Eastern US cold wave for late January

[Xhoniwaters1]

I have had a 10b winter here so far this year here on the Gulf Coast if you cancel out the one night I had where it dropped below freezing...10 degrees below freezing

[Jimbean]

I have had a 10b winter here so far this year here on the Gulf Coast if you cancel out the one night I had where it dropped below freezing...10 degrees below freezing

lol

what was the point of saying that?

[Xhoniwaters1]

I have had a 10b winter here so far this year here on the Gulf Coast if you cancel out the one night I had where it dropped below freezing...10 degrees below freezing

lol

what was the point of saying that?

It was fun

[Alicehunter2000]

Lol....it just points to our quagmire up here on the Gulf.....98 percent of the time we are 10b ....its that killer 2 percent that is really frustrating.

40 up here....no frost

[SubTropicRay]

50F here this morning so the mild chill continues. Is mild chill an oxymoron?

[Xhoniwaters1]

Lol....it just points to our quagmire up here on the Gulf.....98 percent of the time we are 10b ....its that killer 2 percent that is really frustrating.

40 up here....no frost

no doubt....there is a big cut off of palms a gardener can and can't grow between 9a and 9b...especially in Florida it seems

[Palmaceae]

I am content in my zone, but I am determined to exploit that zone for all it is worth. In a way, that is exactly what David Fairchild was doing in his own zone.

Nicely said Keith. I feel the same way. Reverting back to a 1980's type climate however, might make me feel differently.

The 80's messed with my zone thinking, but after this winter I may be healed, I hope!

[Jimbean]

I am content in my zone, but I am determined to exploit that zone for all it is worth. In a way, that is exactly what David Fairchild was doing in his own zone.

Nicely said Keith. I feel the same way. Reverting back to a 1980's type climate however, might make me feel differently.

The 80's messed with my zone thinking, but after this winter I may be healed, I hope!

nope, it just is what it is.

[Palmaceae]

I am content in my zone, but I am determined to exploit that zone for all it is worth. In a way, that is exactly what David Fairchild was doing in his own zone.

Nicely said Keith. I feel the same way. Reverting back to a 1980's type climate however, might make me feel differently.

The 80's messed with my zone thinking, but after this winter I may be healed, I hope!

nope, it just is what it is.

I am just keeping the faith Still have a few weeks to go for this winter, and hope we have a long string of warm winters ahead.

[SubTropicRay]

The AO is going really negative around February 1st. I think we're going to get tested before the winter is finished.

[Palmaceae]

The AO is going really negative around February 1st. I think we're going to get tested before the winter is finished.

The long range looks good at the moment.

[PalmatierMeg]

53.7F last night. Lowest so far this winter was 47.1. Predicted low tonight is 44F, so we'll see. By now this far south I will be counting days, not weeks until the end of Feb. But I make no zone pronouncements so as not to anger the vindictive spirits of the AO.

[Jimbean]

Keep in mind that there was a cold event once upon a time as late as March (1980).

[gsytch]

The AO is going really negative around February 1st. I think we're going to get tested before the winter is finished.

Ray = you have to be the bearer of such not wonderful news! :-((

[Silas_Sancona]

Agree there might be one last swipe sometime next week.. After that.. all that heat dammed up out west may shove all cold air well to the north.. suggested temp anomalies look in the + 2-4C range for a large chunk of the country around the 18th of next month and lasting through, at least, the 25th.. Just in time for the start of plant sale season.

-Nathan

[Jimbean]

46F here this morning

[SubTropicRay]

Ray = you have to be the bearer of such not wonderful news! :-((

Don't shoot the messenger. By the way, as of this morning the AO is still showing negative on Feb 1. The cold event usually follows 1-2 weeks later.

48F here this morning.

[_Keith]

News reports saying Southern Jet Stream will again become active in a couple of weeks. At that point, the big danger is over for us.

