Snow at my Dad's House in the Murrieta/Temecula Area of Southern California

Happy New Year Delonix1 ♪

Wow, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the photo; snow in Southern California? No way! But it'll back to 20's C this weekend? That's a sea change! Thanks for sharing!

That looks more like Canada.I just heard about the snow in s. California. Our friends are wintering in Phoenix, Arizona and they have only 6-8 deg. daytime temperatures. It is so lovely where we are. We have chosen the right spot for our winters.
Happy New year Delonix and all the best throughout the year.

Tommymoo:

Happy New Year! Yes, an extremely rare, strong arctic front moved straight down from Canada. We had all kinds of crazy weather. Here where I lived we had so much hail early yesterday morning (at least 4 hail storms)...it wasn't funny! It caused a lot of hail damage to some of my plants. This morning is the second coldest morning low temp. I've ever recorded in more than 11 years (it was 37ºF or 2.8ºC).

With all this being said: we had more than one year of warm to hot summer weather. The hot summer-type weather started in the middle of Dec. of 2013. I believe it's the hottest year on record for most of the California.

Khahanie:

Happy New Year! :>)

Yes, yesterday was the coldest daytime temperature I've ever experienced in San Diego. The daytime high was only 53ºF (12ºC). I'm sure it was the coldest daytime high temperature ever recorded for the date. It was only 45ºF (7.2ºC) at 12:00 p.m., which is colder than our average morning low temp. This cold will be like a distant memory when temps will be approaching 80ºF (27ºC) by Monday or Tuesday. Very crazy weather!

I knew that the traditional frost free zones of soucal would never freeze. Its the borderline zones that would take the brunt of the cold.
We should warm up to at least the mid 60's in the bay area soon and then the rains are on track. Nothing to complain about.

"I knew that the traditional frost free zones of soucal would never freeze".

I had my doubts there for a while! Even though I've never had a frost here in more than 11 years at this house...and have only seen patchy frost a few times in inland canyon areas in 14 1/2 years. I really thought this arctic blast could have been the one. Tonight is still pretty cold; however, the temps are good 5 to 6º warmer than last night. It was also warmer during the daytime...62ºF., which felt good after yesterday's cold high temp.

Well, well! That is a very strange sight! Glad you're getting back up to your usual temps. I wonder if this bit of cooler weather will strengthen your plants? Did you bring any of your potted plants indoors? I find that mild winters don't help my perennials much... lots of snow helps insulate them from the serious cold and in spring they jump right out of the ground as though they're happy to get on with spring! Probably not the case for sub-tropicals.

Hi D1 I found this on a facebook page called Take Part: California Drought:
December’s deluges didn’t dent the drought.

TAKE ACTION

Frank Gehrke, chief of snow surveys for California's Department of Water Resources, measured snowpack near Lake Tahoe last winter. (Photo: James Glover/Reuters)

January 01, 2015 By Paul Tullis

Paul Tullis is TakePart's Features Editor, and a Contributing Writer for The New York Times Magazine.
full biofollow me
Last month a major storm drenched the Bay Area, causing flooding and damage the likes of which hadn’t been seen in a decade. National newscasts aired footage of soaked commuters and water rushing down the streets of San Francisco. TakePart’s own environment editor sandbagged his house in the Berkeley hills against the rainfall.

Though no one could have expected one big storm to fill reservoirs depleted by three years of historic drought, this week delivered unexpected news from California’s Department of Water Resources: Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains east of San Francisco contains only one-third the amount of water that is normal for Dec. 30.

34 Surprising Facts You Need to Know About California's Drought

The reason could spell bad news for farmers facing a warming climate: high temperatures. California agriculture depends on snow to store water for the dry summer. Thanks to a warm ocean, Stanford University’s Daniel Swain told the San Jose Mercury-News, the December storms hit warmer air above, delivering more precipitation in the form of water than is typical for this time of year.

