I'm wondering what i will lose out there now that things are growing so well...BUT.....I'm not going to live my life worrying about weather and rushing around covering things. I can grow things up here that are suited to the climate that I could not grow in SoCal...so if worse comes to worst, I will be happy growing more cold hardy stuff......and not worrying about it......

It is what it is. Some of us will continue to try to grow things that probably shouldn't grow well here, but that is the challenge. I grow hostas in pots and some years are better than others. BUT I gaze upon those leaves in May and somehow it is all worth it. They will love this cold weather. But my succulents won't. Trade-offs.

-Babka

I've realized that it's okay because I spent 30-some years in SoCal growing all the stuff I like and now can grow different things. It would be very different if I'd spent my life wishing I could grow this or that.....but I had that chance and can now enjoy Maples, Hydrangeas, etc.....

In my area the forecast has changed... no more freeze!!! But we get rain all week! Yay!!!!

In Socal forecast is snow down to 3200 feet with tonights storm, which means the grapevine will probably be shutdown. It's been light rain this morning and some last night and 10-60% each day for the next week and temps in mid 50's which means sprinklers can stay off with those cooler temps. yay!

Maybe the experts got el nino and la nina mixed up...;)

AN AMAZING turnaround. From a few days ago certain 28f low and four mornings of freezing weather and days of 46f as highs...to rains,no freezing days.

None of it is in stone. But thats a new one for me to see that big a flip flop. They almost might as well have said its going to be 90's too!

Well, I hope the same holds true for my area, I've not checked the forecast today...I don't need snow....

I'm wondering too..did it go east? Or is it still west but north into Oregon?

Dunno, but that word is still showing in our forecast for the next several days...if I get snow, you'll definitely be seeing pictures of it...LOL...I will probably love it at the same time that I hate it.....

They say 34f for Sunday morning in Crescent City..after that all mid 30's for the rest of the week and warmer.

I feel like calling this the New Year's Milagro!...from lows in the high 20's that was supposed to sit on the bay area with highs of 46f..to a plain regular rainy January.

Milagro!..lol

I usually take all forecasts with a grain of salt and a good dose of skepticism...

Well... remember I wished for less frost and more rain and my New Years wish came true. ;) Blame me.

And you're welcome. ;)

I'm out of state but I am reading rain is expected for my area--near Sacramento-- from Monday to Friday. If there was a freeze my Jade plant will be damaged. I forgot to bring it in before I left. So happy it is going to rain.

Frosty lawns, windows and roofs early this morning here by Disneyland.

Snow in Medford, snow on hwy 199 to get there from here, chains required on 5 through that area, rain here right now....give me snow for about 10 minutes and then make it go away.....

No frost here in the inland east bay this morning. Finally! We have had some frosty mornings lately. Today it's finally warmer. I'm actually going to get my gardening chores done today in shorts and a tank top.

Rain is supposed to come tomorrow and stay for about 10 days. YES!!! No more frost! No more freeze warnings. I'm stoked. I don't know what to do with myself when it gets in the 30s.

That means I have a lot to do today though! Gotta get all my seeds in, fertilize everything, prune some roses, and get any new potted plants in the ground. Spring is right around the corner here in the NorCal valley.

So glad that freeze warning around here turned out to be bogus.

When you've finished all of that, you could come and work on my stuff...but you should bring long pants and sweatshirts......and energy...

Yay, yay! The storm seems to have been pushed back. Selfishly :D

Our forecast for the week has been revised and it's not supposed to get below 50-54° this week. I moved some of my orchids back outdoors so that they could benefit from the rain/mist. Tonight is supposed to be the coldest night, getting down to 50° tomorrow morning, but I will move more plants (temporarily) outdoors tomorrow. I think they like getting fresh air.

Indoors for them is no good...you want minimal indoor time. You don't want them to get used to lower light levels or indoor temps. I never did have to bring the Orchids in..I did bring in the Nepenthes for 3 nights when we hit low 30's. But it went out last Tuesday and since.