[905palms]

News reports saying Southern Jet Stream will again become active in a couple of weeks. At that point, the big danger is over for us.

Keith, hope you're right. It affects us up here big time as well. Palms are fast asleep, they'll be happy waking up by early March.

Ray, I'll be in Pine Isl, mid-Feb, perhaps I can bring in a good ol fashion Canadian Maple tree.... lol

[Jimbean]

well red maples grow down here.

[PalmatierMeg]

48.7 last night, then some relief for the next few days. All the potted tropicals went back on the lanai this morning.

The FL red maple is our native maple. I have a small one on the garden lot. My sister-in-law in Raleigh collects Japanese maple cultivars. She says her area is marginal for maples. Further south, they can't survive.

[905palms]

48.7 last night, then some relief for the next few days. All the potted tropicals went back on the lanai this morning.

The FL red maple is our native maple. I have a small one on the garden lot. My sister-in-law in Raleigh collects Japanese maple cultivars. She says her area is marginal for maples. Further south, they can't survive.

The Red Maple is a beauty, I wonder if they would work up here! All kinds of Japanese maples around here, green, red, etc, however the only thing in common is the word Maple. I'm sure it would be more expensive to apply the A/C to a Canadian Maple in Fl, than it would to apply heat to a Palm up here.... lol

[Zeeth]

48.7 last night, then some relief for the next few days. All the potted tropicals went back on the lanai this morning.

The FL red maple is our native maple. I have a small one on the garden lot. My sister-in-law in Raleigh collects Japanese maple cultivars. She says her area is marginal for maples. Further south, they can't survive.

The Red Maple is a beauty, I wonder if they would work up here! All kinds of Japanese maples around here, green, red, etc, however the only thing in common is the word Maple. I'm sure it would be more expensive to apply the A/C to a Canadian Maple in Fl, than it would to apply heat to a Palm up here.... lol

Looks like they grow pretty far north, as far as you even. Crazy to think of a plant with such a wide range of temperatures that it can tolerate!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Acer_rubrum_range_map.png

[_Keith]

Don't forget the Silver (Sigar) Maple

[gsytch]

Even with the AO going negative, long range is not showing any drastic cold. Could that be? Thursday morning was a bit nippy here, at 39.9F 7am and never made 60F. However the further we get in February the further we get away from possible real cold snaps!

[SubTropicRay]

Ray, I'll be in Pine Isl, mid-Feb, perhaps I can bring in a good ol fashion Canadian Maple tree.... lol

I love maples!! My family had a red maple (Acer rubrum) in the front yard when I was a kid. They do very well throughout the subtropics.

Keep an eye on next Saturday night February 7th. The GFS and Euro forecast models have highs throughout central Florida in the 50's. That will most likely lead to lows in the 30's.

[Eric in Orlando]

Acer rubrum, Red Maple has a huge range, from Canada in southern parts of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba down through the eastern U.S. to Florida and as far west as Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. In Florida it grows right into the Everglades. In the lower south, the Red Maple commonly found is the Southern Red Maple, Acer rubrum var. trilobum. I've seen Red Maples in the Miami/Homestead area in inland areas away from the saltspray and growing on more mucky soils not the coral marl.

Now there are many forms of Acer rubrum and specimens from different areas won't grow in all areas. A native Florida specimen wouldn't survive being planted up North as the dormancy is too short and it would get killed by spring frosts. Around here Red Maples go deciduous in mid to late December and leaf out in February. But some will leaf out in January depending on the weather. Similarly a Red Maple from the North planted here would do poorly as it would not get enough chilling hours for dormancy.

There are several other Maples native to Florida;

Acer negundo, Boxelder, is native in FL as far south as Osceola, Hillsborough and Brevard counties.

Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, is found in several NW FL counties in the panhandle.

Acer saccharum ssp. floridanum, Florida or Southern Sugar Maple is native down to Polk County. It grows well around here and has great foliage color in December/January when the leaves shed.

