More on the ridiclously warm winter

[SubTropicRay]

From MSN

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16457787/from/ET/

[Exotic Life]

This is also a proove that the weather is over the whole world confused ...

[ZoneTenNut]

Here's another article from the South Florida Sun Sentinel, where scientists are now predicting 2007 to be the hottest year recorded and fewer hurricanes for Florida and the east coast.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news....adlines

[NBTX11]

Not everyone has been above average.  We have been right at average, and some areas of the southwest have been below average.  These things will balance themselves out.

[gsn]

(ZoneTenNut @ Jan. 04 2007,15:29)

QUOTE

Here's another article from the South Florida Sun Sentinel, where scientists are now predicting 2007 to be the hottest year recorded and fewer hurricanes for Florida and the east coast.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news....adlines

ZoneTenNut,

I sure hope they are right on this 2007 forecast, but they COMPLETLY missed their hurricane predictions for 2006.

I'm glad they did,but this just reenforces how fickle mother nature can be. And how long term forcasting is GUESSING at best! Maybe educated guessing, but guessing none the less!

[ZoneTenNut]

(gsn @ Jan. 04 2007,18:52)

QUOTE

(ZoneTenNut @ Jan. 04 2007,15:29)

QUOTE

Here's another article from the South Florida Sun Sentinel, where scientists are now predicting 2007 to be the hottest year recorded and fewer hurricanes for Florida and the east coast.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news....adlines

ZoneTenNut,

I sure hope they are right on this 2007 forecast, but they COMPLETLY missed their hurricane predictions for 2006.

I'm glad they did,but this just reenforces how fickle mother nature can be. And how long term forcasting is GUESSING at best! Maybe educated guessing, but guessing none the less!

Scott,

I'd have to agree with you 100%, but interesting reading none the less. Living on a peninsula smack dab in the middle of hurricane alley, we'll always be at risk. As such and with the experience of 3 hurricanes in the last couple years, I've learned to plant more hurricane resistant palms and trees, prune judiciously, etc. Oh yeah, I also pulled down about 15 large pines from around my house. Don't want to go through the stress again, of wondering if one of them was going to come crashing down on us. Hated to do it, but had to. I too am hoping the fewer hurricanes in 2007 prediction comes true.  

[happ]

ZoneTenNut

The sobering reality of dealing with Mother Nature  

The Southwest experiences too much drought for water-dependent palms/subtropicals.    $$

Winter hasn't been particularly warm in LA [DEC 71.8 / 51.3] - one degree above normal.

I'm surprised by comments from Florida since your winter is generally warm & dry, right?

[Palmy]

Warm, I wish. Its freezing right now at a temp of 36F. And its been in the middle 30's the past several nights not to count the mid 20's wehad not to long ago. I wish we had the same weahter as lets say jacksonville right now.

[Neofolis]

I like the way they just pick random insignificant people to interview.  Do they actually go out and interview these people in various states or does someone just sit behind a desk making up nice little stories?

[ZoneTenNut]

(happ @ Jan. 04 2007,21:50)

QUOTE

I'm surprised by comments from Florida since your winter is generally warm & dry, right?

That is correct. However this year is warmer than usual and we seem to be getting more rain than is typical. In my area, we are still way below normal rainfall. I think the Florida folk in Central and Northern Florida are getting more rain than us. What I'm also observing though, is our humidity is consistently high and this time of year it should be much lower. Not complaining though, as my palms love this weather and show it.

[SubTropicRay]

Everything thinks it's spring.  I hope we don't get a nasty February.

Ray

[ZoneTenNut]

(Ray, Tampa @ Jan. 05 2007,07:16)

QUOTE

Everything thinks it's spring.  I hope we don't get a nasty February.

Ray

No kidding! I've got major spring blooming and new growth happening on just about everything right now.

[spockvr6]

Looks like the party might at least slow down early next week.   I see that NWS is calling for lows in the 40's for most areas around Tampa Bay on Tuesday night/Wednesday AM with very stiff winds (perhaps gusting to over 30 mph).

Man this will be hard to take with all these 68-70 degree mornings as of late!

[JBa3Fan]

This is from my local newspaper  www.timesdispatch.com  Dec 9th it was 16.2  in my frontyard/20.2 in my backyard,  but since then it has been at or above normal   this is more of a cycle  then global warming ........ I can remeber years where I have had more snow here in central Virginia  then they have had in western, NY( Tonawanda)  where I grew up untill 1976.   I remember days  in the winter in Buffalo in the mid to uper 70's in January also.  

It just feels weird'

Warm weather brings out hikers, golfers, gardeners

BY REX SPRINGSTON AND PETER BACQUE

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERS Jan 5, 2007

Rijnveld's Early Sensation daffodils are in bloom at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

LINDY KEAST RODMAN  

Flowers are blooming, turtles are basking and people are out in shorts.

