2018 - Robert's botantical adventures in Northern California

[Robert]

Ian,

Bristlecone Pines, Pinus longaeva, are found farther south and east of this area, generally in the White Mountains of Inyo County, California. Their range also extends into Nevada and other nearby areas in California.

This outing was taken over a decade ago. Fortunately my body is still in good shape and I can still hike all day up and down high mountains. Good diet, exercise, fresh air, avoiding stress kept Scott Nearing health and extremely active until he was 99 years of age. He and his wife built a stone house with hand labor when he was in his 90’s. They did have plenty of help, but he did mix cement by hand and did other hard physical labor to complete the job. He died at 100. I plan on following Scott’s advice and stay active and healthy into my 90’s. There is much more I want to see out there. Avoiding stress in Sacramento is a challenge and the air is foul, however good work in the mountains is helpful.

I did return to the Ebbetts Pass area a few years ago and wrote about it in this diary. The weather was rainy so I had limited success on that day. Now I have a time demanding project going in El Dorado National Forest. It will keep me out in the field on a regular basis, however I will have fewer opportunities to travel long distances. I do want to return to this area, but have no definite plans at this time.

[Robert]

Yesterday, 17 February 2018, I drove into Gerle Creek, elevation 5,384 feet. It is highly unusual to be able to drive into Gerle Creek in February. Generally, the last 1.5 miles of the road from the SMUD Station turnoff to Airport Flat at the Gerle Creek Bridge is not plowed of snow and is impassible. Well, yesterday I drove right in!

Not only did I drive in over the road, but also it was a balmy 52 F (11.1 C) at 2:15 p.m. There were only traces of snow on the ground. Another shock was seeing the Airport Flat Campground nearly full to capacity. The weather forecast is for a dramatic change in the weather. As I write this, early in the morning on 18 February, snow is starting to fall in the Sierra Nevada. This storm is cold and snow levels are predicted to be about 1,500 feet (457 meters). At least we are going to get some average winter weather. I am not sure of the fate of the campers at Airport Flat. I’ve seen 2 feet (0.6 meters) of snowfall during one night at Gerle Creek on 1 June. Even a 4 x 4 isn’t going to get 30-foot travel trailer out of a mess like that! Snow is forecast to fall throughout the week. I guess some of the folks are prepared to leave their travel trailers at Airport Flat for the remaining winter season? I just checked the current temperature at Loon Lake (very near Gerle Creek); it is 28 F (-2.2 C) at 7:00 a.m. The temperature is continuing to drop.

To date, February has been extremely warm, 51.92 F (11.07 C) average at the Placerville farm. While being much above average, it is not a record for the month. The average temperature in February of 1988 at the farm was 54.45 F (12.47 C). It is not surprising that this was a drought year too.

At least the plants at Gerle Creek are remaining dormant. In the photograph one can see that the catkins of Alnus incana spp. tenuifolia are still closed as well as the buds of Cornus sericea spp. sericea (foreground right side of creek). This is not true throughout much of the lower elevations of Northern California. Many plants are blooming or leafing out, included many native species. Near record cold morning low temperatures are forecast during the next 5 days. It will be interesting to see how this all turns out.

[Robert]

I was up on Peavine Ridge yesterday. The wind was howling over the crest of the ridge with gusts to 35 mph. What a difference in the temperature from the other day, 34 F (1.1 C) at 2:00 p.m. vs. 51 F (10.6 C) on 15 February.



As I departed, a few snowflakes began to fall. I finally have one of my old rain gauges in place (new gauges will be arriving any day). Now I will get a better idea of the amount of precipitation up on the ridge. This morning, the few automated weather stations in the region are not registering any precipitation. I am sure there was measurable precipitation. Manual observations may not be part of the popular trend, however they do have advantages.

Back at the farm it was 24 F (-4.4 C) this morning. This is a bit on the chilly side, but not record cold for the date. Yesterday about 5:00 p.m. there was a hailstorm. We are certainly getting some cold air advection. Tonight will be even colder. Many plants have partially leafed out, so there might be widespread damage to the new growth.

