Weather - whether good or bad

Discussion in 'How's It Growing?' started by Margot, Apr 11, 2021.

  1. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    The Maples section of these Forums has an ongoing thread "What's the Weather Like?" which I'm reluctant to inveigle into with non-maple posts.

    So, for anyone who's interested, here is an opportunity to brag or complain or comment on the weather in your area and how it's affecting your garden and gardening practices. This is one of the most pressing issues in our world today - not just gardening.
     
  2. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    It was the forecast attached that prompted me to start this thread about our weather experiences wherever we live. At first glance it seems to be a perfect forecast for anyone who loves sunny skies and warm temperatures - who does not? I have to admit, I too am excited about the opportunities ahead to go out in the garden and get things done!

    At the same time, I worry that we aren't getting nearly the amount of rain we usually do or that our forests and gardens need. It is shocking how dry the soil has become in what seems like a very short time. The wind is almost always blowing here too which exacerbates the problem.

    I wouldn't like this thread to become a 'misery loves company' exercise but, hopefully, an opportunity to share and compare and perhaps learn how to adapt to the realities of a changing world.
     

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  3. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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  4. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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  5. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    We keep hearing from members in the UK, France and Belgium that late frosts are a big concern this year, especially for those who grow Japanese maples, and the efforts people are going to to try and protect their trees.

    I was shocked just now to see Ian Young's weekly update about his garden in Scotland on the Scottish Rock Garden Club website.
    https://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2021Apr141618391629BULB_LOG_1521.pdf
     
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  6. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    After days and days of beautiful summer temperatures here on Vancouver Island, we are now faced with at least 8 days of rainy weather. No one should complain of course because we need every drop we can get. Still - the sunshine was wonderful while it lasted.
     

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  7. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    I think it's a very fortunate thing that this thread, Weather - whether good or bad, has not caught on the way "What's the Weather Like?" has on the Maple Forum. The weather in Britain, France and other European counties the past many months has been shocking and a reminder that those abberant patterns could just as likely happen here as there. I think anyone living on the west coast of Canada, if not all of NA, can count themselves lucky that our recent weather has been extremely benign by comparison.

    BUT - gardeners can not be too happy about the next 16 days or so with clouds every day and rain on 7 out of 14. Certainly great for our moisture-deprived environment of course . . .
     

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    Last edited: May 22, 2021
  8. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    I suspect it won't be too much longer before the forecasting models change such that they nudge toward warmer, drier weather overall. My feeling is that forecasts lately usually end up being pessimistic in retrospect, and that the day is "nicer" than what was predicted.
     
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  9. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    It is quite dry this year and the USA is facing some severe drought conditions. There looks like good snow pack in BC for our summer water, but I think several places south of here may have a difficult year of water use restrictions. This will affect us as that's where much of our food is grown.
    I was very concerned also about the potential for wildfire and severe smoke conditions like we had last year and a few years back. I love trees, but the thick smoke from forest fires is dangerous to me. I invested in a rom air purifier to make sure I will be able to breath if (when) it happens again.
    (weather forecast online just now shows low of 8 and high of 13 coming this Sunday. That's certainly not very warm for June.)
     
  10. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    It's getting to the point when we have to think twice about how we refer to sunny weather with positive adjectives like 'nice' or 'beautiful' because of the price the environment and, indirectly, we pay for the lack of rain.
     
  11. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Looking at the 14-day forecast for my area just now, I'm not at all sorry to see rain predicted for about half the days ahead. If only it materializes. Weather forecasts here are very much of the carrot-and-stick sort . . . no sooner do you make plans for a sunny day, it's snatched away. And, expecting 'rain' to alleviate dry conditions is often wishful thinking.

    But - what a relief to see mild temperatures set to replace the last 2 consecutive 30+C days such as our gardens and we have experienced. I can't believe how fast, dry conditions have become. After an extremely beautiful spring, I think maintaining a happy, healthy garden is about to require much more effort!

    14-day forecast June 3, 2021 (2).png
     
  12. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Here's the updated forecast for Nanoose Bay, BC - for what it's worth. The weather is so changeable, the forecast is really only a guide.

    I do hope that near-normal daily and nightly temps will return as indicated . . . 10 whole days from now!!!

    Nanoose Bay Weather Forecast - 08-06-2021 (2).png
     
  13. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Firstly, thank you for the link to Ian Young's posting.

    I saw a weather network video of this day in 1948 where the Fraser Valley had massive flooding, to the point where boats were running on the roads! Incredible.

    But this year seems to have been running in reverse, we had those well over 30ºC temperatures (as noted by Daniel Mosquin) only to be followed by far cooler weather.

