First sub- 30's nights of the season

[tropicalb]

still hanging in there at 42°f here in san marcos...the 5 mph steady wind is saving me here at the house....but at my dad's...i'm expecting teens....

[enigma99]

Just hit 32f. Guess I won't have to worry if I planted my palms to close to each other anymore.

What is your dew point?

[Jim in Los Altos]

11:30 pm and 36F. I haven't covered up a single plant in my yard in several years but I may go out and throw a blanket over my two Licuala peltata and a couple of my exposed Chambeyronia. anyone ever try placing an oscillating sprinkler near the base of a larger palm, turning it on, and letting it wet the palm for the remainder of the night . My largest Howea, about 15 feet tall is in the wide open and, if it gets some tip burn or other damage, it will take a coup,e of years to grow out so I may keep the foliage sprinkled and wet all night if it looks like it's going below freezing.

[Jim in Los Altos]

11:30 pm and 36F. I haven't covered up a single plant in my yard in several years but I may go out and throw a blanket over my two Licuala peltata and a couple of my exposed Chambeyronia. Anyone ever try placing an oscillating sprinkler near the base of a larger palm, turning it on, and letting it wet the palm for the remainder of the night . My largest Howea, about 15 feet tall is in the wide open and, if it gets some tip burn or other damage, it will take a couple of years to grow out so I may keep the foliage sprinkled and wet all night if it looks like it's going below freezing.

[enigma99]

After a good hard freeze, the whole yard smells like carnage. Should have some of that tomorrow.

[Gonzer]

44 at 7:00 pm but lo and behold only 33.1 at 3:00 am, same at 4:00 am. I expected much lower according to the Prophets of Doom.

It's of interest to note the posting times we have here. I'm up every workday at 2:00 am but on weekends I get an extra hour of sleep. I can cover that timeframe whilst you guys snooze.

Edited January 13, 2013 by Gonzer

[George Sparkman]

34°F @ 4AM .

It was bouncing up and down between 32 and 36 most of the night so far.

It was directly related to air movement. At up to 5 MPH gusts I would not call it wind.

[Hollywood Palms]

04:30

39 degrees F, 40 to 44 nearby, according to Weather Underground. Light winds. Kentias seem to be protecting everything.

David

[palmislandRandy]

Ugh........hang in there. I feel your pain.

[elHoagie]

Yikes! Seems like SD is getting this much worse than LA. I had 4C (39F) for a low yesterday, and it's 4.5C (40F) here right now...

[tropicalb]

40°F flatline for almost the entire night.....dropped down to 39°F for an hour or so....i agree with george...the fact that there was a steady 3-5mph wind all night long contributed to higher temps for me last nite,

less than three miles away, twin oaks valley (which had no wind blowing and sits at the bottom of a cold drain) hit 30°F around 1am and pretty much bounced between there and 32°F the entire nite.

my dad's place is a whole 'nuther story....will check the hi-lo there and report.

[yachtingone]

no frost 44f. in Corona, CA 6:30 am

[Vari805]

35.8 F as the low at 6:40am in my backyard. The Wunderground station near me bottom out at 32.7 an hour ago and is rising. Like George said, we were saved with the slight breeze.

No frost.

[Cindy Adair]

Does wrapping plastic around the crown area really make a difference? I can post a photo next week if you don't know what I'm talking about. That's what's done around here, esp. on Sabals in commercial settings? Helpful or a scam?

[Jastin]

Funny that I'm happy with a low of 34.3 for the night. Wind was around 2mph. No frost. The only damage I've seen so far is from me puttin up plastic to protect. My ladder fell on my pritch crown and a rock that was holding a box down that was covering my H indica fell though and damaged the crown/made it lean over.

[joe_OC]

32 @ 7:40. Low was 31.5. Light frost on grass.

[BeaumontTropics]

I'll make you all feel better!

I had a low according to my backyard indicator, of 27F! that's flipping cold! It's currently 8:00am and a temp of 32F. It was 30F when I woke up this morning at 6:30. I'll take pics of the massacre that's surely taken place.

--FROSTED FINS---

[palmz]

32f was my low here in Carlsbad

[Stevetoad]

Held steady at 31.3 from 12am until 7am. Plenty of frost. That's a long night for my plants. Can't wait for the damage to start showing up.

[BS Man about Palms]

woke up at sunrise... looked out the window to notice there was no frost where I watered yesterday and noticed clouds inland and south...

was too tired and cold to trek out to the monitor, But I would guess not below 32 or 34F

[Vari805]

Kona is -40 right now

[Vari805]

[MattyB]

it was 38 at 11 pm and I was worried, but just like others observed a consistent light wind kept temps steady and it never dropped below 38 for me thank goodness.

[Jim in Los Altos]

My ultimate low was 31.5 out in the open. The sprinkler I turned on over a large Kentia left a sheet of ice coating a nearby Chambeyronia and a couple of Licuala peltata and the lower leaves of the Kentia. I hope that ice isn't worse than the plants being left alone. Those palms look like the citrus in Florida when the farmers soak them during a freeze.

[Justin]

Headed back to the mainland today. I've been watching this thread with great interest, feeling helpless to the whole thing, but sort of blissfully ignorant as well. I'm hopeful nothing is too bad. I don't think I've planted much if any frost intolerant plants since 2007, and 2007 was worse, so I'm hopeful I have a bunch of troopers at the house.