[Robert]

I returned to Peavine Ridge yesterday to check on my "rain gauge". It is a 4 inch diameter (10.16 cm) x 12 inch tall (30.48 cm) tube. I measure the snow precipitation by weight and also generally melt the snow and measure its depth. I recorded 0.19 inches (4.8 mm) over the last 24 hours. There was 3.5 cm of accumulated snow on the ground. When I left, snow was starting to fall again.



The temperature at 2:00 p.m. was 29 F (-1.7 C). I have a digital thermometer with a 7 day max min memory arriving. It will be good to have high and low temperatures records. Some folks are working on modifications to the thermometer so that it has a 30 day max min memory. This will work well for some of the remote sites above 8,000 feet on the western slope of the Crystal Range. Currently I am studying to get my ham radio license. This will open up other possibilities for remote weather observation. Having said that, manual on site observations are generally far more accurate.

Some current temperatures, 20 February 2018, 6:30 a.m.

Loon Lake, 6,400 feet, 6 F -14.4 C)
South Lake Tahoe, 6,400 feet, 1 F (-17.2 C)
Placerville farm 1,460 feet, 21 F (-6.1 C)

Although temperatures have turned colder, they are not unusually cold. These are normal temperatures for our "old" winters. Things have changed. Temperatures are warmer these days.

[Robert]

I was back up on Peavine Ridge today getting a few more instruments set up to record weather data in this area. The first max min thermometer with memory is in place. I will be very curious to see what sort of results I get.

So far I have been surprised by the data supplied at the Loon Lake site. With the recent cold snap (i.e. more or less what was “normal” winter weather for us) I was excepting to find that both daytime and nighttime temperatures would be bit colder than the data indicated. On 20 and 21 February daytime high temperatures were only slightly below 0 C. Nighttime lows were -15 C and -12.8 C. Compared to Loon Lake, most likely temperatures will be a bit warmer on the crest of Peavine Ridge.

I am eager to get instruments set up in the Lyons Creek area. The proposed site is within a drainage where cold air settles and is at a higher elevation, 6,690 feet (2,039 meters). Back on 12 October of this year, I recorded 19 F (-7.2 C) for a low temperature at this site. I would have been pleased if I could have recorded both the high and low temperatures for this past week as well as have measurements of snow depth. All of this information will help establish quantitative data on the cold temperatures our native plants endure and under what conditions (snow cover or lack of it, etc.). When summer arrives a completely different set of results will be gathered.



There was still 2.5 cm of snow on the ground when I arrived on the crest of Peavine Ridge today. The recent storms have been starved of moisture! Tomorrow another storm is to arrive with snow levels down to 1,000 feet, 305 meters (the farm is at 1,460 feet, 445 meters). This storm will have a bit more moisture. We will see what happens.

[Robert]

Winter decided to arrive to our part of Northern California. We actually had 1.2 cm of snow last night. This is not much, but at least the weather is more typical for this time of year. As I walked around it was 22 F (-5.6 C). More snow and cold weather is in the forecast.

I am very curious to check on conditions up on Peavine Ridge. It is currently (7:00 a.m.) 4 F (-15.6 C) at Loon Lake.

Things are shaping up well for an outing next week.

[hamparstum]

Robert, I'm glad to see your late winter arriving finally...I wonder if the pattern will repeat itself later in this part of the world. Actually climatic change may even change from what used to be fairly symmetrical climatic conditions with six months of difference. Thus your climatic data are extremely useful even so far away and removed. We had our first summer monsoonal rain with 15 mm. rainfall and cool weather for a few days until summer sets back again. Most changes for fall colour are simply mechanisms to reduce summer drought stress ( i.e early leaf dropping or change of colour) I suppose that the same does occurr there specially during drought years. When do you expect spring warming to arrive? Winter weather may take over spring time...also something that may repeat itself later here as well.

[David Nicholson]

We are also likely to get a very cold spell over the next few days. It will sweep in from the East from Siberia the weather people tell us so the Eastern side of England will get it the neck and can probably expect some snow. Here in Western England I doubt if we shall have snow but can expect it to be dry for a change. One should be grateful for small mercies?

