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thistlebloom

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High of 91 today, no rain, need some. We came in at 10:30 this morning, not a dry thread on either one of us. Normally we last until 11:30 to 1:00, but not today.

We are wet and chilly. 53 outside and I'm sitting in the house with a fire in the woodstove. The differences in regions is so amazing!
 

digitS'

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Ohhh!

I'm attempting to stave off the frost by running sprinklers this morning.

Of course, I can't be in two places at once so this is likely to be only partially successful, at best. Keeping track of WS and Wunderground thermometers has been a little encouraging, however. The temperature has warmed one degree at distant locations from the 34°f claimed. Yet, frost on the pickup at 3:35am does lie.

Since I expect this frost to linger over about 3 hours and don't want to run the sprinklers that long, I'm turning each set off and on every 15min. I've little idea if I'm gonna be successful, nor what I'll do tomorrow when I won't be here some of the early morning hours.

Ooohhh Steve
Edit: does NOT lie ... only my perception and performance may be flawed
 
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Smart Red

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High of 91 today, no rain, need some. We came in at 10:30 this morning, not a dry thread on either one of us. Normally we last until 11:30 to 1:00, but not today.
High just over that, bay. No rain for several weeks but that is pretty typical for here. Heat at football games is gonna be a problem at tonight's homecoming.

Should be cooler, more seasonal fall weather by mid-week. Wednesday, the sky was dancing with lightning, but alas, no rain just show. Still, around here we're ready to put gardens to bed. You are eager to make a good fall garden successful.
 

digitS'

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The Weather Service has a "water year" that has just ended. I'm not sure why it doesn't correspond to the calendar year but ... it doesn't.

Anyway, after 80 days without measurable precipitation through the summer, the local office has its information up on the "year." Nearly a record WET!!! How's that? Well, there was a record rainfall in October, 2016 and a snowy winter. We aren't talking about a huge amount of rain or snow by comparison with some locations. So, the extra 8" or so makes a big difference.

NWS Capture.JPG
Isn't that something?!

It saves our forests! They made good use of that fall and winter moisture during the early months of their growing season.

(On the list of years that had the longest dry periods, I said that I'd been here in 3 out of the top 5. Guess what? True again.)

:) Steve
 

digitS'

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Freezing again this morning ...

There wasn't yet frost at 3am or 30 minutes later but by 4:30 - freezing. Yeah, I missed the 4am check.

Anyway, it must not be quite as cold as on 9/22 but I have the sprinklers cycling on and off, manually. This is it. Tomorrow morning has a colder forecast (34°f) than what was up for 9/22. Too bad I can't put a little weather person right in the middle of a garden ;).

It's late enough. Any tomato showing color was picked yesterday. The peppers have not changed a bit for the last 10 days. A pot of sweet corn was cooked last night. And, even that late-sowing of green beans produced some beans, now picked and in the carport fridge.

Sleepy
 

digitS'

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This is a strange end to a strange growing season.

I don't know how many light frosts we have had! There may have been continuous morning frost since Tuesday. I've kinda lost count :confused:. Six mornings! Counting 9/22, that is 7 ... Not on every day have the sprinklers been running to try to limit the effects. LIGHT ... I have to emphasize that ;).

There are garden plants that you might expect to be dead that are not. Zucchini is only lightly damaged. Tomato plants are, too!

Cucumbers were the first to go. I've seen that before. The other vines are toast, too. The bush beans are severely damaged but it's been so many days, it would almost make sense to check to see if there are beans developing under those crisp leaves!

Steve
 
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digitS'

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Continuing my rambling but keeping to the lazy boy, this morning ... sequestered, indoors :).

Wunderground thermometers are about the best I can do from here ;). There is one about 2 miles from the big veggie garden. Except for wind speed, it has always been fairly accurate and better than others, close by. I've been in the garden and then checked its history when I arrived somewhere with WiFi.

Hardly reason to show up this morning. I mean, 2:30am and it's 28°f . Four hours of fighting the frost, I'm already late, and it was an unexpected 30°, yesterday. I don't yet know the result and there is no warming forecast. In fact, I don't understand how 36° can be forecast for Wednesday morning with a chance of "rain." How is that not a chance of snow?

I haven't suffered much in my efforts this year. There is an element of early frustration but 9/22 was not early. The year with an August frost put me in a unhappy mood. I felt cheated and ramped up my efforts to limit frost damage after that. Some years, I feel like I have really accomplished something when I have another 2 weeks of harvest. More or less had that this year except the days stayed too cool for any growth.

Sometimes, I find the weather here quite boring because change comes so slowly. That's the PNW and we are just close enough to all those gallons of ocean water that so strongly influenced the air above it. Actually, I love that big ocean, knowing it isn't far away, and enjoy visiting its shore. I just don't want to be back gardening there :). Imagine, no sweet corn!

;) Steve
 

digitS'

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https://earth.nullschool.net/

On a touch screen, move the globe. With your mouse wheel, move closer ...

The winds off the California coast must be moving the smoke very strongly south over the most populated parts of the state.

I don't know if this website will update because ... i just found it!

;) Steve
 

digitS'

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If it's 75 mph to be considered a hurricane, how about what's going on in the Hudson Bay?

Click that earth.nullschool link above! I suspect that if I found the right weather station, I'd find that 75mph wind!

Environment Canada (link) has Inukjuak, Quebec with 100kph (62mph) winds forecast for overnight.

Steve
 
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