PNW - Summer Weather 2022

[Chester B]

Well I feel like its officially time to start the summer topic.  I've had a few days just below 100F so far, and some pretty decent weather going forward.  Even though we had a late start I'm seeing some good growth, and the heat lovers have really started moving.

Currently sitting at 90F and the forecast is looking pretty toasty.

[Chester B]

Looks like it will be heating up next week, not that it hasn't been hot this week.  Nice little cool down this weekend.  

As @Jesse PNW and I were discussing the differences in weather between My location, his location and Seattle I'll put up my location and Seattle.  As you can see the 10 degree difference in daily high which is what I typically see, but the lows are always much closer.  Supposedly we are on the track to mimic the current weather in Sacramento by 2050.  Whether or not that really happens in this time frame, there is a marked difference between the two locales.  I think Seattle and Vancouver have more of the "Classic PNW Weather" where we tend to be drier and warmer.  Don't get me wrong in winter we get a lot of clouds and a crazy amount of hours with drizzle.

 

First is Clackamas (SE end of Portland)

 

And here is Seattle

 

[BeyondTheGarden]

@Chester B out of curiosity, have you ever seen 8b temps?  It seems like you've been 9a since I've been following you here and on YouTube. 

[Chester B]

8 minutes ago, Jesse PNW said:

@Chester B out of curiosity, have you ever seen 8b temps?  It seems like you've been 9a since I've been following you here and on YouTube. 

No 8b temps so far in the 6 winters I've lived here.   Every other year we get a day that doesn't go above freezing but just barely.  As I was mentioning in the other topic the current growing zone maps show Portland as zones 8b and 9A, but according to recent info I was told it should now be 9a and 9b.  I would be part of the 9a zone.  

My neighbor who was the curator for the International Rose Test Garden here in Portland has some pretty impressive things in his yard.  He's got a pretty nice mule and two very thick Tree ferns which he has never protected.

Edited July 21, 2022 by Chester B

[BeyondTheGarden]

It's crazy how much difference there is between here and there.  I was down your way last weekend, the wife and I went to Rooster Rock State Park.  Anyway, I managed to kill a Dicksonia EVEN though I protected it heavily!  I'm not sure if the soil got too dry or what but it was in the ground by the house.  The one in the greenhouse did fine, it saw 24f when the breaker tripped!  So Dicksonia survive in Portland but not here!  I can't find the link but there was one that survived in Olympia for a few years but finally succumbed to a cold winter.  

@Chester B How are those Syagrus doing in your neighborhood?  The 2 decent sized specimens that were planted last year - did you say the protected them?  Can't remember. If you're over that way again could you break out the Iphone camera? 

26 minutes ago, Chester B said:

No 8b temps so far in the 6 winters I've lived here. 

I really think you could update your profile to say 9a.  I haven't seen 8a temps since I've been watching the weather but that's only been the past 2 years.  It looks like it's FINALLY going to get above 90 here!  The number of days that we've had in the 80's, I could count on one hand!  70's are nice but we've even had days with highs in the 60's this month!   It looks like we are a little warmer than Seattle for our max temps, but they don't get as cold as my place in the winter since they have the Puget Sound right there.  

[Chester B]

@Jesse PNW you haven't been above 90 yet?  I think the hottest we've been so far this year was 99F, we've flirted with a 100 a few times.  Todays a little cooler at 88F, the last couple were about 95F.  We were pretty late to get hot this year but the last 4 or 5 weeks have been pretty solid.  Grass is fried, but it's lasted longer than I've ever seen.  The Gorge is colder than my location, the growing zones drop the further you get in.

I do everything wrong with my Dicksonia and they survive, I don't water them nearly as much as I should, but they seem to handle the heat and sun pretty well.  I have to think I've had them 4 years now.  Now that they're getting a lot bigger I try and hit them with the hose a couple times a week.  

The queen closest to me is doing ok, it didn't enjoy the wet spring but it's pushing new growth.  He has 2 or 3 more, but they are in pots still, but he is growing up some silver queens to try.  His garden was so overwhelming it was hard to take it all in.  I'm definitely going to try and arrange another visit.  He's on the other side of the hill I live on so I drive by often.  He also has Livistona in the ground, some sort of large red/pink Bottlebrush I didn't recognize (he forgot what species), in ground Brugmansia and the largest clump of Musa sikkamensis I've seen around here.  He also has been successfully growing spanish moss outside, so I may do well with mine as long as I keep it watered this summer, but I think the birds have been stealing it.  

I dropped some plants off for him yesterday to add to his extensive collection.  His yard is only a few paths surrounded by vegetation.  And to be honest after seeing what he was doing I came home and felt a little deflated about my own yard.  However he has decades of experience, and worked with plants for a living and I'm just a home gardener so its to be expected.

