Adenium obesum - Desert Rose

didn't the severe cold affect your area? 32oC is nice and warm! We are still in late teens and early twenties.
My adeniums are leafless and dormant.

Michiseki:

No, we never get affected by severe cold! The climate here is extremely mild and subtropical. The severe cold weather affected the upper Mid-West and Eastern States (which is very, very far from here). We've basically have had summer-like weather here for a long time (for December and January so far) . It's usually a little cooler; however, it's not unusual to have very warm temps here in Southern California to more than 90ºF (32ºC), even in January (We've even had temps close to 100ºF (38ºC in middle January, although it's been since 2005 the last time it's happened). It's due to the extremely dry Santa Ana Wind conditions.

Marguerite:

Thanks! My Adeniums are growing when they should be dormant.

It's been so hot so far this January, that it feels like the middle of summer (no joking). The Governor of California has declared a State of Emergency on the drought. It's predicted we will see no rain this January, in San Diego, which will be the first time since 1976.

Marguerite:

Marguerite:

The extremely warm temps here in California are being cause by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), which has caused the ocean waters off northern Washington State and Southern Alaska to well above normal. It preventing the Polar Jet Stream come to northern California and give the Sierra Mountains snow (which is where they get many feet in winter). This snow melts and give the reservoirs their water for summer. Most reservoirs are between 15 - 37% full. This has cause the Governor of California to declare a drought State of Emergency in all of California. There's major water-rationing in some of those area in Northern California.

Yesterday the high temp here was 79 degrees F. Which is the first time in many days it's been below 80ºF (27ºC). Most days last week were 88ºF (31ºC) or warmer. It's not unusual for it to be this hot. However. it's very unusual for it to be like this for most of January. San Diego is predicted to not receive any rain in January this year. It's going to be the first time since January of 1976. The 1976 - 78 drought was extreme for the whole state.

Marguerite:

You're welcome.

There's already been a lot of fires this January. There's still the big Coby Fire burning, but t's under control now, just north of Los Angeles. We have a year-round fire season here because of the dry Santa Ana Winds. We've had Red Flag Warnings for most of this January.

People who live in the outer rural areas of San Diego County must clear weeds and debris, dry grass by ordinance (it's the same for most of California). It's because our horrible potential firestorms. If it's not done they get huge fines.

This January may be one of the warmest or the warmest on record, beside being extremely dry.

Marguerite:

There's strict laws or ordinances about how gutters and the wooden eaves must be treated with fire retardant. This was done after the huge Cedar Fire, when literally half the county of San Diego was on fire. It happened in Oct. of 2003. It's still the largest firestorm on record to ever affect California.

The Cedar Firestorm info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedar_Fire

I am shocked to notice some correlation in the mild winter temp. of all northern hem., following Your information. And, damage everywhere... What's better, ice or fire? Originally from Piran, Slovenia, I can observe both the mediterranean Adriatic and the northern continental climate, on a sharp transition zone. A few days ago the continental broadleaf forests were completely broken and knocked down by a 5 cm dick ice-cover in the entire region (first known case in met. documentation), which never could occur during a normally cold winter; it only lasted for some hours, but the damage is complete, and now the unusually mild weather continues. As for the mediterranean coast, deep frosts are to be expected for the first days of April, as the experience shows; ironically, sudden air fluctuations are much stronger in warm winters than in cold ones, and this makes frost damage on oleander, palms and olive trees quite probable for the mentioned point of time (I hope I'm wrong this time). I can remember frost and snow news from California, however, from only some years ago - and most of Your autochtone plants are even frost resistant up to -10°C (making evident this normally occurs), like Washingtonia filifera; we have some specimens of them here too - but unfortunately, the mayor of Koper decided to plant mainly the mexican W. robusta instead of filifera, due to a misunderstanding, and the southern one is much less strong and frost resistant, in spite of its confusing name; they have to be protected by canvas.

Btw, cypress trees (Cupressus sempervirens) can completely block fire, as discovered by a study a few weeks ago.

Damage in February 2014:
http://www.wetteronline.de/wetter-videos/2014-02-05-er

Bostjandvorak:

Thanks for all the information!

The weather all around the world seems to very unusual last year and this year, so far. I'm guessing this is going to be the norm, now.

For us in San Diego, the weather is typically extremely mild and frosts are unknown. The subtropical climate keeps us pretty warm throughout winter. However, with this being said: it's typically not as constantly hot and dry as it's been this past winter.