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Robert's Crystal Range Project - Year 3, 2021
Hoy:
It looks very dry.
We had a very dry and cold start of the year. Almost two weeks with sun, no precipitation and down to -7C/18F (much lower inland).We have not had such a cold period for many years. The last couple of days the temperature has increased and we got snow, also much more than in many years. Now it is slightly above freezing and it will stay like this for a week or so.
Robert:
Maggi – Trond
Yes, the weather is dry, however the soil is quite moist at the site that I visited last week.
Take a look at the charts posted below:
This chart compares snow depth (in inches) last year (blue line) to this season (red line) through the end of February. There was no precipitation during the month of February last year. Currently the snow depth is less than it was at the end of February last year.
The data for this chart was taken from the same site. The dashed blue line is the average snow liquid equivalents over the last 16 years. The red line charts amounts for last season, the green line totals for the currents season.
Last year there were, more or less, two precipitation events, one in March, and another in April, that “saved the day” precipitation wise. As I wrote, who knows what the remaining portion of this precipitation season will bring, but we do need a goodly amount of precipitation to avoid major hydrologic problem in our region this coming summer and autumn. Last season conditions in the equatorial Pacific were El Niño neutral, this season there is a strong La Niña event taking place. The atmosphere is responding quite differently this season compared to last season. This strongly influences the climatic teleconnections. No matter how things turn out, the events as they unfold will be an exceptional learning experience. There is much more to discuss in this regard into the future, including applications toward our gardens and gardening. Very fun stuff!
BTW – We have been experiencing record to near record high temperatures over the last 3 days. Average temperatures have been running 10 F to 15 F (5.6 C to 8.3 C) above average.
Hoy:
Interesting pattern, Robert.
Now I wonder whether your dry weather and our cold weather somehow are connected to the La Niña event.
This picture from mid January 2020 is typical for the last 5 years. This January we have had the coldest period for many, many years.
Robert:
I was out on Peavine Ridge and Telephone Ridge yesterday. I will post the results of this outing in a few days.
Trond,
With time, I will continue the discussion on climatic teleconnections. Our understanding of climatic teleconnections is continuing, however there is still much to do to expand our understanding of these patterns. In addition, how shifting climatic patterns are impacting plant species and plant communities in the Crystal Range/Basin is the continuing focus of my project. I will try to tie in horticultural applications whenever possible.
BTW – I enjoyed your photographs from your garden. The plants dusted with snow can create some very attractive images. We could sure use some snow, or even just some precipitation.
Robert:
I spent Wednesday morning, 20 January, first on Peavine Ridge, then later in the morning on Telephone Ridge. The weather was warm and dry, not a cloud in the sky. This is not the type of weather we currently need, but it was indeed a pleasant day to be out.
I conducted my usual site survey on Peavine Ridge. As is often the case, I frequently spot something new or unusual during my survey. On this day, I spotted one specimen of Castilleja applegatei ssp. pinetorum with current season growth. At this site and elevation, this species is usually completely dormant during the winter. The new growth was dark red, saturated with anthocyanin. I strongly suspect that this new growth commenced during the autumn. This is unusual, as this site was under a great deal of stress from the extremely dry conditions during this period of time. I noted this specimen’s location and will continue to monitor this plant as the new season progresses.
As soon as I finished on Peavine Ridge, I moved down the mountain to Telephone Ridge. The crest of Telephone Ridge sets at ~ 4,800 feet (1,463 meters), 300 feet (91 meters) below my study site on Peavine Ridge. Although there is little elevation difference between the two sites, there is a definite shift in the vegetation/plant communities that continues to accelerate quickly as one descends into the American River Canyon. A few rarely seen plant species find their home in this area.
In the distance the snow capped Pyramid Peak can be seen. As of this writing, the first in a series of cold storms have arrived, bringing much needed new snow to the Crystal Range and Peavine Ridge. A broad long-wave trough is now approaching California. This weather pattern will likely bring significant precipitation to our region. If the long range forecast is correct, an “epic” storm system is forecasted to arrive in our region sometime next week. We will see if this storm indeed continues to develop. The prospects certainly look good on the latest 300mb map.
On the crest of Telephone Ridge, a small number of acres of chaparral burned during the previous season. It was striking to observe how quickly this plant community is regenerating itself, especially considering the dry conditions this past season.
Chamaebatia foliolosa, Bear Clover, has quickly regenerated itself from vegetive buds located below the surface of the ground. This species is extremely resistant to fire. New fire-fighting recruits are often trained in fire suppression on sites carpeted with Bear Clover. The foliage has a very high flash point and will ignite only under the most extreme conditions. Fire with enough heat intensity and duration will eventually burn this species to the ground, however it recovers quickly after fire.
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