Frank Gehrke, who heads the Department of Water Resources snow survey, on Tuesday trudged through two feet of snow into the mountains near Lake Tahoe, 6,800 feet above sea level, followed by news cameras and reporters. The first measurement of the season is an annual ritual that has become more closely watched in recent years as the drought has stressed farmers, cities, wildlife, and the environment. Last year’s snowpack was at just 20 percent of the historic norm.

Gehrke stuck a big aluminum pole into the snow and reported a “snow water equivalent”—the measurement that tells how much water the snow will melt into come spring—of four inches. Electronic sensors elsewhere in the Sierras gave a reading of 4.8 inches, which is 50 percent of normal.

As TakePart reported last spring, hydrologists with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California are working on a more high-tech way of measuring snowpack, which should help farmers and utilities plan for conditions expected to develop under global warming, including less precipitation falling as snow and earlier and more rapid melting.

And,that Lori,has been the pattern. We in the bay area are getting that change- When the US government actually changes your climate rating upwards..its just science facts.
The December we averaged for the month lows of 50F, 10C. Thats MUCH above average-not a few degree's. For our semi maritime coastal climate that's incredible.
Still,if we continue to get heavy rains,we can change the water holding capacity to do that rather then on less water all year from snowpacks. I'm sure it can be managed.

Andy,I don't think you will see much of a freeze in your lifetime. All the coast of soucal is now immune- short of canyon mouths by the beach. Inland?..it is interesting that those zones are seeing some very low temps. It might be that the coast is getting milder and far inland more subject to arctic fronts. The cold isn't spreading..more concentrated.
Or,GW is chewing its way inland- The coast is just first to benefit..for those who want warmer.

Lori:

The tropical and subtropical plants we grow here don't like any cold weather. I put a few potted plants in my laundry room. I'm so glad I did, because the amount of horrible hail is what caused the damage, not the cold temps. Even though, we had cooler (colder) than normal temps it's still not cold enough to affect most of the tropical/subtropical plants.

The Temecula Valley (where my dad lives at 1,200 ft elevation) received the most snow ever recorded. Some of the records go back to the 1890's. My dad still says there's some snow on the ground after three days. That's even more incredible. Typically, when very rare snow falls in California it melts within hours (or doesn't stick), not days! However, with this being said it's suppose to be 80ºF (27ºC) by Monday...all the snow will melt by then. The Temecula Valley in on the border of the desert. It's usually so unbearable hot!

That information you posted is very interesting. We're just hoping we get a lot more "warm" rain before the season is up!

Stan510:

I think the temps are getting hotter everywhere. It's definitely getting hotter and more humid in San Diego, overall. I think the past year was the hottest year on record for San Diego.

By the way I've never heard of 10C. LOL! I've heard of 10A or 10B or 11A or 11B. My climate zone is literally 11A. Downtown San Diego is 11B. There have been some winters in downtown San Diego when temps never have gone below 50ºF (10ºC). The only other cities (areas) in the U.S. this only happens is in Key West and Miami, Florida. (this is excluding tropical Hawaii of course).

Huh,how do you get the small "degree" out of your keyboard? I just go with number and "C"elsius.

We might have gone below 10b this morning. The very last morning of the cold. I checked the Crotons and Papaya's..no damage. Funny,but yesterdays' 37f felt colder then today's morn.
December here? our low averaged 50f for the month. I'm still in shock at that.

That's amazing that the average low for December is 50ºF. for Hayward! We had some morning lows in the low 60's a few weeks ago. That's warm even for us. I'll have to see what the average morning low temps were for December.

I copy and paste the degree "º" symbol, many times. To get the degree symbol you: hit down the alt key and at the same time hit 1, 6 and 7 in a row. Then you should have a degrees symbol.

I'm going to try that. I never took a PC course!
The closest station to my house,Tennyson680 recorded a low of 35F.

I know others reading this are wondering why we blather over a degree here or there?. I would try to explain that..at least for me? It's that I'm on the knifes edge for many frost tender tropical's. What lives to be a huge tree at 35f,may die to the ground at 32f. Or,what looks perfect all year with a 33f,can take months to recover from 32f of a few hours. And in Celsius, that translates to 0C and 1C more or less.

I cant reach 1,6,7, at the same time.
Oh well.

