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...and last summer

lavandula angustifolia opuntia phaeacantha camanchica spring 2010

opuntia humifusa cupressus sempervirens pyramidalis opuntia fragilis another trachy

trachy fortunei yucca recurvifolia yucca filamentosa few weeks ago...

Actually, it is going to warm up significantly towards the end of the week. Yes, that's what I've been seeing on virtually every online weather service that I check daily (Intellicast, Weather Underground, Accuweather, Weather Channel, and local TV stations online). Happ, I couldn't find any model showing the cold air making it further west than the Rockies. What weather source are you using? Hi Jim, The computer models have been struggling with the arctic airmass but it appears that it will come very close to California, especially southern California. Here's an excerpt from NWS_SD: . . . A STRONG SHORTWAVE...CONNECTED TO THE BROAD DEEP TROUGH OVER E/CENTRAL CANADA/NE US...WILL MOVE SOUTH OVER THE INTERIOR WEST AND CUT OFF SOMEWHERE IN THE SW US. MODELS HAVE BEEN VERY DIVERGENT WITH SOLUTIONS...BUT MOST MODEL RUNS...INCLUDING THE 12Z/18Z NAM AND THE ECM HAS BEEN LEANING TOWARDS A VERY COLD CLOSED LOW OVER ARIZONA FOR WED. NAM AND LOCAL WRF HAVE 850 MB TEMPS AS LOW AS -11C\ 12.2F OVER THE HIGH DESERTS WITH A STRONG GRADIENT OVER THE MTN CRESTS AND TEMPS NEAR 0C\ 32F OVER THE COAST WED...BUT ECM LOOKS LIKE A BETTER SOLUTION WITH TEMPS AROUND -7C\ 19.4F OVER THE HIGH DESERTS. 12Z GFS IS STILL THE OUTLIER WITH THE UPPER LOW FURTHER NE AND TEMPS AT 850 MB AROUND -3C\ 26.6F IN THE UPPER DESERTS. SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS COULD BE OVER 10 MB OFFSHORE FROM LAS VEGAS TO SAN DIEGO. THIS WOULD RESULT IN HIGH WINDS...WITH GUSTS OF POSSIBLY 80 MPH BELOW THE CAJON PASS OR IN THE SANTA ANA MTNS...THOUGH CONFIDENCE OF THIS IS STILL FAIRLY LOW. TEMPS WILL LIKELY BE QUITE LOW ON WED WITH 50S TO LOWER 60S AT LOWER ELEVATIONS AND POSSIBLY NOT EVEN 40F FOR HIGHS IN THE UPPER DESERTS. BELOW FREEZING TEMPS ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN WIND SHELTERED VALLEY LOCATIONS WED NIGHT...THOUGH WINDS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE THEN BELOW PASSES/CANYONS. SOME WARMING WILL OCCUR LATE IN THE WEEK AS THE STRONG RIDGE OVER THE E PAC BUILDS EAST...AND MOSTLY OFFSHORE FLOW SHOULD CONTINUE...THOUGH ANOTHER SOUTHWARD MOVING SHORTWAVE OVER THE INTERIOR WEST COULD ENHANCE THE OFFSHORE FLOW EARLY NEXT WEEK. One night in the upper 30s is nothing. A walk in the park.

Actually, it is going to warm up significantly towards the end of the week.

O.K. here are some photos of my Borassus aethiopum. The leaves look a little ragged because of a hail storm we had in October. Third photo is of the trunk - massive! There is a small Borassus sambiranensis in front of it in the first photo. It does o.k.. Rod Phoenix

Definitely an interesting palm. I love the last shot of that toughy on the mountain!

Uhmmm.......what do you make of this for California?

Since I get this response from Happ, I'm no longer concerned. Seriously, none of us may be laughing next month if that forecast verifies. A high in the Gulf of Alaska could grab that sub-arctic air and funnel it right into California. But if the main thrust is over the middle of the nation, per that graph, then we'd be less effected on the West Coast. It looks further west today. Still no ominous words from the NWS.

Since I get this response from Happ, I'm no longer concerned.