Plantknitter, with more wind, if it is an E, N or NE wind as we usually have in these events, that causes the humidity dew point to drop way off. This is why you don't see actual white frost on anything even if the temperature is well below freezing. Usually though, this is actually more destructive to plants than frost that occurs under calm conditions and high humidity (i.e. a usual white "frost"), because the very dry air causes plant leaves to become dessicated and frozen at the same time: moisture cannot reach the plant tissues and they die. It really depends on the plant though, and some other factors. Plants with tough fleshy leaves, including many succulents, can handle this better than a frost with high humidity. Plants with delicate leaves, especially those from the Southern Hemisphere, and some bamboos, would do better in a frost with high humidity because their leaves would not be so dessicated. This is a huge generalization but you get the idea. Even if it is below freezing, the very cold winds do keep the temeprature up compared to what it could be, because mixing of the air prevents radiational cooling. So while last night it was blowing all night and the temperature was 28-32F for many of us - if it just stopped at some point, with the arctic air in place, the temperature would drop right off, especially in sheltered valleys where radiational cooling typically brings very cold temperatures. Slopes with good air drainage and places very close to the water usually do not experience such severe lows when radiational cooling occurs. This is what may happen tonight, and certainly tomorrow night, if the wind ever dies off. Surprisingly, I'm not seeing the temperature fall like a rock anywhere just yet. It is still too windy in most places. The South Sound, which is often the coldest, is still experiencing strong winds that are keeping the temperature up around 30. bboy, point taken but #1 it makes more sense to ignore the tops of the mountains since no one lives or gardens there #2 really all you are doing is pointing out the inadequacies of the USDA zone system for our region, which I would agree with. But you could just as well say that Sunset, with only two zones for western Washington's lowlands, is oversimplified as well. #3 if we figured everywhere was in the same zone as the land all around it, we would only have one zone.

Well -- not much happening. Have hardly seen or heard our Flycatchers but last night one paid a visit to the fence near the bird house. Didn't appear to go in. Saw only one again this morning -- 2 x (or two different birds at two different times???) -- it didn't appear to go in -- just sat there calling and calling, but they're sneaky so who knows. May have to try the piece of grass across the entrance trick... We heard a couple calling to each other across the trees but we just keep seeing one on its own -- hope that something hasn't happened to one of the 'pair'. Meanwhile ----- back at the Bluebird Ranch, Mama blue is incubating her 2nd clutch of 4.... with "baby girl" from clutch 1 looking on....

Pattico; I just went on that site and played a game without signing up for anything. It was an okay game,but kind of slow moving.

I play scrabble on there, non paying. My pogo name is: tastyemilydog682 In case you think I'm a weirdo for having that name, I tried for over 15 minutes to come up with a normal name without luck...they were all in use by someone else. So, then started using my dog's name, Emily...and this popped up and I thought it was kinda funny and was really tired of trying to come up with something so picked it.