New USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for gardeners shows a warming climate
Wintertime minimum temperatures in the U.S. have risen so much in recent decades that the United States Department of Agriculture decided last week to update their Plant Hardiness Zone Map for gardeners for the first time since 1990. The Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones. Compared to the 1990 version, zone boundaries in the new 2012 edition of the map have generally shifted one 5-degree Fahrenheit half-zone warmer than the previous map throughout much of the United States. This is mostly a result of using temperature data from a longer and more recent time period. The old 1990 map was based on temperature data from only a 13-year period of 1974-1986, while the new map uses data from the 30-year period 1976-2005.
Figure 1. Comparison of the 1990 and 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Maps. Image credit: USDA and Arbor Day Foundation
Northwards, ho!
While humans are generally not attuned enough to nature's rhythms to tell if the climate is changing, plants and animals know the climate is changing. Many species of animals, insects, and plants have shifted their ranges poleward and to higher elevations in recent decades because of global warming. The 2007 IPCC report stated that "numerous studies document a progressively earlier spring by about 2.3 to 5.2 days per decade in the last 30 years in response to climate warming. That report also documented over 400 species that have moved their ranges poleward or to higher elevations because of climate change. For example, conifer trees expanded northwards into former tundra areas at a rate of 12 km per year between 1982 - 2000 in portions of Canada (Fillol and Royer, 2003.) Holly plants moved northwards by several hundred kilometers in recent decades into coastal Norway, Northeast Germany, Denmark, and coastal Sweden in response to warming temperatures (Walther et al., 2005.) As the climate continues to warm, plant and animal species previously unknown in many regions will appear, and will disappear from places they used to inhabit.
Figure 2. Change in the boundary line between conifer forest (taiga) and tundra between 1982 (grey line) and 2000 (white line) over Canada. In the grey box marked "Transect", the rate of northwards migration was 12 km per year, or 228 km (142 miles) in nineteen years. Image credit: Fillol and Royer, 2003, "Variability analysis of the transitory climate regime as defined by the NDVI/Ts relationship derived from NOAA-AVHRR over Canada", Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2003. IGARSS '03. Proceedings. 2003 IEEE International.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 — Blog Index
Wruh Whoo! You had better clue me in!
I appreciate the confidence.
Jesse
Best post ever.
That's my next project, just as soon as I work the last few bugs out of my perpetual motion machine.
*snicker*
I didn't understand how it took them two days to find one of the bodies in a truck in that wreck south of Gainesville.
When you have a pile of ashes.. .that once was a car, its may take a couple days.
the same thing happened about 4 years ago in Polk county too, brush fire and dense fog led to a 100 car or so pile up. It burned so hot that the road melted, and had to be resurfaced.
‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse visible from North America
Get out your calendar and make a big exclamation point on May 20. That’s when an annular solar eclipse will turn the sun into a glowing ring of fire.
This is the first solar eclipse visible from the United States in about 18 years, according to NASA. We’ve had our share of lunar eclipses in recent years, but solar eclipses happen when the moon passes in front of the sun, obscuring it from view.
The “ring of fire” effect will be visible as far north as Medford, Oregon and as far south as Lubbock, Texas. Throughout the zone –called the “path of annularity” – sky watchers will see the sun transformed into a a bright doughnut-like object.
The rest of the country west of the Mississippi (including Seattle) will witness a partial eclipse. That’s when the sun appears to be crescent-shaped as the moon passes by off-center.
NASA wants to remind you that this is not a total eclipse — when the moon entirely obscures the sun from view. The next total eclipse visible from the US happens in 2017. (Again, mark your calendar.)
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Microbiology) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a bacterium that enters the skin through open wounds to cause septicaemia and is extremely resistant to most antibiotics. It has been responsible for outbreaks of untreatable infections among patients in hospitals.
Pestilence watch: deadly form of MRSA spreads from U.S. to U.K.
Posted on February 2, 2012
February 2, 2012 – LONDON – The number of potentially deadly strains of MRSA that are easily passed between healthy people, outside hospitals is increasing in the UK, experts said today. They include a flesh-eating form of pneumonia, USA300, which has spread across the US and is now being seen in the UK. Dr. Ruth Massey, from the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Bath, said extra vigilance was required around PVL-positive community acquired MRSA strains. She drew attention to USA300, a deadly strain of the superbug which passes easily through skin-to-skin contact. It is resistant to treatment by several front-line antibiotics and can cause large boils on the skin. In severe cases, USA300 can lead to fatal blood poisoning or a form of pneumonia that can eat away at lung tissue. Dr. Massey said there were 1,000 cases of PVL-positive community acquired MRSA in England in the last year, of which 200 were USA300 strains. ‘These community-acquired strains seem to be good at affecting healthy people – they seem to be much better than the hospital ones at causing disease. ‘They don’t rely on healthcare workers moving them around, which the hospital ones seem to.’ Dr. Massey said USA300 is ‘a really big issue in the US and it’s starting to emerge here. ‘But hopefully because we are aware of it and are working to understand it, it won’t become as big of a problem (in the UK).’ –Daily Mail
This is typical some years for this area. If it wasn't prescribed & without rain soon this place is going up. I see Fellsmere got their prescribed burn. I hope they think to to burn down around Palm Bay & Mims soon too. ECFL is close to suffering at the whims of too much perfect weather.