[Stevetoad]

My ultimate low was 31.5 out in the open. The sprinkler I turned on over a large Kentia left a sheet of ice coating a nearby Chambeyronia and a couple of Licuala peltata and the lower leaves of the Kentia. I hope that ice isn't worse than the plants being left alone. Those palms look like the citrus in Florida when the farmers soak them during a freeze.

I saw that the Santa Barbara orchid estate does that too. All there orchids were coated in ice. It must do something to help or I doubt they would keep doing it.

[Jastin]

Thats interesting Jim, i'll have to look into that.

[BS Man about Palms]

My ultimate low was 31.5 out in the open. The sprinkler I turned on over a large Kentia left a sheet of ice coating a nearby Chambeyronia and a couple of Licuala peltata and the lower leaves of the Kentia. I hope that ice isn't worse than the plants being left alone. Those palms look like the citrus in Florida when the farmers soak them during a freeze.

I saw that the Santa Barbara orchid estate does that too. All there orchids were coated in ice. It must do something to help or I doubt they would keep doing it.

Apparently the ice makes sure the plant will not experience temps below 32F. An "Ice jacket" if you will. Part 2 of that is to spray it until WELL above freezing Also, probably into the 40's

[Stevetoad]

My ultimate low was 31.5 out in the open. The sprinkler I turned on over a large Kentia left a sheet of ice coating a nearby Chambeyronia and a couple of Licuala peltata and the lower leaves of the Kentia. I hope that ice isn't worse than the plants being left alone. Those palms look like the citrus in Florida when the farmers soak them during a freeze.

I saw that the Santa Barbara orchid estate does that too. All there orchids were coated in ice. It must do something to help or I doubt they would keep doing it.

Apparently the ice makes sure the plant will not experience temps below 32F. An "Ice jacket" if you will. Part 2 of that is to spray it until WELL above freezing Also, probably into the 40's

That makes sense. Thanks for the info bill.

[Jim in Los Altos]

My ultimate low was 31.5 out in the open. The sprinkler I turned on over a large Kentia left a sheet of ice coating a nearby Chambeyronia and a couple of Licuala peltata and the lower leaves of the Kentia. I hope that ice isn't worse than the plants being left alone. Those palms look like the citrus in Florida when the farmers soak them during a freeze.

I saw that the Santa Barbara orchid estate does that too. All there orchids were coated in ice. It must do something to help or I doubt they would keep doing it.

Apparently the ice makes sure the plant will not experience temps below 32F. An "Ice jacket" if you will. Part 2 of that is to spray it until WELL above freezing Also, probably into the 40's

Thanks, Bill for that last part of advice. I had turned off the water about a half hour ago but I just turned it back on since, at 9:30 it's barely 40F in the shade. I sure hope it works out for these palms. The 31.5F last night likely wouldn't have caused much, if any, damage by itself since there was no frost in my yard. We'll see.

[Hammer]

33°f low overnight. I have been dodging some serious bullets. I really feel for you Beaumont Tropics and Stevetoad and others who are really getting hit. Wish I could do more than feel bad.

[Trópico]

Does wrapping plastic around the crown area really make a difference? I can post a photo next week if you don't know what I'm talking about. That's what's done around here, esp. on Sabals in commercial settings? Helpful or a scam?

Probably scam. Plastic is basically transparent in the IR spectrum. It only serves to keep the cold air outside provided the plastic does not touch the plant parts you need to protect. Plastic has a high thermal emissivity so it gives away heat fast and whatever it touches gets burned. Also it does not let humidity escape so frost still can form inside if the temps go below freezing.

[PANGEA EXPRESS]

24f

some pics of the golf course in my backyard, looks more like a bunny hill at Tahoe.

[BS Man about Palms]

woah..

And pretty much all my... and for lots here, the "we", gained our frost/freeze knowledge after the 2007 event.. did a lot of reading . AFTER

[Gonzer]

woke up at sunrise... looked out the window to notice there was no frost where I watered yesterday and noticed clouds inland and south...

was too tired and cold to trek out to the monitor, But I would guess not below 32 or 34F

Ya big baby!

[quaman58]

Got down to 31F, but some clouds and very light wind moderated it a bit. That, combined with more canopy & older plants make this a lot less bad than 2007. I had 2 Enstete bananas back then that just melted after a 28F night; the one Enstete I now have just looks a bit tattered. So fingers crossed.

[BS Man about Palms]

woke up at sunrise... looked out the window to notice there was no frost where I watered yesterday and noticed clouds inland and south...

was too tired and cold to trek out to the monitor, But I would guess not below 32 or 34F

Ya big baby!

so you say.. but staying up watching movies and crap till nearly 3 am.. SORRY I didn't bound out into the cold weather 3.5 hours later..

[Stevetoad]

Looks bad for me tonight. It's 8:15pm and already 36.9f. Funny thing. I'm not so upset about it anymore. I've become one with the frost.

[Jastin]

I'm kinda over it too, I still don't want frosty to visit me though.

[Hammer]

Stiff upper lip, keep buggering on, stay the course, don't give up the ship...