Acer saccharum ssp. leucoderme, Chalk Maple is found in NW Florida.

[palmsOrl]

48.7 last night, then some relief for the next few days. All the potted tropicals went back on the lanai this morning.

The FL red maple is our native maple. I have a small one on the garden lot. My sister-in-law in Raleigh collects Japanese maple cultivars. She says her area is marginal for maples. Further south, they can't survive.

The Red Maple is a beauty, I wonder if they would work up here! All kinds of Japanese maples around here, green, red, etc, however the only thing in common is the word Maple. I'm sure it would be more expensive to apply the A/C to a Canadian Maple in Fl, than it would to apply heat to a Palm up here.... lol

You're going to laugh, but I have four temperate plants (3 are bonsai) that go in the refrigerator for 3.5 months each winter (from mid-November to March 1). One is actually a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum "seigen"), also a Korean hornbeam and a sugar maple. The other plant is a small Ephedra sinica, a temperate desert plant from China. They do just fine with our summers as long as they get the winter chill they need artificially. The Japanese maple's leaves always fry some by the end of summer, but even cool temperate plants can survive very long, hot, humid summers as long as they get the chill hours to allow for enough dormancy.

Anyways, sorry to get off topic. The extended forecast does show some chilly weather for the second week in February, but I doubt it will bring a freeze (maybe a night or two of 35-40F at worst) here or we would be hearing/reading dramatic statements about the coming arctic air mass by now in long range weather discussions.

[Eric in Orlando]

I used to do that with a small Ceroxylon alpinum. In the summer I would bring it in at night and it would go in the refrigerator. It still didn't survive.

[palmsOrl]

I used to do that with a small Ceroxylon alpinum. In the summer I would bring it in at night and it would go in the refrigerator. It still didn't survive.

I guess this palm species couldn't handle that hot, humid days despite nights in the 30s.

[Dakotafl]

Not a maple, but very similar in character is another native around here, the Turkey Oak (Quercus Laevis), It grows only in Scrub and Sand Pine forest, they often stay small to medium but have seen one or two grow into a good sized canopy tree.

[palmsOrl]

The deciduous oaks around here can put on quite a brilliant red color show in the fall/winter if the timing of the chilly weather is right. Prunus serotina is a personal favorite, with brilliant, reliable color here ranging from pinkish to fluorescent orange to red. This tree species ranges south to Orlando, such that if you are in the northern suburbs they are extremely common, yet I have never seen one in the Kissimmee area, 25-30 miles to the south.

The Accuweather long range has gone a few degrees warmer now on the February cold snap. Fingers crossed for a freeze-less winter this year, but warm to hot weather holding off as long as possible. Is this too much to ask?

[gsytch]

Yes, even my local weathermen have come up some on the lows. Looking more like a 65/45 which is just chilly. Long range after that has same chilly weather with a day warmup but nothing extreme. Fingers continued crossed! All the bad weather is staying up north where it belongs! TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF METEOROLOGICAL SPRING. ENJOY!

[Walt]

It's February 1st and I feel delighted. I just experienced my first December and January without a frost or freeze. In fact, the coldest morning I've had thus far was in early November of 2014 when my low was 38 degrees. Since I've been keeping records (since I first moved to Highlands County, Florida on December 1, 1997) my latest frost/freeze has been on February 16th. So I'm hoping I will be home free in 15 more days. The seven day forecast calls for nothing less than mid 40s for this Tuesday morning.

Further, the first signs of spring started much earlier this year. If all my winters could be like this one's been thus far, it would certainly please me. I don't mind some relatively cold nights as long as they are frost and freeze free. Notwithstanding the milder winter, my coconut palm is showing potassium deficiency. I gave it extra 8-2-12 plus minors twice this fall, but it didn't help much. But once consistent warm weather comes the K deficiency should stop.

[_Keith]

Here it is supposed to be 34 on Tuesday morning. Will have to pick up the frost tender potted plants. Hopefully for the last time, but we are still a week out from our average last frost date.

