its looking pretty gloomy for the next week here nothing above 50 and the lows down around 25-30. wish that storm would come through here and give us another warm spell.

Pretty cold week here. Most days will be 10 degrees below average which means daytime highs only in the low 40s! That's pretty typical for mid winter. It's definitely cold out there now. November is going to end a bit below average and I wouldnt be surprised if the trend continues into December.
Hopefully we wont be seeing temperatures this far below average when winter is really here because if we do, then that will be a repeat of 2010-2011 with a week or 2 of days below 40 with many struggling to get above freezing!
-Alex

Its been an early winter in the east. Tonight many areas inland Virginia and Nc will receive their first freeze of the season. Here along the coast we will drop into the 30s for the first time this season.

I certainly don't envy you your temperatures. The long range forecasts have been up and down all over the place with the 'on again/off again' el nino. We were forecast below average rainfall, but now they say it'll be average, although so far it's been above. But I'm not complaining about that.

Hi
have been running 5/10 degrees below normal though it's not fallen below 52 though to the west it was 10 degrees colder lol Main complaint has been the incessant wind often reaching 40/50 mph . Got a bit of damage from Sandy
but won't complain after looking at the pix of the northeast. My weather guru is predicting a way below normal winter for all of florida Hope he's wrong lol gary

Looking like some of the east will get colder still.

One week ago Accuweather had us basically(with few exceptions)
below freezing for a month and then they change a lot of it to 40s and 50s.
Not complaining but it strikes me as unprofessional to put out
a 25day forecast when your forecasting is so poor.

Looks like our lowest temp before Christmas is going to 22F. So maybe I'll make it to Jan. before having to protect anything. It really looks like a dry winter for us too. But I to have learned its better to look out the window than listen to the weatherman.

Jim accuweather is least accu of all. btw much of the east coast had its first freezing weather last night from jacksonville fl to Charles sc to Atlanta and Norfolk va. In va bch we had areas below freezing although in my area it was 33 and none of the plants were affected. I have bananas hydrangia lantana etc and none were touched. they've lived to see another couple of weeks hopefully.

That same air mass had us 18F the other morning.

Forecaster low(I said this wouldn't happen again) 16/18F was actually 8F at the airport
and 14F at my home-The bigger Trachy was out,I put a sweater around the crown -
the others were covered and unheated,:roll:

I took some 8F pics this morning of it and the Needles and Sabals,
will compare here later in the afternoon when temps are above freezing.....ideally :?

http://www.wunderground.com/US/IA/Fairfield.html?bannertypeclick=big2

above freezing huh...good luck with that :-) . They forcasted snow last night but all we got was rain. ended up around 30 this morning. haven't had anything in the teens or acually below 25 so far this year. It just hits you hard and fast jim, Im thankful im a bit further south. IDK if I could deal with single digits and its not even x-mas yet

Here is the Fortunei,the one bent frond is from the wind.
8F at the airport/14F here - pictured

we hit 19 last night and I was really amazed dosen't do that till mid jan usually. Yours all seemed to pull through nicely. The S. Lou is really alot tougher than I thought. what type is that you figure for a spear pull another fortuni? can't wait to get some palms out next year. you plan on covering those at all later in the season? LIke to see a fully buttoned up yard pic about mid jan.

Wow Mike 19 is insane for November! For the east coast anyway. You're in Jersey right?

All the smaller palms have pulled except 2 Tesan and one little Takil.

Just to dang small...those little spears freeze up to fast.

Oops,forgot the 2 Chamaerops and the 2 Princeps are fine.

BTW

Another leaf on the Fortunei^(the one in the 2-3 o'clock area)has started to fold
up it's blades,a bad sign as water is not getting to it, probably in for another deep socket pull...this one
was recovering nicely from last winters spear-pull,just have to keep an eye on it.

No im in northern ky/southern OH last night it was only 21 so were good. Jim I was always under the impression once the spear had pulled the plant was done but you have changed all that. once the spear pulls you cut it back to almost ground level correct? and then it produces a new spear?

Not necessarily...but yes.

The ones I did that on made it because the bud was alive deep inside the trunk.
On a bigger palm that could be a foot away from the top and it would die if cut below that.

All the other pullers(quite a few after yesterday)have been dusted with copper fungicide,they usually recover in April or May.

besides the truley tropical is there anything you think is just a flat out NO to try inground in your zone or mine? I was really thinking of maybe a Jubaea chilensis or somthing with a nice trunk..just thinkin out of the box. I figure unless it is a rainforest palm or somthing with enough protection stuff should make it here.

Anything that cannot take single digits....or at least come back from it.

well that sure limits the field Jim LOL I thought you were a pioneer!

I think everything but the Washy and Butia have seen single digits so,that is a pretty good sized list of palms....

Thought about trying a Jubaea but felt it would be to big a beast to protect in time and maybe too slow?

I guess the real reason I said single digits is that it happened(5F) in March last year and this fall 8F and the palms that are larger made it through with flying colors.

Interestingly in both cases,the temps returned to the 70s within days last March and this December!

And here I thought it was "The Mummy Zone" by the way you mummy-wrap your palms and cacti.

It's amazing how big your palms have gotten Jim, they look great.

Thanks Fr8t good to see your still out there.

I guess one of the advantages of that sort of a climate is plant pests are killed off by the cold. Gives you a chance for a fresh start. I cut off affected parts of plants, put them in a plastic bag and place them in the freezer. But I don't know how I'd cope with having to protect whole plants from the cold. It must be a pretty daunting task.

It can be,especially when you really lose interest in the fall.
Contrast that to the spring when you want to plant all your potted palms and you have a problem.

I still have not covered the Sabals or Needles but it looks like
a big storm could be brewing for mid week-time to get'r done.

In regard to bugs,I can't seem to keep the WSM away in winter time indoors
so,I planted one of my Martianus in November,it is really
growing and has opened a new leaf,while the other one inside
is covered with mites again.

You have you had single digits already right Jim? My needle has been covered for a few months now didn't know they could take single digits with out fronds burning. good to know about the sabals as well

Really mild here now. In fact, I feel a bit of Spring fever. In the ground, I have Trachys (fortunei and wagnerianus), Sabal minor, Needle, Med. fan, and a couple of Washys (not sure which, maybe hybrids). I was planning on eventually having to cover the Washys, but don't have need through extended. Another big, East coast storm is looming but stays mild. I enjoy X-Mas whether it is GREEN or WHITE. Happy Holidays all!

The main climate change here is between wet and dry. Preparations involve checking irrigation lines before the dry sets in.

Mike

The single digit(s) (8F) was at the airport north of here...
only about 3 miles away.

Lowest in my yard was 14F so far.....looks like a major winter storm setting up here late week.

its nice and warm was only down to 45 last night but its been raining what seems like 2 weeks solid...

Looks like 50s possible here Wednesday and then possibly a Blizzard followed by a rainstorm around X-mas.

These are pretty low confidence forecast right now-but getting interesting none the less.

Sabal Palms in General can man Handle those temps for at least 3 day before it gets to them. Luckily For me its doesn't get a cold as -15 thank Allah for that. still too cold for my Liking those. Indiana Zone 6a has been odd to normaly cold at the end of November and into December nows its only gets to 20s at the Coldest. its Freaking me out a bit.

where you located in Indiana?

Thanks Alla

Looking at possible Blizzard conditions here Wens/Thurs and then possibly another big storm after that-if you are a fan of watching the weather-it looks like the show begins Wednesday!