Yesterday when they started those, wind may have kicked up more than expected. The KSC one had a Mesocyclone signature on radar. It got real thick out there this morning, air quality & CO was an issue too Tomorrow even more fog is expected to mix in.. Here's road closures..
That wreck on I-75 was horrific.
By Associated Press, Published: February 1
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — Rescuers have plucked 50 survivors from the sea off Papua New Guinea’s east coast after a ferry sank Thursday with as many as 350 people on board, officials said.
An airplane from Australia, three helicopters and six ships were scouring the search area after the MV Rabaul Queen went down while traveling from Kimbe on the island of New Britain to coastal town of Lae on the main island, Australian Maritime Safety Authority said in a statement.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard called the incident a “major tragedy” and said her country was providing assistance to its near neighbor.
“Given the likely very high loss of life here, I think when this news comes to the attention of Australians around the country they will be thinking about the people of PNG as they respond to this tragedy,” she added.
The Australian maritime agency initially detected the ferry’s distress beacon and alerted the PNG Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, which is coordinating the rescue effort. The Australian statement said “approximately 50 people have been rescued so far.”
It said 350 people were believed to be on board, but Papua New Guinea’s National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) rescue co-ordinator Captain Nurur Rahman said the true figure was likely lower.
“I cannot confirm or deny the 350 missing number. It is hearsay,” Rahman said. “I have not seen the manifest as yet, but it is likely around 300.”
Rahman said he was being fed information from an NMSA agent on board one of the ships.
“The dynamics of this thing are changing all the time, minute by minute,” he said.
Ship operator Star Ships could not be immediately contacted for comment.
(Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers are steeling for a public battle against the possible transfer of Taliban detainees out of Guantanamo Bay prison, a key step in the Obama administration's bid to broker a peace deal ending the war in Afghanistan.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
309 AM EST THU FEB 2 2012
.DISCUSSION...LOW LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRES ACROSS N FLA MOVES E
INTO THE ATLC AS A WEAKENING FRONT PUSHES INTO N FLA...WHICH
WILL DISSIPATE OVER CENTRAL FLORIDA. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD INTO THE
SE U.S. WHILE A LOW PRES SYSTEM DEEPENS OVER THE CENTRAL GREAT
PLAINS. THE LOW LIFTS THE MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISAPPEARING
FRONT BACK N AS THE HIGH PRES MOVES SE INTO THE ATLC. THIS KEEPS AN
EASTERLY FLOW ACROSS S FLA WHICH WILL BE WEAKER TODAY THAN IN THE
PAST COUPLE OF DAYS BUT WILL INCREASE AGAIN FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND.
SOME SHOWERS WILL MOVE OVER THE ATLC TOWARD THE E COAST AND ONSHORE
AFFECTING THE E COAST AND METRO ZONES PRIMARILY WITH MINIMAL POPS.
MAX AND MIN TEMPS WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL. DUE TO THE LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE INCREASE AND DECOUPLING OF THE WINDS...SOME PATCHY LATE
NIGHT FOG CAN OCCUR IN THE INTERIOR AND W.
.EXTENDED PERIOD...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...ON SUNDAY THE GREAT
PLAINS LOW PRES SYSTEM MOVES E AND MOVES OFF OF THE CAROLINAS WITH
THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVING INTO N FLA AND STALLING. THE ATLC
RIDGE REMAINS IN PLACE OVER CENTRAL FLA. MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
...LOW PRES DEVELOPS AND DEEPENS IN THE GULF PULLING DEEPER MOISTURE
TOWARD S FLA. ISENTROPIC LIFTS DEVELOPS AND THE PROSPECT OF INCREAS
-ING CHANCES OF RAIN ACROSS THE AREA...NOT JUST THE E COAST...
APPEARS TO BE DEVELOPING.
"Yet the biggest challenges may be more technical than financial."
Thanks for the informative post, percylives. This line I quoted was the pivotal one for me. I really don't think we have to keep relying on "big oil" as they say. What we need to do is figure out how to use alternative cleaner energy sources work more effeciently.
