Re: The lovely Isle of Wight...

Dear Jason,

No, but I used to be called Mary, and when I changed my name to Rowan my workmates (landcape architects) threatened to call me "Auc" for short!
I'd heard about the California fogs, and I know when we get sea mists here it make sit much cooler than usual, but I didn't realize your temperatures didn't get above 20 C usually - we quite often get up to 25 C, occasionally even 30 C or more. I knew you didn't get much summer rain, but I hadn't realized it was so absolute. Here in Britain we get more winter rain, but we do get rain all year round, so growing conditions can be very good for a wide range of things. The winter cold, spring frosts, and the wind are the main problems in most places.
So quite a different feel to the climate, really!
I would love to visit California (and Oregon and Washington too, they sound interesting) but that's a long-term wish - probably a retirement plan!

Best wishes
Rowan.


On Friday, Aug 26, 2005, at 04:24 Europe/London, Jason D wrote:

Dear Rowan (anyone ever call you "Sorbus"? ;-) ),
Thank you for the lovely description of your Isle.
In case you ever come to California, keep in mind that
the coast, especially the central and northern
segments, is quite chilly in summer, with temperatures
rarely rising above 20 Celsius, winds blowing 20-30
miles per hour most afternoons, and skies covered in
grey sea fogs for much of the time between May and
September. Our ocean temperatures remain around 13
Celsius much of the year, and beaches up here, unlike
those in Southern California, are for brisk walking,
not bathing. Surfers here always wear full wetsuits,
even in El Nino years, when the water may rise to 16
C. During the last three weeks here in San Francisco,
the temperature has remained chilly every day, and
neighborhoods close to the ocean have not seen the sun
for more than a few hours. On the other hand, like
most of the rest of lowland California, we too get no
rain from May to October and our coastal hills are
almost as brown as the foothills of the interior.
Mountainous and desert areas of the state get summer
thundershowers occasionally, but west of those areas
summer rain is almost unheard-of.

So if you come to San Francisco, be sure to bring your
windbreaker and woolies. We may have sun, but we're
sure to have chilly fog. Winter brings a combination
of tranquil, clear days, periodic rainstorms, and
occasional radiation fogs from the interior. Frost
hits on a few nights per decade. Freezes, maybe once
in 20 or 30 years.
Cheers,
Jason Dewees
San Francisco












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