I would call this the most extreme weather forecast ever changed. All within 24hours of what was supposed to be near 1990 levels for some and easy 2007 for the rest.

Instead? Rain,clouds and above average lows.

They had me convinced!

Well, they were not wrong about us up here....It is very cold, lots of hail and rain and wind and, oh hey, did I mention VERY COLD? Ice from last night's hail has not all melted yet, snow on 101 from here to Brookings, 30 miles north, snow on Last Chance Grade, 10 miles south out of town...no actual flakes at our place. I cannot accept that for the first time in 40 years we do not have a woodstove...LOL....

Up here in Humboldt Count (costal NoCal) we were threatened with temps into the 20s this week, but a warm front came through and those numbers did not materialize. There has been a very lot of hail and snow in the coastal foothills and beyond so it isn't warm and the succulents I left on the front porch are getting the worst of it so haven't dodged the bullet completely. otoh, garlic will be really happy as the porcelain varieties I grow like a good chill. I'd say they are chilled now.

Lowest temperature I have enjoyed here in McKinleyville was 17degF many years ago. Lots of plants that were supposed to do okay at that temp perished, but the gopher predation of their roots may have had something to do with their demise, as well as the cold did.

I took my orchids back outside - it's not supposed to get below 52° for the next ten days, but of course that forecast may change. It's nice not to have the sprinklers on, but with the rain, it's difficult to keep the weeds under control.

Inland valley of the east bay we have gotten drizzling showers with clouds then sunshine so far this week, but no freeze. Temps stay in the 40s and high 30s at night.

We are supposed to get one light frost tomorrow night, dipping to 31. Sun tomorrrow and Friday.

Then back to rain for another next week. YES!!!!

Its a bummer the freeze still hit up north, but I'm so glad for the rain!

Very cold, lots of snow around up here, North, South and East of town though we've only had hail in our immediate yard. This will be the Winter that proves what will live in my yard and what will not make it and all future planting will revolve around that. The first Winter here was mild, last Winter was colder, this Winter is COLD !

What temps are you getting Gypsy? Here,its moderated to low 50's (highs)..that still quite a bit under our average of about 60f for this time of year. Lows have been above average on days it rains.

Rot is a worry now.

This weekend is supposed to be "Arkian" in nature. Batten down the hatches.

45 at the moment, 29-34 expected tonight. Rot will be a big issue here. It's interesting to take a look around the yard and see which plants seem unaffected and which hopefully will return come Spring...or be goners...

This "Atmospheric river" of this week and especially the weekend reminds of the Great California flood year of 1861-1862. Read that one for fun.

At least I live where its just impossible to flood the home. So,thankful for that. The freeze was plant worry...the rains could have been home worry. THAT one counts.

We have no issue with floods at our house though houses and buildings 'in town' do. I shudder to think what the rest of the month and February may bring....This house is not well insulated and I miss my woodstove....

That's why Gypsy Woman (Brian Hyland's oldie but goodie) Sunset needs to re do their maps. Z17 for them runs from San Jose to San Francisco to Oregon and Brookings. The USDA is at least more realist in calling you a 9b and S.F. 10b.

Sunset need to do a Z17 a,b,c, maybe d. Something like that.

If the weather would stay the same from year to year, perhaps they could settle on zones.....sunshine today and tomorrow, off to visit the Brookings Botanical Garden and the DQ for milkshakes...what better way to spend the sunny day?

They are really putting some fear into me on this weekends storm. Sustained 40 mph winds by Sunday. In the bay area??

What a "throw everything but the kitchen sink" winter so far.

We get high winds with 70 mph gusts quite often.....

We will get a lot of rain this coming week, but the good news is that our night temps will come back up into the low 40's.