I saw the high temp in Hayward was only 48ºF. That's cold, even for Hayward. It was a perfect 70ºF. here at my place today. Tomorrow is forecasted to be 80ºF. I'm so looking forward to that warm weather returning. It's suppose to between 73 -80ºF (23 - 27ºC) for the next 8 or 9 days...the morning lows will in the low to mid 50's (which is close to normal).

You have to use two hands to get the º symbol. If you use the ten key pad it's much easier...and I don't think you can use the numbers above the keyboard letters to get symbols.

Well, I hope you don't get any near-freezing temps anytime soon! I know how stressful that can be (when I lived in Hayward). I know that the 1º from 33ºF down to 32ºF can have a huge affect on tropicals. Luckily, freezing temps rarely happen in Hayward.

Delonix - I shouldn't laugh, but I did! I heard that parts of Hawaii were expecting snow, is that correct?

Stan - if you're on Windows open the Windows box in the bottom left and in the search for programs box type "Character Map". Open it and then right click on the icon and check the "Pin To Taskbar" icon. It will always be there when you want it then. A small selection..............

é ® ¾ ³ ϧ Ѡ ک ڶ √ ⅞ ÷

Meanie, you're such a meanie! LOL!

Yes, on Moana Kea and Moana Loa (on the island of Hawaii) which are very high mountains almost 14,000 ft (4,267 m) high had a lot of snow. That was a week a go or so.

My cousin who lives in Honolulu, HI said it was so cool she had to use socks! LOL! Some of the morning lows were down to 64ºF (18ºC); however, she couldn't complain too much because the high temps are still in the low 80's (28ºC).

Today it's going to be 80ºF (27ºF) here where I live. All that crazy cold weather here is just a memory now.

No 80's here..but they say record warm temps by the bay Wednesday..75?,maybe.
No complaints..when I have 70's after a cold,cold,event..and the tropicals are still looking almost summer like,that's a great feeling.
How many people in their lifetime see climate change?

Still cold here!

Stan, it was 76ºF (24ºC) by about 10:30 a.m. Right now at 12:21 it's 79ºF (26ºC). So, it's possible maybe slightly warmer than they forecasted for today and tomorrow is forecasted to be a little warmer.

I hope you do get the warm 75ºF weather! I remember warm January weather when I live there in Hayward. I remember 1983 when the temps in Hayward were day-after-day of daytime highs 69 - 75ºF weather for most of the winter (it was mostly the end of Jan and Mar).

Meanie:

It's suppose to be cold there. It's winter. LOL!

You need to move here to San Diego. You'd love hanging out at the beaches in the middle of winter. I know most people in the UK are pretty fair-skinned. So you most likely would have to adapt to the sun (and lots of sunscreen). LOL! :>)

The Italian blood in me turns me brown!

See there...pack up your house and move to San Diego! You'll fit right in. LOL!

The high today was 83ºF (28ºC) and it's still unbelievable warm outside here still at 11:30 p.m. ...and yes I''m so bragging after the three days of really cold weather we had!

The warm came a day later then in soucal. It should be 66f and with the sunshine,I'll take it.

And thanks Meanie. I never had any idea. I just found out that I had stopped Windows search from running.
Now,to get it going from the start up config,I think it is..

Stan:

That's nice and comfortable.

It was an amazing 87ºF (31ºC) today here where I live. Some areas in inland San Diego County had record highs today. Downtown San Diego was 79ºF (26ºC), it wasn't a record high, though...that was set back in 2006 when it was 83º (28ºC).

Hayward Hills topped out at 71F. They catch the rising warm air. I had to water today. Potted plants,plants I have on tree's. In ground plants need no water.
The Delonix and Papaya in ground. Both look so much better then their potted counterparts. But,I think with the Croton,it might be a different story. I could also be very wrong!

Yes, the Hayward Hills have an incredible thermal-belt climate. A lot of times in summer they get the heat inversion and the nights can be much warmer than the lower elevations.

I hope your croton, papaya and Delonix regia make it through the winter! I never had any success with any of those plants living through winter, when I lived in Hayward.