 

 

[BeyondTheGarden]

1 minute ago, Chester B said:

.....after seeing what he was doing I came home and felt a little deflated about my own yard....

Hahaha....That's so ironic to hear you say!  When I got out and look at my small patch of growth space that's exactly how I feel!  I love my garden (and the palms outside of my garden, scattered around my property,) but I feel like they are so juvenile and brief, compared to everything you've got going!  

....The wife and I are seriously considering moving although it will mean giving up on everything I've worked so hard for here.. for the last 2 years... This will probably end up being unavoidable since the US Army owns me and will ultimately tell me where I am allowed to live....  The bright side is, if we sell our place here, after a few years, we can end up in Florida in a nice WARM zone 9b and grow just about anything I've ever dreamed of...  

Of course, growing palms in Florida doesn't have the same novelty that it does here...  but the overlying good thing about living in a warmer place is that I can fulfill my dream of hybridizing cold-hardy palms... I just can't wait to dust Lytocaryum hoehnei pollen on a Jubutia, or to put Butia x Parajubaea pollen on a Jubutia!  I believe that I also read somewhere that Allagoptera can hybridize with Butia....  Butia has got to be the most interbreedable palm around....  When it comes to breeding palms.... there's a word that my wife would call it but I don't think it's family appropriate.... 

[jwf1983]

[Hutch]

Hey guys....Jessie that sux but Florida is nice...St Augustine...is really cool....yep get ready...looks like a 100 next week almost everyday gonna be hot things are really picking up Canary has thrown..about 9 to 10 fronds...stay cool !

[Chester B]

My forecast keeps going up. This is going to be pretty toasty. Washingtonia will love it for sure. 
 

[Hutch]

Nice ....i love this time of year.....lets hope we get extended summer ,I'll send some pics in a few days!

[Chester B]

5 hours ago, Hutch said:

Nice ....i love this time of year.....lets hope we get extended summer ,I'll send some pics in a few days!

Looking forward to seeing how everything is doing at your place. 

[Collectorpalms]

Since Jubaea/ Parajubea do not get water in the summer season. What do you all do.... Water them?

 

I see the heat wave is giving parts of the PNW a visit. Yeah for most palms.

[Hutch]

Ya I water the mule palm ...once every 3 days during theses spells ...Canary ...i don't even bother it seems to do better without...same with Butia .

[Hutch]

Here is looking out the back of my Property....no irrigation...thats how green it is here still...dew everymorning still...weird !

[ShadyDan]

Tomorrow keeps getting hotter every time I look at the forecast, but I certainly won’t complain. My heat lovers are speeding up now, after a slow start to the spring. Luckily there is a huge snow pack in the Island mountains still from the winter so I can water to my hearts content. No A/C at my place, but I’m a 5 minute walk to the ocean so I’ll be living in the water for the next few evenings after work. 

[Chester B]

Wow @Hutch everything here is yellow and brown. Within one week of the rains stopping things begin to go. I’ve been watering my much smaller front lawn every other day and it’s gone. Won’t come back until Halloween. I don’t even know why I bother. I top dress, overseed and fertilize twice per year and it still looks bad  almost 5 months of the year. 
 

@ShadyDan you’re a brave guy with no AC. I don’t turn mine on unless it goes over 86F/30C. Some of my neighbors turn theirs on anytime it goes over 70F. No joke. 

[ShadyDan]

8 hours ago, Chester B said:

@ShadyDan you’re a brave guy with no AC. I don’t turn mine on unless it goes over 86F/30C. Some of my neighbors turn theirs on anytime it goes over 70F. No joke. 

Honestly I hate A/C, something about it just makes me feel off. In reality (last year being a huge exception) we could use A/C maybe 5-10 days a year, not worth it in my opinion. The nights still cool down pretty decently and my bedroom faces north towards the ocean and usually gets a good sea breeze coming in. Lots of people still have A/C up here because they like wearing sweaters in summer for some reason.

33C now for the high today AND tomorrow now, giddy-up!

[Hutch]

Wow...just got....home..and it's only 92 right now but the humidity is way up...have a Dew pt of 65!

[Chester B]

Well the original forecast for me this week was a little off. Currently on day 6 of triple digit temps with tomorrow forecasted to be 100F. Quite the stretch and the palms seem to be loving it. Moisture in the form of clouds started moving in a bit last night. Woke up to 70f and 73% humidity. Very heavy feeling this morning. 

[Paradise Found]

How hot was it today 99f  a new record, old record 97f.   Ok to sit in the shade with cold drink. 

[Chester B]

Anyone get any rain?  I see up north in WA and BC it looks like you might've had some in the last couple weeks.

Tonight between 8 pm and 3 am I have a shot, there's a 30% chance each hour.  Very high humidity this morning here at 70% and some "rainy" looking clouds.  Cooler day on tap for us with a a high in the upper 80s.

