We Could use a Lot of Rain
This tree I took a photo of last fall is already turning brown and losing its leaves this summer
This past weekend when my father in-law was visiting from the Lake of the Ozarks, he noted that many of our trees here are already shedding leaves as if it is fall.
Indeed, it has been a terrible year for any living thing here in the Ozarks.
While we had a really nice and mild spring, something we haven’t had many of since our move here, it has been blistering hot for weeks.
The weatherman predicting the forecast the other day had the same thing to say about Thursday, Friday and Saturday. “Mostly sunny and hot, lows in the mid 70s and highs near 100….” He sounded like a broken record.
The trees taking the worst hit are the oaks, according to this story from our local newspaper.
Evidently, post oaks and black oaks go dormant during a drought and since many of our trees here are oaks, the landscape looks like there is an early fall setting in.
The other problem seems to be an oak borer infestation.
While many of the trees going dormant now are expected to survive the drought, the drought will be the nail in the coffin for some red oaks with oak– borers.
Our area is extremely dry with many of the fireworks displays for the 4th of July postponed until we see some rain.
A far cry from this time last year when we had record flooding.
They say there is a good chance for that on Sunday. We can only hope.
What problems are you seeing in your area if you’re experiencing extreme weather conditions?
The biggest weather-related issue here in Michigan is that the cherry farmers — including my 2 brothers — have no cherry crop this year. We had warm weather in the spring, then a cold snap where everything froze. It's a very rough year for the farmers. Some have no crop at all.
That's truly awful, Jane.
We went straight from winter to summer (with too many days of 100-degree temps in June). Major drought here in Colorado. Major wildfires (as I'm sure you've heard). Our "monsoon" season has finally started, and we have gotten cooler temps and more rain in the last 3–4 days, but it's too late. The pasture grasses and the trees are already struggling too much or dead.
Oh, yes, Roxanne, seeing the wildfires in Colorado on the news was heartbreaking. I feel so for those families. It's too late for us as well, farmers are already having to bring in hay and the landscape is just burned to a crisp. But at least we're both seeing rain now. That's something and will hopefully keep the fire risk lower.
After far too many days of record temps, we FINALLY got rain. What a relief from the scare of fire danger and VERY dry forest. I pray that you too get the same blessed moisture and very soon.
We got some very nice rains and a cool front over the weekend, Nanci. So glad for both of us — and the birds, which reappeared this morning singing their little hearts out.
The weather all around seems to be changing drastically. Thinking back decades ago, the climate itself seems different. It's a lot to absorb, frankly, what all these changes might mean.
It is a lot to absorb, Merr. I heard a scientist saying he has been telling people this is what would happen for 25 years. So sad no one was paying attention.
It's been such a harsh summer for most of the nation this year. But it's beautiful here. Come on over. Seattle just opened a new ferris wheel on the waterfront.
I read about that, Heather, it looks like fun!
In Calif. this is the beginning of our fire season. Everything is so dry. Some rain would be nice. It's about 95 right now, relatively cool.
Hoping the fires aren't bad this year, Carol.
We could use some rain too. The last couple days we finally got two big thunder/rain storms (one right in the middle of the 4th of July fireworks). The trees and grass are still just barely beginning to get green again though. It's been suffocatingly humid, but hey I'm not going to complain if there's rain too.
Most of the public fireworks displays around here were cancelled and we were biting our nails when an idiot across the cove started shooting them off. Not worth losing our home or possibly lives over. Dale has only mowed once this year. Our yard is nothing but a big plot of dust.
Have you seen tonight's news about the fire north of you in MO? (Mark Twain National Forest, I believe…) Started by a farmer bush hogging… his blade nicked a rock and made a spark, and from that 100+ acres have burned and they're evacuating homes. We sure do need the rain.
I did see that, Kim. I thought I read it was contained now? Scary.
That picture of a tree in June is absolutely frightening!
Oh, no, this isn't the photo from this year. This summer, it has just turned brown and gone dormant. Not even pretty colors to accompany this.
It's weird how fast things change. We had a really wet spring, but now it's just as dry. All the grass crunches under my feet when I walk on it.
I know many parts of the country need the rain. Our grass has been non-existant since the first of June. Dale only mowed once, way back in April.
Our live oaks went dormant in Spring of 2011 and stayed that way all year until this Spring when it was wetter. It looked like winter all summer, fall, and winter! They dropped their leaves like they do each year and just when they were putting back out went dormant due to the drought. Most did survive although some didn't. (We worry about oak wilt here.)We have probably around 100 dead cedars (ashe junipers) on our 54 acres from last year. This year has been better, although we are a dry climate and never expect much rain. All the dead trees don't help much with the fire worries. And even when we cut them down we have to leave them in a pile to burn when it is wet and that isn't often. I have about a dozen piles now. Hope y'all get some relief soon! We got a tenth of an inch of rain last night and are glad to have even that.
I remember your drought last year, as we were literally flooded with water in Arkansas. Such extremes.
I'm with Alexandra — I keep hoping that people who doubt global climate change will start seeing a connection. Here in Hawaii we had rain for two weeks straight — this week has shown us a couple of blue sky days, but still more rain mixed in. My garden doesn't know what to do, but the slugs are sure happy.
It's hard to imagine Hawaii with anything but blue skies, Kris. I hope you dry out and we get a little wetter.
Just got back from vacation in New Mexico and Texas and it's the same story there, except it's clear that New Mexicans don't know what "hot and humid" is REALLY like! We visited with a shop owner who said that nobody in NM is used to ninety degree temps and FIVE PERCENT humidity! We got a good chuckle out of that and told him to visit Missouri sometime, and he'd be so grateful for five percent humidity that he'd race back to New Mexico, on foot if necessary!
Yeah, I remember people saying that the heat out west is not like ours. "It's a dry heat," they would say. To me, it was just as hot.
Glad you got to get away for awhile.
It has been very dry here in Western NY state as well. We are watering every day trying to keep our plants alive. They keep forecasting rain and then we end up with 10 minutes of a sprinkle. I don't ever remember such a hot June.
While we were up in Missouri the other day, our dog sitter told us it rained for about 5 minutes here, not even enough for a puddle of water. I hope the 40% chance they're predicting for Sunday increases and actually materializes. At this point, we need at least 24 hours of a good, soaking rain.
We have had record heat on Cape Cod, too, although not as bad as the middle of the country. Provincetown had an incredible thunderstorm during which the sky turned BLACK. One woman told me the tide deposited salt marsh hay higher in her yard than before. What will it take to convince the global warming deniers?
Probably nothing, Alexandra, unfortunately. We all know that money talks and as long as corporations remain steadfast in their commitment to undermine the environment, their mouthpieces will continue to deny the science.
It is so sad to see fires burning in so many areas of the country. Let's hope the weather rights itself soon so no more destruction takes place!
Here, here, Sheryl.