Yikes! Hope that's not my super-Feb-WX hopes out the window.... lol
But I agree.... it's the most cloud cover seen in the W GOM for a while.
This is interesting. I saw something about something like this on an Ancient Aliens show on History channel [I think it was]. It reminds me that we may beat / get rid of one pathogen, but that never means we're "safe".
Amen, I'm tired of the political bullcrap!
Link
Unfortunately, one of the problems caused by massive usage of antibiotics and vaccines is that the human immune system has become dependent on artificial enhancements to fight disease.
MRSA is actually incapable of surviving on a copper surface, as was recently demonstrated in experimentation.
There is probably a nano-tech solution for Hospitals, such as some sort of copper-polymer composite material, or a copper alloy (to prevent corrosion,) which could be used to coat surfaces such as door knobs and other handles, or counter tops. Unfortunately, copper is getting more and more expensive lately.
0Z GFS Subtropical Storm Alberto..... Reminds me a lot of TS Lee of last year in location, appearance, and track.
If we do get STS Alberto in a few days, that will be incredible. Just incredible.
12:29 PM GMT on February 02, 2012
Jeff Masters
Excellent!!!!!
Just on TV the Groundhog saw his shadow, 6 more weeks of winter! breaking news! breaking news!
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
400 AM EST THU FEB 2 2012
SUN-WED...
ELEVATED MOISTURE LVLS THRU THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK AS THE
REMNANTS OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE REINFORCED BY A STORM
CURRENTLY DVLPG OVER THE ROCKY MTNS. ECMWF/GFS MODELS ARE IN GOOD
AGREEMENT THRU WED...BOTH TRACK THE SYSTEM ACRS THE NATION`S
MIDSECTION THRU THE WEEKEND BEFORE MERGING IT WITH A NRN STREAM
SHORT WAVE OVER THE GREAT LAKES. STRONG MID/UPR LVL ZONAL FLOW ACRS
THE SRN TIER STATES WOULD SUPPORT A SLOW MOVING FRONTAL TROF THRU
THE DEEP S AND THE FL PENINSULA...A PATTERN THAT WOULD RESULT IN
PRECIP CHANCES FOR SVRL DAYS IN A ROW.
INDEED...THE 02/00Z MEX NUMERICAL GUIDANCE HAS PUSHED MON/TUE POPS
INTO THE 40-50PCT RANGE AND CONT 30PCT POPS THRU MIDWEEK. HOWEVER...
GIVEN THE TRACK RECORD OF FROPAS THIS WINTER...WILL CAP POPS AT
30PCT FOR NOW. WARM E/SERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL TROF WILL KEEP
MAX TEMPS 5-10F ABV AVG...MIN TEMPS 10-15F ABV AVG. MINIMAL POST
FRONTAL CAA AS THE AIRMASS WILL HAVE SEVERAL DAYS TO MODIFY AS IT
SAGS THRU THE DEEP S...MAX TEMPS N OF I-4 MAY DROP TO NEAR AVG
TUE/WED BUT WILL REMAIN ARND 5F ABV AVG S OF I-4. HIGH CLOUD COVER
AND ONSHORE FLOW WILL KEEP MIN TEMPS 10-15F ABV AVG.
I'm surprised that the Spruce have come down on the side of Climate Change along with the Glaciers, and Polar Bears, and Ice Truckers. Don't they know it is all heat island effect in the cities?
Perhaps they heard about the 500 million trees that died from water stress and fire in Texas and are trying to put some distance between them.
THE world-famous weather-reading groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter today from his home at Gobbler's Knob, near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
According to American folklore, if the rodent sees his shadow, then the country can expect six more weeks of winter. If he does not, then spring is on the way.
Every year on February 2, [yadda, yadda, yadda] thousands of merrymakers descend on the small Pennsylvania town to toast Phil and partake in the festivities.
The tradition has been running since at least 1887, despite an accuracy rate of below 40 per cent.
There is enough unscientific thinking current, especially of the sort that attributes feeling or motive to natural phenomena, without finding it on Wunderground!!!
After all, what is now eaten as salmon caviar useta be commercially sold only as fish bait.
USGS's assessment of the potential range of pythons, constrictors, and anacondas by 2100...
...though there is a strong dispute about whether they can over-winter in areas that experience occasional freezes.
Yeah OK! While we hit 84 in Orlando today on 2/2/2012 and 80's everyday thru next week. Infact this may go down for the warmest winter in history across the US as hundreds of record highs are falling daily!
Summer hasn't even got going here, It's sure been weird.
Viewing: 301 - 351
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 — Blog Index