Next week looks hot with at least a couple days showing triple digits right now.

[Chester B]

Sadly I had a very light “shower” for a few minutes.  A few drops on the deck was all that was seen. 
 

I’ve been watering the Sabals frequently so they’re moving along well with all these warm nights. Most mornings temp is around 70f so no real cooldown out this way. 

[nick206]

Had a nice thunderstorm roll through yesterday morning. Lots of thunder and lightning accompanied by a quick downpour with some small hail. Dirt was very dry by the evening though.

[Chester B]

20 hours ago, nick206 said:

Had a nice thunderstorm roll through yesterday morning. Lots of thunder and lightning accompanied by a quick downpour with some small hail. Dirt was very dry by the evening though.

Every little bit helps this time of year.

[Chester B]

Still pretty toasty with very warm nights up this way.  I keep waking up to upper 60s so many of the plants and palms have been happy with that.  Last week we had a couple of days with some good cloud cover that kept the temps in the lower 80's.  On those days we also experienced some Virga, which is a new term to me.  It's when you can see the clouds raining, they almost look like jelly fish, but the rain evaporates before it hits the ground.  You feel the odd drop hit you, but all it really did was cause some very humid conditions at my house.

[Paradise Found]

Lots of.  Humid partly cloudy days but no rain since June good news we always get one or two shower in September. 

[Chester B]

Looks like another heat wave.  No rain in sight.

[Chester B]

Still been pretty warm here in the 80s and 90s although we had a couple days in the 70s.  No rain is sight, and that high pressure is going to be pushing back up this way.  Next weekend looks pretty warm.

[Chester B]

Read some interesting stats today about the weather this year in Portland.

Tied the record for the most 100 degree days in a year at 5 (so far).

Latest 100 degree day - August 3.  This coming Saturday we may hit it again.

Hottest August on record.

August was the hottest month on record.

As of tomorrow we'll be 62 days without precipitation which is the second longest streak on record.  71 is the longest stretch, and we may tie or even break that based on current models.

[Chester B]

Bit of typo - latest 100 degree day was August 30, not August 3.

[Chester B]

Some dark skies this afternoon and a bolt of lightning along with a serious rumble of thunder. No rain yet, closing in on 70 days since we had that 0.1 inches way back in the first week of July. They killed the power to just over 35,000 homes this weekend to prevent fires. Even with that there were many people evacuated. I passed by a fire on the side of the interstate on Saturday. Surprisingly enough the garden is still looking good.

Next week a cool down and rain was forecasted for next weekend but today they are now showing none. Still hot too. Crazy times. 

[Chester B]

From June 1 through September 12, at least 356 all-time heat records from California to Maine from a subset of weather stations were tied or broken, according to a CNN analysis of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data. CNN examined the highest maximum and minimum temperatures collected by weather stations across the country with at least 30 years of data.

Although large swaths of Texas and California endured triple-digit temperatures for several days in a row, the state that matched or exceeded the most heat records this summer was Oregon. The Beaver State registered all-time record heat 66 different times this summer, nearly 60 of them in July alone.

As sweltering as things may have felt during the day, the heat after the sun went down was even more unusual. In the lower 48 states, the nighttime lows this summer were the hottest on record. More than 70% of all the heat records tied or broken were for the hottest low temperature achieved during the day.

As sweltering as things may have felt during the day, the heat after the sun went down was even more unusual. In the lower 48 states, the nighttime lows this summer were the hottest on record. More than 70% of all the heat records tied or broken were for the hottest low temperature achieved during the day.

[ShadyDan]

The first measurable precipitation at my house since July 18. A whopping .25mm! Back to dry summer like temperatures starting tomorrow for at least another week. Really was hoping for significantly more rain today… I guess I’ll have to wait.

 

[Chester B]

Similar here but I only got 0.2" or 5mm, but that was the most we've gotten since the first week of July. After this morning back to summer.  Here it is in C.

 

[ShadyDan]

Our low are pretty similar, but pretty I'm jealous of those daytime highs.

[Chester B]

We're not so close to the ocean, its about and an hour and a half away so that's why our lows are similar.  

[Chester B]

Heard on the news we had the hottest and driest September on record.  The first two weeks of October look well above average with temps hovering between 75 and 85 with no rain in sight.  The nights are much cooler though, and the hotter days don't have the same intensity as they did in summer.  I would love to see this trend continue through winter.

I also read another interesting tidbit that Oregon broke the most heat records of any state this year.  About 80% of those records were for the highest night time temps, or highest low temps (kind of confusing to say it that way).

[Chester B]

Looks like Oct 20 will be the end of "summer".  Weather forecasts have us plunging off the cliff into the wet season.

[Banana Belt]

2022 South coast Oregon, Brookings had the coldest summer on record, dark drizzly cold Fog again today;