It may hit 20 degrees Thursday morning (Feb. 24, 2011) in Seattle.....and about 25 degrees Friday morning in Portland.
I am seeing some bud swelling on some of the plum trees already and wonder if anyone has a good website that details the effects of different temperatures at different stages of bud or flower development.....specifically, would a 20 degree night be a problem for us here in Seattle at this point? I have definitely not seen any flower development yet.
Slightly different subject: A "fun" website from a guy with an eye to both weather and agriculture and from a guy who will stick his neck out for long-range forecasts is this one.
http://www.ovs.com/weather_cafe.htm
A helpful website for me to get updates of a more immediate prognosis in time is http://www.weatherforyou.com
Final note: Outside of this week, we have had many above normal days in the Pacific Northwest (unlike the freezing temps hitting the Northeast and Europe)......and during these winter days, local hobby enthusiasts Marilyn and Dick Tilbury have trapped an unusual number of spotted wing drosophilias EACH winter month and they only need one hour to do so before they have many many flies.....i.e. the flies are now around each winter month and in big numbers......
hmmm......may the cold weather stay, as long as it doesn't kill the fruit buds.
Time to post this again
http://www.canr.msu.edu/vanbur.....ittemp.htm
Personally, when it comes to trying to figure out the weather I rely on [url:23k8zq28]http://squall.sfsu.edu/crws/jetstream.html[/url:23k8zq28] .
Go there and you'll never need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows . . .
Every time I see the jet stream looping up into the Arctic and coming straight down, I plan for real cold weather. The width of this particular south moving jet stream is not something I have seen before implying there will be a whole lot of cold air coming this a'way.
LeeN
It’s hard to believe this record-setting cold! In the hills (and shade) my Asian plums still think it’s early January 
" title="Wink" /> but I hope it doesn’t whack my figs, they’re all pruned and aimed to grow …though I’ve not noticed any buds swelling. I suspect most fruit trees will weather this… but who needs it …other than those Asian fruit flies 
I just hauled my potted Baldwin apple back into the garage… it’s a pet I grafted and have had potted for …5 years. Poor thing, to keep the deer off it I haul it onto the front porch deck in the summer …then in & out of the garage during the worst of winter. I may finally have a hole for it this summer …if I can borrow a neighbor’s backhoe. Got an old apple tree on the decline and it’s time to go, though I don’t usually put another in the same place.
Stay warm~
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
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