Is this normal?

"I think Al Gore is correct," said Richmond restaurateur Manny Mendez, hiking a trail near Maymont while wearing shorts and sandals.

Taking a cue from the former vice president, Mendez says global warming must be playing a role in this balmy winter weather.

"It just feels weird, especially around the holidays," said Mendez's friend and co-hiker, Maris Wurdeman of Richmond. "It's kind of eerie."

But at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, where numerous plants are blooming weeks ahead of normal, retired civil engineer Gus Diezemann of Hingham, Mass., thought otherwise.

"It's just one of those cyclical things," he said. "It happens."

Global warming or not, Richmond is definitely springing into winter.

The unusual warmth traces most immediately to a persistent weather pattern that has funneled warm, southern air over the eastern U.S., while the West has gotten cold, northern flow.

"They've got the [cold] trough and we've got the [warm] ridge," said Tony Siebers, the meteorologist in charge of the Wakefield Weather Forecast Office. "Let's hope this pattern holds for a while, at least for us."

"Temperatures are well above normal right now, but we've had warm winters before," said the National Weather Service's Ed O'Lenic, chief of the U.S. Climate Prediction Center's long-range forecast branch.

Almost all of Virginia experienced above-normal temperatures in six of the past 10 years, according to O'Lenic, and the state's highland areas saw even more above-normal years during that time.

While this winter's warmth is part of that trend, "It's impossible to ascribe this to the El Nino going on or to global warming," O'Lenic said. "It's just one weather event."

[Dave-Vero]

Florida was also dry in 2006.  33.5 inches for all of 2006 in Vero Beach, similar elsewhere, very close to the driest recorded.  At least the early cool season has been damp, if not really wet.

[epicure3]

(Palmy @ Jan. 05 2007,00:04)

QUOTE

Warm, I wish. Its freezing right now at a temp of 36F. And its been in the middle 30's the past several nights not to count the mid 20's wehad not to long ago. I wish we had the same weahter as lets say jacksonville right now.

Where are you? You should list this in your tag.

[epicure3]

It has been very cold here in San Diego. Last night dropped down to 38 degrees. So, we here are not getting to share in this abnormal weather. Nature, however, always has a way to balance everything out.

[SubTropicRay]

Larry, the warmth will return shortly thereafter.  No worries.

[gsn]

(Ray @ Tampa,Jan. 06 2007,18:26)

QUOTE

Larry, the warmth will return shortly thereafter.  No worries.

Ray,

That medication must be something!

Converts a pessimist winter weatherman into a flag waving optimist!

"No worries"

Just how long were you in AUSSIELAND? :cool:

By the way does anyone else have BLOOMING azaleas?

[spockvr6]

(gsn @ Jan. 06 2007,19:34)

QUOTE

By the way does anyone else have BLOOMING azaleas?

No Azaleas in my yard...but everything else that can bloom sure seems to be.  

My neighbor has a Hibiscus hedge thats about 8-10 ft tall along his side fence and its dripping tens of flowers a day into my yard.

[spockvr6]

(gsn @ Jan. 06 2007,19:34)

QUOTE

Ray,

That medication must be something!

Converts a pessimist winter weatherman into a flag waving optimist!

"No worries"

Just how long were you in AUSSIELAND? :cool:

By the way does anyone else have BLOOMING azaleas?

Until proven othewise, I am still going under the assumption that someone has stolen Ray's username and password  

[spockvr6]

(Dave-Vero @ Jan. 06 2007,16:55)

QUOTE

Florida was also dry in 2006.  33.5 inches for all of 2006 in Vero Beach, similar elsewhere, very close to the driest recorded.  At least the early cool season has been damp, if not really wet.

Fortunately that was not the case over here Vero Dave.  I logged probably 250% of that rainfall here in Tarpon Springs.

[BS Man about Palms]

NO FAIR!  I Want Global warming to make it warmer than usual here in Southern California too!!!!

[spockvr6]

(BS, Man about Palms @ Jan. 06 2007,21:49)

QUOTE

NO FAIR!  I Want Global warming to make it warmer than usual here in Southern California too!!!!

BS-

Im not sure about the global warming part, but Ill take this run of warm days as long as it lasts.  I believe that the warmest December on record around here was in the early 70's?  

But, it does always seem that things even out over time.

[Jeff Searle]

This has been an incredibly warm winter so far. It's been great. Today, it was probably close to 90 degrees F. A little scattered rain would compliment this nicely.

Jeff

[gsn]

Dare I say it BUT... if we get a cold snap, nothing and I mean nothing, is HARDENED-OFF!  

Spring growth on everything.

