Re: Zones
Hmm, this might be harder than I thought. Are you high desert or inland plain?
Here are three zones in inland northern California:
The upper end of California's huge Central Valley is zone 8. No maritime
influence, hot summer days (40C certainly not unknown), cool nights. Frosts in
winter but very rarely snow. Fiercely cold, piercing north winds blow for
several days at a time in winter. Dense fogs that rise from ground on cold,
clear nights stay for hours or days during winter. Too cold for commercial
citrus. 20-yr winter lows -2C to -11C. Native flora grassland with riparian forests.
Neighboring zone 9 is the thermal belt in the low foothills rimming the valley.
The main difference is in winter lows, which can be 3C higher in zone 9 than in
zone 8.
The low mountains above the foothills, as well as the inland valley to the north
in Oregon, are in zone 7. Hot summers and pronounced winters (frosts but not
often snow) give this area sharply defined seasons without severe winter cold.
Plants requiring marked seasons do well. The typical winter lows range from -5C
to -13C. Native flora are digger pine (ack...can't remember the new common name
for this...something more polite than digger), live oak, ponderosa woodlands.
Zone 11, on the other hand, comprising the medium to high inland desert areas of
southern California and southern Nevada, is characterized by wide swings in
temperature. Hot summer days are followed by cool nights; freezing nights are
often followed by daytime temperatures of 16C. On the average, there are 110
summer days above 32C, with the highest records 44C to 47C. (ouch!) Native flora
desert scrub to grassland.
Damian Martin wrote:
>
> Thanks for the offer Kay. What do you reckon we are?
>
> Very hot, very dry Summer, from June to mid September. Up to 40ºC some
> days.
> Cold spell from December to Feb. Hard frosts are common. Typically clear
> sunny days with temperatures plumetting at sundown.
> Mild Autumn and mild Spring, if we get one. Always some rain.
> Our native vegetation seems to have to cope with typical Med. dry Summer
> spells + sharp continental winter frosts.
> Someone on the list mentioned that our climate is simmilar to northern
> California. Can anyone verify this?
>
> Damian Martin
> Talavera de la Reina - Central Spain.
