When it hail to wintertime atmospheric condition , most southerly Californians tend to be smug as they scroll through their Facebook feeds full of ally complaining about cold , rain and snow , while the west coast is boasting warmheartedness , sun and breaker .
In fact , it ’s happening properly now . I spent the warmest Christmas I ’ve ever had in NorCal , where afternoons were a sunny 65 ° F , and six hours south in my SoCal neighborhood , the mercury rose to 85 ° farad — on Christmas Day , and all week until New Year ’s Day . It was warm — too tender , as even our summer only average in the 70s .
My home Willem de Sitter could scantily keep up with the watering as the garden was dry , teetotal , dry . What ’s typically a once - a - week watering docket in winter turn into an almost - daily task . Our last rains came in early December , at the same time a cold spell lingered for two weeks and brought us below - normal temps . At the goal of that period , we run from 55 ° F to 85 ° F and have been enjoying our 2nd summertime ever since .
On the flip side , I ’m learn from friends in New York thrill in 5 ° F highs — never have I heard of such a affair , and I used to know in New York . ( And let ’s not get into the opposite vortex craziness going on in the midwest , where I ca n’t even fathom negatively charged bivalent - digithighs … i.e. , RealFeel ® freeze my cojones off . )
alternatively of savor on the beach like many Angelenos , I ’m worrying about the unnatural country of my garden . My beets are stunted . My Brassica oleracea italica is bolting . My cabbage is deluge with aphid . My fig Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , which just scantily slough its leaves for winter last week , is already starting to bud . My orchard apple tree tree , which normally does n’t wake up up for another couple calendar month , is thinking give has arrive extra early .
I ’m tempted to start inseminate my springtime seeds , but the uncertainty of this weather form me think we ’ll have a freezing in March .
To gardeners , farmers , and even skier , mood modification is n’t fresh news program . We ’re lamenting the want of precip in winter and celebrating the unnatural transformation in temperature that , while bad news to seasonally traditional crops , does mean vine - ripened tomato plant in the middle of January .
I should n’t be surprised by any of this , as the same matter happened last yr . My wintertime garden almost never was , and my summertime crop suffered from cooler weather that welcomed lick and powdery mold . It stimulate me marvel if I take to change my horticulture habits in pace with what I call global weirding — the extreme , alternating raging and cold periods that particuarly take their toll on blossoms and yield .
In 2012 , the USDA finally updated itsPlant Hardiness Zone Mapsince the last revision in 1990 . The new map register many areas a full zone heater , which means their low temperatures are 10 degree warmer than in 1990 .
Despite the northern states now being able to grow some warm - time of year flora , clime change is not a good affair for gardeners . In California , if the current weather pattern carry on , we could be entering our third year of serious drought . No rain means no snow . No snow mean no rivers and lake . No rivers and lakes intend no irrigation for land in the Central Valley , where a majority of the country ’s vegetables , fruit , and nut are raise . I may be bummed about my lettuce not thriving right now , but the bigger scene is what ’s most distressful .
Meanwhile , stay strong and stay safe , east coast ( and midwest ) booster . ( And post us some of your coke , please . We snow Fannie Farmer need that , too . )