[Robert]

Arturo,

Typically, spring type weather begins to arrive in the Sacramento area now. So the degree of the current cold weather pattern is a bit unusual. In the Sacramento area, the date of the last frost is approximately 15 March, plus or minus, depending on where one is located in the Sacramento Valley. At the Placerville farm, spring type weather arrives about a month later. The last frost date at the farm is 1 May, however the farm is in a frost pocket. In the foothill thermal belts, the last frost is closer to 15 April.

Having said all of this, the Sierra Nevada foothill weather is extremely variable in relationship to the nearby Sacramento Valley. Back in the 1980’s we had a major snowstorm on 1 April. I recorded 6” (15 cm) of snow at the farm during this event. Snow at the farm in March, with a fair amount of accumulation, is not unusual. There is an old time saying in our foothill area that it “snows on the dogwoods” i.e. when the native dogwoods, Cornus nuttallii, are flowering.

There have been clear changes in the weather since 1967 when I first started recording weather data in our area. Back in the 1960’s and 1970’s it would occasionally snow in the Sacramento area. This never occurs now. There has been a gradual but definite rise in the snow level. In addition, over the past 35 years I have recorded a 1.5 F, 0.8 C, rise in the average annual temperature at the farm. Considering the short period of time, this is a very significant rise in temperature. This data follows the same trend recorded by climate scientist around the globe.

All of this impacts our gardens and species in their natural habitats. My current project is an attempt to record these changings in the higher elevations of Eldorado National Forest, particularly on the western slope of the Crystal Range. I am currently working out a system to record high and low temperatures, precipitation, snowfall and snow cover and other meteorological data at various sites that represent various microclimates/ecosystems. I prefer manual data collection to electronic transfer of information, as there are always subtleties to notice and record when visiting a site, as well as a number of other good reasons.

Yesterday, I got the Peavine Ridge site operational (a few minor bugs still need to be worked out). Today the high temperature was 32 F (0 C), the low 6 F (-14.4 C); at 2:00 p.m. the relative humidity was 51% and the dew point 16 F (-8.9 C); there was 25 cm of snow cover on the ground, and 0.41 inches (10.4 mm) of precipitation fell in the form of snow during the 24 hour period. My new portable anemometer arrived today. I recorded the wind out of the north at 5 mph, gusting to 10 mph. By manually visiting the site I could examine the snow cover on both the southern exposures of the ridge as well as the northern exposures (the recording site is on the crest). I also noticed that the birds had vacated the area. 3 weeks ago during the unseasonably warm spell there was considerable bird activity in this area. Of coarse, I am always paying attention to the plants and noting any possible correlation between the condition of the flora and the current/recent weather conditions. If I can continue this project long enough, significant long-term trends may emerge.

I am very curious of the degree of summer/autumn monsoonal activity you are experiencing this year? Last summer, our monsoonal season was fairly strong. I recorded and reported one significant thunderstorm event to the U.S. Weather Service. The year before the monsoonal season was weak. Arturo please keep me informed of the monsoonal activity in your area. There could be a link between your weather patterns and what is occurring elsewhere (read below). We do know that there is a link with the ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation).

David,

Thank you so much for sharing the current UK weather pattern with me. Does the UK experience cold storms out of the north often? Are the storms starved for moisture or do they pick up moisture as they pass over the northern seas? I have read books on the “Little Ice Age” and the weather pattern that supported this phenomenon in Europe i.e. the track of prevailing low-pressure systems in the North Atlantic (north or south). As I remember, persistent high-pressure systems in the northern part of the North Atlantic encourage the flow of cold air from the artic southward.

Our current weather pattern is a bit odd. There has been persistent ridging over the eastern Pacific Ocean off the western coast of the U.S.A. since the end of January 2018. Our current “wet” pattern is the result of the retrograde motion of this persistent ridge, rather than our usual winter wet pattern with broad west coast troughs (storm track). Most of the storms moving through our region are cold and starved for moisture. Currently we are running at 59% average precipitation to date.