Looking around outside this a.m. with the majority of plants being icy, it's rewarding to see the ones that aren't. The first Winter I was quite surprised by the Coconut Geranium. I've grown it forever and set out these 3 small plants, expecting to lose them over Winter. Well, this is their 3rd year in that spot and they like it just fine. I've planted more in another spot and will continue to do so. I'm used to it self-sowing quite a lot but have not experienced that here, so will continue to sow my seeds in pots for more. I like it also when in flower...long stemmed, airy, tiny flowers and when in seed...it creates a rusty brown tinted patch there amidst the grasses.

My one volunteer Johnny-Jump-Up continues to amaze, it's been in flower for months, continuing to do so through the frosts...I will plant more.

The Cistus stand seemingly untouched by the frosts, also the penstemon and salvia Christine Yeo....

Also spotted...one cold Hummer...

Nice meadow garden JW. Anna seems contented.

Best luck- everybody- on this next week. 8" of rain to fall on Sacramento Sat-Wed. Sacramento!

Since its getting close to nesting season for the hummers, she would surely appreciate a 3:1 mixture rather then 4:1.

Spencer Christian on KGO7 SF says Sundays storm is the first to rate a 4 since a new ratings system was created a few years ago on a scale of 5. 5 must be Oz like.

Spencer Christian...that's a name I've not heard in a long time.....

Our sunny days are nice, but if it means freezing temps, then I'd rather have more rain...I AM surprised to hear that other areas farther away will be getting slammed as much as us....don't know anything about new ratings system.

It's snowing up in Redding right now. Started this morning. (And of course since it snows once every like ten years here all the plants in the raised bed Weren't Covered, and are probably toast. I picked plants that would do OK with a good freeze, not 2 inches of snow! >.<)

They seem to have pushed back the timing. It wont hit the bay area until after 4pm. Usually a push back means some kind of positive with bad weather.

But snow in Redding in the day?..that's not a great sign!

I can't believe soucal is getting almost nothing out of this "river" all week.

yeah, well, we WILL be getting it up here....

The snow stopped about 1/2 an hour ago, and it's now just misting slightly.

We're supposed to get some rain Monday. There were some showers overnight and this morning. So. Cal got some rain a couple of weeks ago, when Nor Cal didn't get any. We're at above average rain for this date, so it isn't hopeless.

Here in northern LA county I've had almost 3/8 inch in past week. A few minutes ago had 1 minute of small hail with lightening and thunder. 51 degrees at 8pm. Had very light almost just mist or drizzle earlier today. As hoovb said some rain is in the forecast for Monday and later in the week 20-30% most days.

Two days in a row of almost non stop rain in the bay area now. Its soaking wet everywhere- puddles by roads. The drought has been declared over for us..its the 60% rest of California its still in effect.

I might be able to do a swamp garden this summer...

Well... I'm just an hour or so away from Hayward in the inland east bay and we have only gotten about an inch each day Sat, Sun and Mon. It's a good start, but the drought isn't over here. Plants are loving the rain/sun/rain/sun/rain/sun we are getting over here tho! :)

A tv guy just tweeted me Cori Ann,that when this last seven days are added up the bay area will have gotten 30% of its yearly average total from it.

This might be the first day,its truly rained non stop from dawn to dusk..and they say about 4pm its going to get heavier.

Coming down good right now at 1:30.

I've been in Oregon for the past week. It was interesting seeing frozen waterfalls and what freezing rain does when it envelopes a car. The canceled flights and extend-a-stays were less interesting. :-)

Lots of those little microclimates in the Bay Area. Inland where I am is a lot dryer. We haven't gotten as much as other places inland... but I love the rain we have gotten!

It's the snow and ice that helps the drought the most. Here's a good article on the current state of the CA drought. Making headway, but not over.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theweathernetwork.com/us/amp/news/2017-pacific-storms-take-a-big-bite-out-californias-drought/78018?client=safari

I know you will want to clean up those frozen plants but don't until maybe around March 1. The dead stuff on top protects the new shoots coming from the bottom. We in the Napa Valley have gone through 2 floods watches in 3 days and the river is still high and lots of water in my yard. Maybe a year without a summer drought!!!