Re: Weird Weather

I participated in the annual Audubon Society Christmas bird count here in
Stockton, California, yesterday.  We were out at first light and didn't come
in until dark.  I can tell you I was very thankful that the forecast for the
day was inaccurate.  Some light rain had fallen during the night, and it was
still and in the upper 30s (F) at daybreak!  However, within a few hours, the
wind picked up considerably and it got markedly colder.  Around 2:00 PM some
clouds blew over and it started snowing -- the first time I'd seen snow in
Stockton (elevation 4 m) since 1976!  It was short-lived, however, and it
melted as it fell.  Still, it was remarkable, and people were running out into
their front yards to see it.  Even with the adverse weather conditions, we
counted around 150 species of birds, which is good for an inland location.

Since the last big freeze, I have pretty much eliminated cold-sensitive plants
from my garden.  However, I still have eight citrus trees and a couple of
Tasmanian tree ferns.  A quick check just now showed the citrus looking
slightly crestfallen, particularly the "Meyer" lemon and "Minneola" tangelo.
Surprisingly, the "Moro" blood orange, which was killed nearly to the ground
by the last big freeze, is looking the best of the lot.  Of course, only time
will tell what the real extent of the damage is going to be.  My trees were
young and small last time.  Now, most are 2-4 m tall, and I expect only
marginal damage.  I'm not sure how the fruit will fare.  Last time, the most
exposed fruits were severely frost-damaged, the more protected ones not at
all.  The only care I've taken this time is to see that the trees are well-
watered.  They're just too large to cover, and with the stiff wind we've had,
anything one tried to cover them with would get blown off anyway.

Last time we had significant damage to many eucalyptus, golden wattle, carob,
and camphor.  Most Australian tree ferns were killed outright.  Many marginal
vines (bougainvillea, blood red trumpet vine, mandevilla, etc.) shared a
similar fate.  With nearly seven years of warm winters, most damaged plants
have recovered.  However, many people have continued to plant things that are
only marginal for our area, and they will be bitterly disappointed in the
aftermath of a hard freeze such as we are expecting.

Kurt Mize
Stockton, California
USDA Zone 9
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