I have my fingers and toes crossed this doesn't happen.

This post will self destruct in 10 seconds! :laugh:

[SunnyFl]

(Ray @ Tampa,Jan. 05 2007,07:16)

QUOTE

Everything thinks it's spring.  I hope we don't get a nasty February.

Ray

I sure hope not.

My ixoras are still blooming - they've never gone this long before, and today I noticed allamanda blooming profusely somewhere.   Plus, the palmies are pushing new fronds quite happily.

Today's St. Pete Times reported that cherry blossoms are even appearing - in New York!  ??

[NBTX11]

This thread shoul read the ridiculously warm winter in the Southeast and midatlantic part of the US.

[spockvr6]

Were you at my house!?!?

If this is winter, Ill take it.

[spockvr6]

[SubTropicRay]

Nice job Larry.  I'm going to have to come visit and see the place in person.  How is D. decipiens doing?

[spockvr6]

(Ray, Tampa @ Jan. 07 2007,09:53)

QUOTE

Nice job Larry.  I'm going to have to come visit and see the place in person.  

Any time you like Ray.

[spockvr6]

(Ray, Tampa @ Jan. 07 2007,09:53)

QUOTE

 How is D. decipiens doing?

I prefer not to discuss that  

I did everything by the book on that palm....copied Tim Hopper's online description he posted about how to pot it, used rocks around the top of the soil for drainage, made sure it wasnt too deep, used fast draining mix,  etc etc....and it still croaked on me about 2 months ago

[SunnyFl]

I totally forgot to mention how nice it was to see your pix of allamanda and clerodendrum.   And, of course, the palms.

Re:  the demise of decipiens - I wonder if it's just too tricky, growing the dypsis species here that do well in CA.  Sure, some people in FL have good results with decipiens (and barronii), but they just may have stronger plants or a special "knack" for growing them.

My lutescens is growing like a weed - like the last one - but I hear a number of people have had trouble with them in CA.

The last one had such nice form - it'd be a good size by now if I still had it.

[epicure3]

(SunnyFl @ Jan. 07 2007,11:08)

QUOTE

I totally forgot to mention how nice it was to see your pix of allamanda and clerodendrum.   And, of course, the palms.

Re:  the demise of decipiens - I wonder if it's just too tricky, growing the dypsis species here that do well in CA.  Sure, some people in FL have good results with decipiens (and barronii), but they just may have stronger plants or a special "knack" for growing them.

My lutescens is growing like a weed - like the last one - but I hear a number of people have had trouble with them in CA.

The last one had such nice form - it'd be a good size by now if I still had it.

I have 6 clumps of dypsis lutescens here in SD since it is my favorite palm. My were all Hawaii born. No problems with them and they are in the ground 4 years now. Here's my favorite one.

[Palmy]

This winter has been a little wierd in the bay area. The bay area saw some cold temps a month ago or so. I live in a very cold part of the bay area it would seem, a micro climate.  They are calling again for mid 20's here, with a chance for snow above 1000 feet.

[Daryl]

Funny, but we had a cooler than average spring, and summer still hasn't really hit town yet...coolest dec/jan in quite a while.

Daryl

[SunnyFl]

(epicure3 @ Jan. 07 2007,22:15)

QUOTE

I have 6 clumps of dypsis lutescens here in SD since it is my favorite palm. My were all Hawaii born. No problems with them and they are in the ground 4 years now. Here's my favorite one.

Oooooh, niiiiice

Notice the blue-white crownshaft, peeking out from behind the fronds.  Honestly, I think lutescens is one of the most wonderful - what other palm has a crownshaft of mint-blue, white and gold, and such graceful fronds above it?

Also - I really like your concrete retaining wall, it's a great accent.

[epicure3]

(SunnyFl @ Jan. 09 2007,00:00)

QUOTE

(epicure3 @ Jan. 07 2007,22:15)

QUOTE

I have 6 clumps of dypsis lutescens here in SD since it is my favorite palm. My were all Hawaii born. No problems with them and they are in the ground 4 years now. Here's my favorite one.

Oooooh, niiiiice

Notice the blue-white crownshaft, peeking out from behind the fronds.  Honestly, I think lutescens is one of the most wonderful - what other palm has a crownshaft of mint-blue, white and gold, and such graceful fronds above it?

Also - I really like your concrete retaining wall, it's a great accent.

Thanks for the kudos. When I moved in, that spot was inhabited by a queen palm. We can't have any of that now.

[happ]

(Daryl @ Jan. 08 2007,05:10)

QUOTE

Funny, but we had a cooler than average spring, and summer still hasn't really hit town yet...coolest dec/jan in quite a while.

Daryl

I've read that by other Aussie posters.  How much cooler than normal has it been in Queensland ?