Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Wednesday Vignette: Dry Days Ahead

Last week, we got a little rain.  Although it was a smidge less than a quarter of an inch, it was enough to top off my rain barrels.  Of course, I hoped for more.  The clouds that greeted me last Wednesday morning looked promising.

View from my backyard looking east


But the clouds blew east and took the rain with them.  No more rain for us.  While the long-range forecasts I'd viewed back in February suggested that we could look forward to rain at intervals through April, those predictions have evaporated - there's not a drop of rain in the forecast for the next 90 days and, as our rain is largely limited to the winter months, we can probably expect the dry spell to continue until fall.

NOAA's 90-day precipitation forecast for the US


Today's weather forecast is for summer-like temperatures.  Will the summer be miserable?  The forecast doesn't look great for large swaths of the country but most of Southern California seems to have an equal chance of warmer or cooler temperatures, at least over the next 90 days.

NOAA's 90-day temperature forecast for the US


What are the prospects for the country in managing global warming?  Gloomy indeed, based on the President's action yesterday rolling back environmental regulations.  The federal government's failure to assume responsibility shifts the burden to the states, some of which are stepping up to the challenge but it remains to be seen how individual states and cities - or individual countries for that matter - can combat the problem when federal officials deny scientific evidence and act with reckless abandon to advance short-term political goals.  But maybe the President has a plan he hasn't shared?

Is this the President's escape plan when his policies help destroy the earth's environment?  Despite slashing support for environmental and social programs in his proposed budget, he DID sign a bill allocating billions for exploration of Mars.  (Image provided with permission of a source who chooses to remain anonymous)


These images are my Wednesday Vignette.  To see more of the images that captured the bloggers' attention this week, visit our host, Anna of Flutter & Hum.



All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

19 comments:

  1. I would send you some of my rain if I could. We're getting one definitely dry day on Friday, and then back to chances of showers on Saturday and through next week. At least that chance of showers looks lower than it has been. If 45 has any sort of plan he hasn't shared, it wouldn't be of any benefit to the environment or the nation, anyway.

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    1. I don't think 45 thinks beyond his next "deal," Evan. As I heard one political pundit say, all he cares about is winning - not the substance of the policies he promotes (if he even takes the time to understand them), much less the long-term consequences.

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  2. I hope you get a little rain over the next few weeks but consider it a blessing that you get cool nights which help the plants recover . We have had very warm days but the nights have been cool and it makes such a difference. However, I think those days are over as we had to put on the AC last night. I see we are in the orange on your map. Above normal.

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    1. We don't usually get those miserably hot nights until mid-summer but the patterns are changing. I hope you don't heat up too badly out your way.

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  3. It's been so beautiful the past week, mid 70s, that I hate to leave this moment to contemplate the possibly bleak future. Hey, avoiding facts and reality is such a comfy place to be! (Sorry, I know sarcasm is cheap but allow me the indulgence this once over that sickening news yesterday.)

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    1. It is important to pace yourself in dealing with the news out of the White House, Denise. I find I can only handle so much at a time before I shut down to regroup.

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  4. I think we should put all the climate change deniers in a rocket ship and blast them to Mars!

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    1. We'll need a much bigger rocket ship! I find more people are acknowledging climate change but persist in denying the human role in the process (not to speak of the necessity of taking constructive action to deal with it), which is just as depressing.

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  5. I agree with Eliza! I saw a photo of a giant alligator crossing a well watered golf course, yesterday. It was massive as it lumbered across the pedicured lawn, and I caught myself thinking that that prehistoric monster will still be there when we're all gone, and golf courses are but a memory. I do hope you get some more rain, and even-tempered temperature changes. I seem to recall last years heat spike that did a lot of your plants in. Let's hope for even steven this year...

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    1. I saw photos of a gigantic alligator on a golf course too. I wonder what it would take to lure it to Mar-a-Lago?

      Yes, a really nasty heatwave (106F) hit on the first day of summer last year and wreaked havoc on my garden, which hadn't had time to adjust to the the higher temps. I hope we don't see a recurrence.

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  6. Like Evan, I wish we could share our rain. Or rather trade you for some warm dry days. Like Eliza I wish we could rid our planet of those who wish to destroy it.

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    1. Ah, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could operate such a climate exchange!

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  7. Oh dear, so depressing. Are these climate change deniers the same ones who believe that the earth was created ten thousand years ago? And I believe the Flat Earth Society is still going strong.
    I do hope you get some more rain soon for your beautiful garden.

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    1. It's hard for me to understand how or why some people have such a hard time appreciating scientific facts, especially when many of these same people make use of technology built on scientific findings on a daily basis. Do they think their cell phones, cars and TVs (not to speak of national weaponry) are products of magic?

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  8. Two to four inches of snow is my forecast for tomorrow. I'm hoping it's just a cruel April Fool's joke. Unfortunately the real joke right now is sitting in the White House and it's not very funny.

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    1. I don't think we need any April Fool's jokes this year, Sue - you're right that we're already dealing with one cruel joke after another right now. As to the weather, I hope the snowstorm skirts right by you. (Hey, it happens with our rainstorms all the time!)

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  9. The same circular arguments around our drought and water restrictions - people don't like to be pushed out of their comfort zone. It's not MY fault, but you should ...

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    1. I'd hate to even envision the nature of our current President's comfort zone...

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