[gsytch]

It's February 1st and I feel delighted. I just experienced my first December and January without a frost or freeze. In fact, the coldest morning I've had thus far was in early November of 2014 when my low was 38 degrees. Since I've been keeping records (since I first moved to Highlands County, Florida on December 1, 1997) my latest frost/freeze has been on February 16th. So I'm hoping I will be home free in 15 more days. The seven day forecast calls for nothing less than mid 40s for this Tuesday morning.

Further, the first signs of spring started much earlier this year. If all my winters could be like this one's been thus far, it would certainly please me. I don't mind some relatively cold nights as long as they are frost and freeze free. Notwithstanding the milder winter, my coconut palm is showing potassium deficiency. I gave it extra 8-2-12 plus minors twice this fall, but it didn't help much. But once consistent warm weather comes the K deficiency should stop.

I agree. It has not been bad this winter. Chilly nights here and there, but without frost or freezes very nice. I did hit 35.5F on a night a few weeks ago with a blast of cold, but by that evening it was in the 60'sF and stayed there. It was like a 12 hour cold front. November saw 2 or 3 upper 30'sF, December one or two more. The closer we get to March 1st, the further away from a frost or freeze we get. :-))

[_Keith]

End of January cold front running a week late. 35 tomorrow morning, then 32 on Friday morning. Come on Southern jet stream, fire up next week like they said you would.

[SubTropicRay]

Keith, the Euro model (ECMWF) has the two branches coming together and bringing a monster trough into the east coast next week. The numbers look like the coldest this season by far. A local weather forecaster here mentioned a widespread central Florida freeze if the usually reliable European model's forecast comes to fruition. Can I hear anyone say Valentine's Day massacre?

The good news is the Euro model has basically been full of crap this winter as you will see below:

"THE EUROPEAN CENTRE MODEL SUITE FROM THE 12Z/02 DATA CYCLE WAS A
STARK OUTLIER TO BOTH THE GEFS AND MSC ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH
AMERICA AT THE MEDIUM RANGE--INDICATING A DEEP LOW OVER THE GULF
OF MAINE DAY 3 AND A DEEP LOW OFF THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE
UNITED STATES DAY 7. NORMALLY, THE ECMWF AND ECENS ARE SKILLFUL
ENOUGH TO OFTEN PREVAIL EVEN WHEN ON THE EDGE OF THE OTHER GLOBAL
NUMERICAL GUIDANCE. FOR SOME REASON, THE EC CAMP HAS NOT VERIFIED
WELL THIS WINTER WITH MOST OF ITS BIGGER FORECAST STORMS--STORMS
THAT ARE DEPICTED MUCH DEEPER AND SOUTHWEST (I.E.- SOONER TO CLOSE
OFF AT MID-LEVELS) THAN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADIAN GUIDANCE.
FOR THESE REASONS, ELECTED TO IGNORE THE MOST RECENT EUROPEAN
CENTRE GUIDANCE AND RELY ON THE MORE ROBUST BLEND AFFORDED BY THE
NAEFS MEAN."

[Silas_Sancona]

Saw the same 850mb Model runs over the past couple days suggesting one heck of a cold blast shoving some eye brow raising numbers deep into the state sometime late next week.. 12z and 18z runs today have since greatly shifted most of this potential frost/freeze north and east. Hopefully it stays that way. Agree that run for run, no 1 weather model has been reliably consistent so far this winter.

Every second gets us closer to that magical date, still, eye balling each forecast closely.. Keep the Hounds away.

-Nathan

[enigma99]

Lol....it just points to our quagmire up here on the Gulf.....98 percent of the time we are 10b ....its that killer 2 percent that is really frustrating.

40 up here....no frost

Isn't that the case in most marginal climates:)? We didn't get to 32F for the whole year of 2014... until the morning of New Years.. we got to 29 But now everything is recovering and happy