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LA and San Diego don't even belong in the 'tropical' conversation. They both have moderately dry climates. Tropical is not dry. Miami wins this one easily. (I agree that New Orleans would come closer to tropical than either city in Southern California). Honolulu should definitely be in this conversation as well.
LA and San Diego don't even belong in the 'tropical' conversation. They both have moderately dry climates. Tropical is not dry. Miami wins this one easily. (I agree that New Orleans would come closer to tropical than either city in Southern California). Honolulu should definitely be in this conversation as well.
Right, tropical climates are generally wet climates & California is a dry climate called "Mediterranean" or dry subtropical. Any city in Florida or along the Gulf Coast would have a climate more tropical than in California. What's interesting is that even cities on the Gulf Coast [New Orleans\ Houston\ Galveston] have cooler winters than Los Angeles & San Diego so certain plants like palm trees do better in SoCal than any other state except Florida & Hawaii. Tropical-like vegetation is found in California even though it is over 32N latitude while Houston\ New Orleans\ Jacksonville are around 29-30N latitude yet regularly experience freezes\ frost.
Well Florida may not be Puerto Rico type tropical, but it's tropical enough.The name Florida was a Spanish term meaning "Flowered Land". Look at all the different farms they have in Florida. Look at all the palm trees. And even if some of them aren't native, the fact that they are able to grow there should be a testament enough.
Remember, many , many palms are temperate zone species. Many are not of the tropical variety. These palms can withstand temperatures of 7 degrees. Many people see palms and think think are tropical, but this is not the situation all the time . Florida's most abundant palm is the "cabbage palm", which is not tropical at all. This temperate zone palm is hardy to 7 degrees.
The Cuban Royal ( a tropicalspecies) can be grown in Miami. However, the most delicate species of palms like the lipstick palm and palms of the Amazon cannot. Places like Costa Rica and Guam could grow them
Right, tropical climates are generally wet climates & California is a dry climate called "Mediterranean" or dry subtropical. Any city in Florida or along the Gulf Coast would have a climate more tropical than in California. What's interesting is that even cities on the Gulf Coast [New Orleans\ Houston\ Galveston] have cooler winters than Los Angeles & San Diego so certain plants like palm trees do better in SoCal than any other state except Florida & Hawaii. Tropical-like vegetation is found in California even though it is over 32N latitude while Houston\ New Orleans\ Jacksonville are around 29-30N latitude yet regularly experience freezes\ frost.
You bring up some interesting points. I can talk about weather/climate and geography all day! (glad to know others can too-lol).
As far as cities on the Gulf Coast/South Atlantic Coast…keep in mind that cities like San Diego or Los Angeles have similar daily highs in the 3 winter months to cities like New Orleans or Galveston...it really the nights that are farther apart. Places on the West Coast like Santa Monica really only have warmer average nights than Gulf Coast cities in winter. From the research I’ve done…this is typical of subtropical humid climates in the USA (Cf –New Orleans – Galveston…etc), as well as those in places like China (Fuzon, Hong Kong,…etc).
Also, the few degree warmer in the one or two months of winter in a coastal Califorina city is fleeting…10 months out of the year New Orleans or Galveston is warmer (or much warmer) than Santa Monica or LA . The Gulf/south Atlantic has more up/down to their daily temps then the West Coast cities in the 3 winter months. Once you get to mid April or so however…cities like LA or Santa Monica are acutely quite cool compared to New Orleans, Galveston, or Savannah, GA. Here is an example,
J F M A M J J A S O N D
64/50 64/51 63/52 64/54 64/56 67/59 70/62 71/63 71/63 70/60 68/54 65/51
New Orleans, LA – average monthly highs lows.National Weather Service Climate
J F M A M J J A S O N D
62/43 65/46 72/52 78/58 85/66 89/72 91/74 91/74 87/70 80/60 71/52 64/45
Also, keep in mind… some palms that require humid conditions and high rainfall like Sabal’s grow better in New Orleans or Galveston than in southern California. Look at coconut palms…although they really flourish in deep south Florida…places up as far as Jupiter-Melbourne have a few, while places like San Diego or LA which are as warm as north Florida in winter- have very few. Also, semi-tropical vegetation is found in places over 32 N latitude on the East Coast as well. Places like Savannah, GA or Myrtle Beach South Carolina have palm trees (sabals, pindo's date plams...etc), and other semi-tropical plants…
You bring up some interesting points. I can talk about weather/climate and geography all day! (glad to know others can too-lol).