There is increasing evidence that the Madden-Julian Oscillation has at least some effect on our weather here in the western U.S.A. It would be equally interesting to understand if the MJO has an impact on European weather. Recently, the Madden-Julian Oscillation reached it highest amplitude in recorded history. It also appears to be stationary in its current phase. This is highly unusual as the MJO generally makes a complete cycle of all phases in 30 to 60 days. Certainly other factors govern our weather patterns, however it is extremely interesting following the patterns of this phenomenon and note if there are any correlations.

A few photographs from Peavine Ridge today, 23 February.



Snow on the Crystal Range



A southern slope/exposure with good snow cover (for once this season).



Snow in the Sierra Nevada - this looks normal.



Stratocumulus in the distance.

Several more cold storms are forecast to arrive in the next week. I am still planning an outing rain or shine for next week. Most likely at a much lower elevation.

[Jacek]

Quote from winter weather thread:

I'm not a climatologist, but I observe that when we (in Europe) have warm winter, you (in US/Canada) have cold spell and vice versa. I checked the current temp in Chicago and it is + 3 C right now - rather warm, I believe. I observe the weather measurements made by Robert in California - they also have a cold spell now. Is it coincidence or a rule?

Robert, any opinion?

[Robert]

Jacek,

My opinion?

First, have not been following the Winter Weather thread.        

I did check it out briefly and will now follow it on a regular basis and add comments as I can.

I'm not a climatologist either, however I do have contact with people who are climatologist.

What I have noticed is that during the wintertime when there is strong ridging over the eastern Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the U.S.A. and Canada the central and eastern parts of the U.S.A. experience cold weather. This is easy to see on a time lapse 500 mb map of the U.S.A. and Canada. It has been awhile since I have looked at the European 500 mb maps. I am a bit busy with my current projects, but this is something for me to consider.

What I will do, is post some of my data on the Winter Weather thread. It might help make some sense of some of our California species. Some of our species grow over a tremendous climatic range. Aspidotis densa is a good example, however there are many others. Recently, I started pondering climatic habitat variations within the range of Calochortus minimus. The low elevation forms certainly grow under different conditions from those found at higher elevations. I am currently growing some low elevations forms. The hope is that they will be easier to cultivate in our garden.

[David Nicholson]

...................................David,

Thank you so much for sharing the current UK weather pattern with me. Does the UK experience cold storms out of the north often? Are the storms starved for moisture or do they pick up moisture as they pass over the northern seas? I have read books on the “Little Ice Age” and the weather pattern that supported this phenomenon in Europe i.e. the track of prevailing low-pressure systems in the North Atlantic (north or south). As I remember, persistent high-pressure systems in the northern part of the North Atlantic encourage the flow of cold air from the artic southward...............

Robert, I know next to nothing about the technicalities of our weather patterns but I do spend a lot of time moaning about them. I suppose being a small Island we tend to get a lot of variety with the prevailing wind direction being mainly from the South West, so a lot of moisture, which we are used to. If we get winds from the East in winter it will always be cold and those of us who live in the South Western parts of England are not particularly used to cold. Normally it doesn't get too hot and neither does it get too cold. The cold spell we have currently is rare, if it happens as is being suggested. In the South West we get a lot of winds but these do seem to be stronger than they used to be. So not a lot I can add.

[Robert]

Hi David,

Thank you for filling me in a bit on your weather patterns. I am following the winter weather thread now. I am sure I will learn more as I follow along and ask questions. 

[Robert]

A big storm is forecast for Wednesday night and Thursday (28th p.m. & 1 March).

Outing day will be tomorrow, 28 February. After checking the new Peavine rRdge weather site, I will be moving down the mountain to Kanaka Valley.

[Robert]

I had a good outing yesterday. 



I spent a short amount of time on Peavine Ridge working with my weather instruments.



I spent the remaining time down the mountain at Kanaka Valley.

There is much to report and I hope to have something posted soon.