    Our local (North Shuswap) forecast is still anything but stable with highs between 18ºC and 28ºC (changed down from 30ºC) to lows as low as 0ºc, yes zero! And while we have had some heavy rain blasts, much of the predicted rain and/or thundershowers has not arrived.

    I have been watching the local creeks and a few days ago, they were mostly very muddy, which indicates high flow as the water tears away at the banks along with surface erosion from the heavier rains. The last two days the water has become almost clear and there is very little snowpack left on our local mountains on the North side of the lake. The south side mountains are devoid of any snow that we can see from here. I can only hope that this year does not bring us a repeat of the recent very dry summers that brought us so many devastating forest fires.
     
  14. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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  15. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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  16. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    While the windstorm from that waterspout landed at UBC, we managed to (mostly) avoid damage. One native tree down in the Asian Garden, a couple trees uprooted and windows smashed at our nursery.
     
  17. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Do you have any idea how strong the wind gusts were to do such damage?
     
  18. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    I think they are still trying to sort that out. If it's determined to be a tornado, then it seems like it will be a F0: "An F0 tornado is the weakest tornado on the retired Fujita Scale. An F0 will have wind speeds less than 73 mph (116 km/h)."
     
  19. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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  20. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    We never had a real tornado here in hundreds of years, the kind you can experience in other parts of the world, but that could happen here too one day.
    We had a few, the worst one in the northern part of France in 2008 (270-320 km/hr) but no casualties.
     
  21. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    No, I didn't see the tornado - it would have scared me for sure! I enjoy a good storm as long as it doesn't get too serious. I can't sleep so far tonight listening to the wind blow. The Weather Network suggests the gusts will be about 50 km/h for the next few hours which likely isn't strong enough to do any real harm - unless going without sleep is harmful I guess.
     
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  22. Georgia Strait

    Georgia Strait Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    BC Ferries sched « first sailing » gave me a moment to look at this Aurora Borealis webcam in beautiful Fairbanks Alaska (they are one time zone behind us in Vanc BC - PST)

    Northern Lights Aurora Webcam and Forecast in Fairbanks, Alaska — The Aurora Chasers

    i have attached a couple of screen images from very early today

    for those who dream of seeing Alaska and the « rooftop of N America »

    thé train from Anchorage (the state-owned Alaska RR) really is something to experience —- I see coastline all the time here in SW BC, so I was more interested in Interior Alaska (I have been several times now) - and Denali (the mtn) makes Mt Baker or Garibaldi peaks seem small

    i am born raised western N America … and Alaska makes BC seem small

    i have also seen very colorful N Lights (aurora) several times in all my work trips to Churchill MB — it really is a sight and experience that cannot be explained
     

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  23. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    You may know that south-western BC has been experiencing a second 'atmospheric river' in just a few weeks. Reports are that some areas have received something like 190mm (8 inches) of rain in just a few days. I don't know how much we have got here and I believe it is tapering off now but what a lot of water!!! We've never seen anything like this. Our seasonal stream (dry through the summer) is a raging river this morning and water is finding new channels everywhere. My camera conked out after one photo. Lots of garden soil is in the process of being redistributed.

    EDIT: I do realize many people are worse off than we are but this is bad enough for me. Our suite s flooding, a large section of deer fence is completely gone and the culvert is blocked. It's fairly warm though. :-(
    Here are a few more pictures to document the damage being done to the garden (my #1 priority).

    Flood - November 2021 - 2.JPG Flood - November 2021 - 3.JPG Flood - November 2021 - 4.JPG Flood - November 2021 - 5.JPG Flood - November 2021.JPG Flood - November 2021 - 6.JPG
     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2021
  24. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Nice step feature in the stream, Margot!
    It's hard to believe it's supposed to be sunny around an hour from now. Which way is the weather coming from anyway? My 6-foot deep (extending) SE-facing balcony floor is wet right up to the inside edge, which I don't think I've seen before. It's totally covered, protected on both sides, NW wall extends another 6 feet, SE wall is 4.5 feet . There was no wind coming in my SW-facing window when I opened it earlier, but then recently the blinds were wet and were being blown around. That window opens maybe along the west edge (with a very restricted opening), so I guess winds from the south at that moment.
     
  25. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Sometimes these weather people are amazing. The sun came out an hour from when I wrote this. It was so grey we could see hardly anything, and then the clock struck the appointed time and the sun came out.
    Edited at 12:22: the forecast didn't say how long the sun would stay out. It's not out now, but I think it's not raining.
     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2021

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