Climate change: National Arbor Day Foundation revises U.S. map of "hardiness zones"

[DeepModem Mom]

WP, pg. 1: Climate Change
Washington Warming to Southern Plants
By David A. Fahrenthold
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 20, 2006; Page A01

A warming climate in the Washington area is beginning to affect the area's trees, with cold-loving species finding the weather less welcoming and southern transplants thriving, according to findings released yesterday by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

In a revised map of "hardiness zones" -- bands of similar temperatures where similar trees are likely to grow in winter -- the foundation reclassified the entire Washington area in the same zone as parts of North Carolina and Texas. In 1990, the region was on the border of northern and southern growing zones, but a foundation official said that has changed after 15 years of balmy winter weather....

***

The Washington area's warming trend is one of many that the foundation detailed across the country as it presented its updated map.

In parts of Michigan, for example, the climate has warmed enough to accommodate southern magnolia trees, said Arbor Day Foundation spokesman Woodrow L. Nelson. Arizona cypress, another southerly species, also suddenly seems a better fit for some sections of the Northeast, he said....

The map divides the continental United States into nine zones, from Zone 2 near the Canadian border to Zone 10 at the tip of Florida. (Zone 1 is found only in Alaska's frigid interior, Zone 11 only in tropical Hawaii.) The zones were mapped by examining local weather data and averaging the lowest temperature recorded in the 15 previous winters....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901769.html?nav=most_emailed

[UTUSN]

1. So how does LIMBOsevic (global-warming-doesn't-exist) explain this? n/t

[halobeam]

2. Just started cutting down some plants for the season

A few were not ready to cut. I wondered if I should just water them and pretend its April. Weird.

side note: I was outside in shorts and tee shirt.. Now, granted I was doing some physical work, but I was sweating. That freaked me out a little bit... I live in New York.

Merry Christmas... "Who asked Santa for only three seasons?"

[kestrel91316]

3. This is normal. They do it every couple of years.

:sarcasm:

[Quantess]

4. I hate it when they say Washington, and leave out the D.C.

As if there's only one Washington.

I had a snappy response all ready, I was going to mention how Washington sure hasn't been warm this winter. Then I realize it's DC.:thumbsdown: x(