I’ve had many days in which the water in buckets has frozen. I’m not technically in Portland, which is probably warmer due to the heat island effect.
John S
PDX OR
Wow, I find that kind of shocking, considering I’m like 225 miles further north of you. I was expecting that being two states and an international border south of me that you guys would be having T-shirt like weather with such a mild a winter on the West Coast.
I guess I’m blessed to be in the warmest micro climate in Canada. It’s almost hard to believe we’re in winter here.
Edit: I just saw this post on the forum:
Now that is truly stunning, bizarre weather for sure.
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SE Portland: It has been 29 twice here, on dates separated by weeks.
More notable: Eleven inches of precip in 5 weeks starting 1 December, then nothing for multiple weeks. Current 7-day forecast: no precip.
It has occurred to me that we may be low on chill hours but my guess is we will end up with 1,000 (average for PDX is ~ 2500).
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Fellow Victoria BC resident… According to my weather station, the coldest temp this winter has been -1.3C (29.7F) and it has only dipped below freezing that one time (am hours Dec 27th), and we’ve had 684mm (27in) of rain since September 1st, which is higher than Victoria’s annual average of 608mm measured 5km’s to my south (airport, 25km to my north averages ~870mm)… I still have potted meyer lemon sitting outside in the open unprotected… Last year was mild too and we got a -6.8C freeze on February 11 (which is a reasonably average annual lowest temp)- so it still may come, but I’m seeing some doubtful longer term forecasts on the subject… I wish my loquat tree was of fruiting age, it must be a great year for them!
I’m in the Southern Gulf Islands, and with the way the weather has been I’m not planning on doing any protection for my feijoa, figs, or loquat. I think they’ll be just fine.
How would you describe the flavor of Caspian?
Was 27 in Salem last night for 6 hours. I still haven’t covered any citrus or avocados. Just some leaf tip damage nothing more so far.
it was 27 last night in Salem for over 5 hours. I still haven’t covered any citrus this winter. The Meyer lemon is still heavy with fruit and only leaf tip damage at the very top.
the kumquat looks very happy, not even a hint of stress.
western Oregon, the Willamette Valley, has been warm, upper 50’s to low 60’s and sunny recently. the warmest day was the day before yesterday when we reached 62. Today was 57 with sparkly sunshine. Forecast is for sunny skies thru Saturday. Though high temps are supposed to drop into the low 50’s or even high 40’s.
Nighttime lows have been between 27 and 30. Each night averages about 5 hours below freezing. I have not had to cover any of the citrus or avocados yet this winter. Loquat blooms or fruit haven’t yet been tested.
my weather station has recorded 20.90” of rain since October 1 (start of the water year). Most of the rain fell before the middle of December.
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Portland is in a deep trough running from the Pacific Ocean to the inland areas east of the Cascade Mountains. Cold air from the interior often sweeps down that trough, resulting in colder temperatures than higher areas to the north and south. I’ve driven through freezing rain or snow in the Portland area around Christmas time on quite a few trips south from BC, while the temperature was noticeably warmer north and south of there.
Even when there is no outflow, I’d expect colder temperatures in the Portland lowlands because cold air sinks.
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Excelent expanation @vitog . Having been no further south than Washington State in the USA, I guess it was my misconception that the closer to California you got on the west coast, the warmer it must be.
The “deep trough” mentioned above is likely the Columbia River Gorge. This does not go anywhere near the Pacific Ocean; it terminates about 10 miles east of Portland. Air is funneled in both directions in the Gorge, and often the direction is east to west. If during the eastern phase there is arctic air to the east, it blows over much of Portland and drives the high and low temperatures down. But the wind actually keeps the low temperatures much higher than if there were calm conditions in the city.
It is the same as the Bellingham WA and Fraser River combination.
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Yeah, it was 29 for me driving in today. I guess its winter now 
The “Gorge Effect” was in full play yesterday.
Low Tuesday early AM temps:
Vancouver WA: 22F (no wind)(just across the river from Portland Airport)
Portland Airport 25F (slight wind)
My place: 30F (very windy)(10 miles south of airport)
Troutdale: 35F (extreme wind, 50mph+ gusts)(15 miles east of airport)
These are not microclimates; they each involve many square miles.
There is currently no Arctic air in the Columbia Basin, the source of Gorge air during east-to-west mode.
In an average year, the Gorge wind prevents more hard freezes than it creates.
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I went to cut scions yesterday. Howard Miracle plum was past dormant. I couldn’t use those scions. Methley plum was still ok. Get those scions now while you can!
John S
PDX OR
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Yes, because of this the annual minimum winter temperature for sites in the Willamette valley has more variability than it does farther north in olympia
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I’m trimming my tickled pink and razzmatazz grapes this weekend and will be down by SeaTac.
I don’t have compost trash so if anyone wants to compost them, let me know and I’ll give them to you to compost for your garden.
Is anyone else still harvesting lemon?
This warm winter has been giving me continuous Meyer lemons since mid Dec.
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My harvest so far this year.
Navel Oranges on the left, Owari Satsuma, Valencia Oranges, Meyer Lemon on far right.
Keep in mind, all my citrus are 2 years old. I wasn’t expecting to get anything this year, or even next. The biggest naval orange (bottom left) was actually edible, the wife and I each got a taste. Surprisingly good!
The Satsuma wasn’t quite ripe, and then rotted on the tree, so that was a bummer. But again, wasn’t expecting any fruit for a good long time yet. But they’re surviving!
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Thats a great harvest for this area! Ive tried various other citrus over the years but always had them killed to the ground over winter even in the greenhouse.
I have some 942 rootstock that is doing well and ill be trying out grafting onto these for hardiness.