Jen-

This plot (Ive reproduced it here) means that there is a 40% chance youll go 365 staright days without dropping below 36F and an 80% chance of going that same period without dropping below 36F.  We are further assuming that rationale can apply to a given winter.

Okay, thanks! Well..looks pretty good for ole O-Town then.

Heres the same plot for Orlando WSO AP.

Note that this plot is for dates prior to 1974, while the McCoy plot is for dates after 1974.

(SoLando @ Sep. 13 2006,14:53)

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Okay, thanks! Well..looks pretty good for ole O-Town then.

Like all of central FL....its not the average years we need to worry about!

Most of the time its clear sailing.  Its that other 20% of the time.....

Things like 1989 are what I'm worried about. How often does a killer freeze like that happen in Central FL?

(SoLando @ Sep. 13 2006,15:08)

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Things like 1989 are what I'm worried about. How often does a killer freeze like that happen in Central FL?

Heres a good article Ray Hernandez wrote in 2000 on this topic.

http://www.plantapalm.com/centralfl/Freeze...tralFlorida.asp

And heres a good article by Dave Witt.  He has lots of Orlando specific data.

http://www.plantapalm.com/centralfl/FreezeDaveWitt.asp

Thanks that was some good readin'.

The Witt and Hernandez articles are excellent.  After reading them, and info from Leu Gardens, Kopsick, people who have had palm collections for many years, and nursery people such as Dr. Brown of Valkaria Tropical Garden (for bromeliads), the value of experience becomes evident.  

And those articles show the value of selecting tropical-looking plants carefully to enhance recoverability of your garden after a freeze.

And please patronize growers of tropical-looking plants asap after the freeze, when people are afraid to replant!

(SoLando @ Sep. 13 2006,16:51)

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Thanks that was some good readin'.

Yes....they give some good historical background to all the paranoia