradually built in. Was surprising how fast all the Hackberry we have at the end of our street greened up, as well as all the Oaks which hadn't leafed out before the last cold spell.

As for Wasps, not much activity yet other than the occasional Cicada Killers roaming around the yard. Agree that while Paper Wasps/ Mud Daubers, etc are beneficial, we had way too many trying to nest around the house and in among some of my plants/ under benches last summer.. a real hazard for a 22 lb Basenji that likes to chase anything in the yard. He got stung last August and developed a cyst that took a couple weeks to heal. Also not something appreciated nesting near bedroom windows, or right outside the back door. Bees seem to be more active atm including frequent visits by Sweat Bees and the Metallic Green Orchid Bee.

Lots of Butterfly activity as well. Trying to encourage the Zebra Longwings that float around the yard so often to settle in shadier spots along the back property line.

-Nathan

[Alicehunter2000]

David, 21 F is a normal winter for you? OUCH! Better stick with solid cold hardy palms. I think you could have a nice beach house garden with mules and sabals, with an understory of hardy hibiscus, chaemadorea radicalis and a perimeter of hardy citrus. I have no idea what your set up is, its just my imagination running wild, fantasizing about having a house on the emerald coast for myself!

I'd say 31 is more David's normal, but what has been normal about the last few winters.

Yes, Keith is correct. 9b (above 25) a few times overnight during the winter is normal. This is what happened this winter barring the one severe 21 jolt for a few hours in November (November hard freeze is really weird).

Y'all are both welcome to visit whenever you are this way...just give me a call fora be beach fix

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

Low end of 10B here with an absolute low of 36.3 in Feb., would normally get down to an absolute minimum of about 31F or 32F in a normal winter (low end 0f 10A), but DAMN it was a chilly winter, with many lows in the upper 30's and low 40's and highs only in the 40's and low 50's when we should have had highs in the mid 60's to low 70's and lows of about 50F to 56F. Plus a lot of rain, much more than normal. That's what really did in my Green Malayan coconuts-chilly rain, whereas a normal winter is cool to mild and dry, which established coconuts can handle.

[Ed in Houston]

I looked at the NOAA site for the data for Hobby airport that is about 10 miles NW of my place.

Coldest day was January 8th 30 degrees

December average +2.6 degrees

January average -3.5 degrees

February average -3.4 degrees

Three month winter average is -1.4 degrees

Also looked at November and and it was -4.4 degrees

Ed in Houston

[Tropicdoc]

Ed, are you in Pearland? Nice winter for you only 30 F!

[Ed in Houston]

Ed, are you in Pearland? Nice winter for you only 30 F!

Hobby Airport 10 miles NW of my place had 30 and I had 31. I am about 10 miles east of Pearland toward Galveston Bay which is about 3 miles farther east from my place.

Ed in Houston

[Matthew92]

Wow, some of you guys had it easy! It briefly dipped to 18 degrees in January in the FL Panhandle 10 miles from the ocean at my place.

However, it was not as bad because it warmed up quickly unlike 2014 where after 17 degrees, it stayed below freezing almost the entire day with another low 20's the next night. And then of course this year we didn't have an ice storm that coated everything and dropped to 20 degrees.

[Ed in Houston]

A good blast of cold air is schedule to come through Houston with temps forecast to be in the 30s overnight. Looks like winter is starting.

 

 

Last year in the eastern U.S., the central gulf coast got the worst of the arctic air surges. It could be Texas or Florida this year. I vote for Florida.

Ed in Houston

 

 

 

[palmsOrl]

Could be FL this year, but the FL Panhandle (obviously) get the worst of the Arctic air surges.  There were times the last couple years where NW FL was getting freezing nights and chilly days and we were having average temperatures.  It is worth noting that the average January low in Crestview, FL is 36F, so they don't average that far from freezing in the coldest month anyways.  Monday is going to be our nicest day of the fall so far, with a high of 67F, but lows only in the lower 50s.  I will throw a few of the potted ultratropical palms in the greenhouse (Areca concinna, etc.) with a small space heater, since it's so easy to do.  Usually we would have already had 40s a couple times by now.

Total tangent here, but is anyone aware that Orlando had a January where the lowest temperature the whole month was 55F (average low is 49F)?!  January 1974.  Average high that month was 81F and the average low was 61F.  We have highs 80+ at least a couple times every January, but the lows were almost freakishly warm for that whole month.  Interesting.

[Moose]

Won't make it this far down. Been freakishly warm here. The fronts have given us some much needed rain as our yearly total was lagging behind our yearly average. Seems strange with Thanksgiving just days away.