Arctic Blizzard invades.

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:42 am

Situation critical ...

13" of snow - more forecast for this coming Sunday.
-6°C (21°F) overnight, with warnings of possible -10°C (14°F) tonight.
Heavy snow loads will do the damage even if the cold weather doesn't.

Cheers, Barrie.

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:31 am

Barrie,
That is a lot of snow, maybe it will at least help buffer your plants from the extreme temps.
Here's hoping that your,(and everyone else's),weather takes a turn for the better soon!

Steve

Cowtown Palm Society · Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:29 am

Sorry about the weather Barrie, but cool shots! If it's any consolation, the palms in Southern Nevada have snow on them too!

Have you protected some of your palms, evidently not the ones shown in the photos?

The fact that these plants can survive the blast you're having remind me how hardy they really are!

Best of luck!

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 3:09 pm

At this point, I have to question my sanity. I've been busy trying to remove 13" of snow and ice from my 1,000 sq.ft. greenhouse/coldframe, all this while it's still snowing

I try to have hobbies that don't promote aggravation, irritation or standing on a ladder in the snow and ice, pushing 13" of snow with an extention pole and squeegee for 3 hours. Pant legs wet and frozen at times to the ladder, fingers burning with the pain of freezing temps. I did however stop for a beer part way through just to ground myself.

Cheers, Barrie.

P.S. I did provide protection to some of the more tender palms I have. We'll see how tat plays out come May next year.

PALMETTOMAN · Post by **PALMETTOMAN** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:01 pm

Saw your pics Barrie...That wet snow can be a real pain...I'm hoping the cold breaks for you very soon and those palms will be okay..How's your euchy trees?

Palmettoman Z6-Ajax, On

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 7:05 am

13 inches????
Wouldn't snow slide off the roof panels of a heated GH?

I hope you decide to leave the snow on the unprotected plants.
Have you heard from Wes re his big Trachies?

People must be worried about the Trachies along English Bay with the outflow winds.

350 miles north of you, here's what we woke up to this a.m.

Barb

Cowtown Palm Society · Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:29 am

I really can't believe this. I wake up this morning to see that Vancouver (YVR, but still!) dropped to an icy -14 C (7 Farenheit)! Unreal....Kelowna at -29 C! These temps. must be shattering records!?

If those English Bay palms (I love those palms...saw them again this summer) survive this stint, I will be even more amazed by the mighty Trachy!

I feel bad for Barrie on the island. It's fun to see these plants tested a bit, but it's a shame to see it get this bad. Soon though, his yard will be green and mild paradise while the rest of us continue to suffer through a real winter!

Best of luck Barrie, your yard is the envy of all hardy palm growers!

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 5:20 pm

Thanks Cowtown Palm Society (any shorter ... real name???)

I left for work this morning at 5 am. 13.5°F (-10.3°C) and recorded a low of 13.0°F (-10.6°C) under clear & calm conditions.

At work it was -7C (19.4°F) and eventually clouded over and peaked at -3°C (26.6°C) and 20 knot winds and the waters edge.

The nearest airport was reporting -19°C (-2.2°F)

Port Alberni was reporting -17°C (1.4°F) ... I wonder how their palms made out

This will truely be a test for me and certainly a sad eventuality for some in the colder areas.

All this and a snow storm forecast for the upcoming days. I give up ... I'm done.

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 7:34 pm

Barrie,
The heavy snows may turn out to be a borderline blessing.
We'll keep our fingers crossed.
Barb

Laaz · Post by **Laaz** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 5:44 am

Wow... You better watch out for this guy !

Okanagan desert-palms · Sun Dec 21, 2008 2:21 pm

Seems like a bad dream. Maybe thats why the climatologists changed global warming to climate change to explain the extreme cold. Maybe they should change it to the ice age shift. Barrie are you going to knock that snow off those palms when the warm up comes.

John

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:17 am

Another Blizzard blew through yesterday (Sunday). Now double the amount seen in the original (above) pics. Temps are closer to 32F (0C) but still no real end in sight

Airports closed, roads are terrible, peoples nerves are frayed, sore muscles from shovelling are the norm these days.

John, if I feel like wading through knee deep snow I'll knock snow off palms and plants.

Cheers, Barrie.

Alchris · Post by **Alchris** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:35 pm

I hope that none of your palms or bananas die. The same goes for Wes and the others in the lower mainland and the islands.

It has been warm here; only below -30* C on 2 days.

Allen

PalmsNorth.com

Arctic Blizzard invades.

Arctic Blizzard invades.

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