snoweth hath begunneth
The following thread was started by Ian on December 30, 2003 at 10:23 pm PST
I don't mind the snow as long as it doesn't get to deep. I have an inch right now and that is enough for me. It is relatively mild at +1.7C or 34F
I am more concerned with the perdicted highs on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Is any body else concerned?
The above followup was added by Wes North Van on December 30, 2003 at 10:40 pm PST.
Lows of between -10 to -17 C are forecasted for early next week?!!!
I am hoping that doesn't happen!
Yikes!
M
The above followup was added by Marc from Tsawwassen on December 30, 2003 at 11:12 pm PST.
I'm glad to see the snow! I would prefer snow to clear deep freeze temps any day.
It's much warmer tonight with a current temp of 34 f / 1c, so I'm glad to see that. I do see a predicted temps of 25f and 26f for Monday and Tuesday of next week, for my neck of the woods. I hope they are wrong.
The above followup was added by Andy Fritze, Maple Valley Wa, 8a on December 31, 2003 at 0:08 am PST.
It is now 12:30 am and the snow has rapidly accumulated to about 2.5". It is definitely below freezing as the snow is sticking to everything. It looks like it may be letting up though, and starting to get warmer.
I too hope it is not very cold next week, but I think it's far out enough that they can't really tell. Tomorrow night could be rather cold.
The above followup was added by Ian on December 31, 2003 at 0:34 am PST.
I wrapped Heleconia scheidtiana and 2 specimens of Arenga micrantha with "wall-o-waters", and have hot caps waiting to go over another specimen of A. micrantha and Colquehounia coccinea as soon as I get over to my 4-plex tomorrow morning. Not too cold at the moment but it is sticking and it is still coming down.
Here is a trick that may prevent accidents and prevent damage to your garden:
you can use pure nitrogen fertilizer such as is sold in bulk for lawns to melt snow and ice, in lieu of rock salt. It is cheaper than some of the chemicals sold for this purpose (because it comes in huge bulk bags), and it is relatively harmless to the garden. I don't know if any plants have sensitivities to it (except in high doses) but it is less harmful than other salts.
I'll go out very early to clear a path for my wife.
Later I will continue winterizing my garden as this looks like a real winter. I am not worried about cold damage (yet) so much as damage from the weight of snow. I removed a problem tree for my neighbors just in the nick of time--this snow would have taken it down.
Take care working in the snow...be safe.
The above followup was added by Rob Wagner on December 31, 2003 at 1:26 am PST.
Environment Canada has a forcast low of -5 celcius for Vancouver on Sunday evening. If you are getting your forcast from Weather Underground or Accuweather, don't believe them. They are way off most of the time. Joe
The above followup was added by Joe, SSI on December 31, 2003 at 9:44 am PST.
Joe i agree with you about weather office of environment canada being the most reliable in their predictions. It seems that even the weather network is now predicting outrageous temperature values for vancouver on sunday monday and tuesday. I sure hope that what they are saying doesnt happen or this could mean death for so many exotics. Over the next few days i will be totally winterizing all palms, can you recommend a method for protecting Butia, Phoenix and Washingtonia? also our D.A. is fairly unprotected at the moment what would be the best thing to protect it? I would assume tieing the fronds up and wrapping bubble wrap around it and throwing a garbage bag over top? Any winterizing help would be very much appreciated as this will likely be a cold spell no matter what the forecasters discrepancies are.
The above followup was added by Cody on December 31, 2003 at 10:25 am PST.
wow! finally there is a decent snow here, there is about 3 inches on my deck and everywhere on the road! It is deep enough to board in! There was four inches of snow on the ground last night, and then some melted to make it three. I was dissappointed that there was less snow when I woke up, thanI went to sleep, and it wasn't snowing when I woke up, but now it is snowing a lot, with huge flakes, up to two inches in al directions! It really gets carried by the wind! While I was walking my dog there was a small "whirl wind" of snow! I felt like I was in Alaska! The weather forcast isn't too acurate. They said rain today, but its snowing! The snow is very dry, and for a moment I saw a few small rain drops, but then it returned to dry snow.
The above followup was added by kyle on December 31, 2003 at 10:32 am PST.
I usually only check enviroment Canada or the US based weatherchannel.com for my information.
The Weather Network on TV and the wunderground on this website are ridiculous.
I have never seen temps as low as -19C.
Enviroment Canada has perdicted a low of -5C for Saturday and the US Weatherchannel has perdicted a low of -4C, again for Saturday.
Cody, you can customize the Weatherchannel.com to give you a North Vancouver weather outlook. It gives you a 7 day forecast.
The above followup was added by Wes North Van on December 31, 2003 at 10:43 am PST.
Cody, the other good thing about getting a North Van forecast instead of one from the airport is that we are always warmer and it is a closer match with my thermometers I have setup in the yard.
The above followup was added by Wes North Van on December 31, 2003 at 10:50 am PST.
Looks like 2.5 in is going to be the grand total from this event, unless a heavy snow shower passes over us yet today. It has already melted down to about an inch and will be gone soon. I did not get out with the camera, since it was already too melted to look pretty before dawn. Oh well.
My low last night was 31F after a high yesterday of 35F.
The above followup was added by Ian on December 31, 2003 at 12:22 am PST.
I will definately do as you said about getting the north vancouver forecast, i believe richmond must be about a degree or two colder on average. This snow is reeking havok on the streets.. i was driving to my girlfriends house to check on her palm trees which i planted there and i could not even get close to her house. The snow had caused every single road on the upper side of the highway to be impassable. My car was skiding out of control and i had to turn back. The palms and exotics which i planted there will certainly have to be covered before this dreaded arctic outbreak takes hold. Wes i recorded about 10 cm of snow at my place and at SFU today there was well over 2 feet. I sure hope this east coast weather goes away and we get back to mild temps and normal rain.
The above followup was added by Cody on December 31, 2003 at 1:18 pm PST.
I was at my in-laws today and they live close to your house. It started raining there about noon and continued to rain until I left there about 3PM. I thought it would also be raining at my house but as I approached our neighbourhood (including your girlfriend's house) it changed to snow and it continues to snow here at 6PM.
The above followup was added by Vito on December 31, 2003 at 6:09 pm PST.
Sorry to hear about the damage. Can your euc be saved? Was the Butia OK? I know you bought it this year, it would be a shame to lose it .
It has rained here all day and currently it is 3C, but we hit 4.4C earlier.
All we have down here is slush now. I had to knock all the snow of the plants at 1:00 am last night, otherwise I am sure I would of had damage also. The snow was very wet and heavy.
The above followup was added by Wes North Van on December 31, 2003 at 8:21 pm PST.
There was no apparent damage to the butia and I have repaired the damage to the structure so it is once again providing winter protection for the butia. I have transplanted the eucalyptus and provided a stake for support. However, I'm somewhat pessemistic of its survival given the extremely low temperatures that are forcast for early next week.
The above followup was added by Vito on January 01, 2004 at 2:08 am PST.