As far as cities on the Gulf Coast/South Atlantic Coast…keep in mind that cities like San Diego or Los Angeles have similar daily highs in the 3 winter months to cities like New Orleans or Galveston...it really the nights that are farther apart. Places on the West Coast like Santa Monica really only have warmer average nights than Gulf Coast cities in winter. From the research I’ve done…this is typical of subtropical humid climates in the USA (Cf –New Orleans – Galveston…etc), as well as those in places like China (Fuzon, Hong Kong,…etc).
Also, the few degree warmer in the one or two months of winter in a coastal Califorina city is fleeting…10 months out of the year New Orleans or Galveston is warmer (or much warmer) than Santa Monica or LA . The Gulf/south Atlantic has more up/down to their daily temps then the West Coast cities in the 3 winter months. Once you get to mid April or so however…cities like LA or Santa Monica are acutely quite cool compared to New Orleans, Galveston, or Savannah, GA. Here is an example,
J F M A M J J A S O N D
64/50 64/51 63/52 64/54 64/56 67/59 70/62 71/63 71/63 70/60 68/54 65/51
New Orleans, LA – average monthly highs lows.National Weather Service Climate
J F M A M J J A S O N D
62/43 65/46 72/52 78/58 85/66 89/72 91/74 91/74 87/70 80/60 71/52 64/45
Also, keep in mind… some palms that require humid conditions and high rainfall like Sabal’s grow better in New Orleans or Galveston than in southern California. Look at coconut palms…although they really flourish in deep south Florida…places up as far as Jupiter-Melbourne have a few, while places like San Diego or LA which are as warm as north Florida in winter- have very few. Also, semi-tropical vegetation is found in places over 32 N latitude on the East Coast as well. Places like Savannah, GA or Myrtle Beach South Carolina have palm trees (sabals, pindo's date plams...etc), and other semi-tropical plants…
Charleston, South Carolina plams...
.
Thanks for the data [I also love meteorology]. But the data you provide seems to be inconsistent with nearby stations. Santa Monica Pier is out over the ocean and doesn't accurately represent the beach cities. For example here is LAX which is also within 200 yards of the beach [and 8 miles south of the Santa Monica Pier] but much different than the pier readings:
LAX [Los Angeles Airport]
Maximum temps per month 65.6 65.8 65.3 68.0 69.3 72.5 75.3 76.8 76.5 74.2 70.4 66.7
Minimum temps per month 48.6 50.1 51.3 53.6 56.9 60.1 63.3 64.5 63.6 59.4 52.7 48.5
San Diego [right on the bay at sea level]
Maximum temps per month 66.8 66.9 67.0 70.0 71.8 73.0 77.9 78.8 78.1 76.2 72.0 67.9
Minimum temps per month 49.8 51.3 53.0 55.8 59.0 62.1 66.9 67.3 66.8 61.1 54.0 50.0 National Weather Service - NWS San Diego
Regarding palm trees. What is weird is that places like Jacksonville Florida\ New Orleans Louisiana & Houston Texas can not grow tropical palms common to California because of freezing cold fronts that regularly decent to the Gulf Coast each winter. This does not occur in SoCal and why there are more sub-tropical plants then in areas of Texas over to northern Florida [even though California is much further north]. Even palms like the California fan palm are damaged by cold weather in northern Florida & all of Texas because those regions get very cold minimums that do not exist in California. Frost is practically unheard of in coastal SoCal but a yearly event in cities like Houston & Galveston [also New Orleans]. Even Tampa & Orlando Florida are more prone to frost than Los Angeles & San Diego.
Thanks for the data [I also love meteorology]. But the data you provide seems to be inconsistent with nearby stations. Santa Monica Pier is out over the ocean and doesn't accurately represent the beach cities. For example here is LAX which is also within 200 yards of the beach [and 8 miles south of the Santa Monica Pier] but much different than the pier readings:
LAX [Los Angeles Airport]
Maximum temps per month 65.6 65.8 65.3 68.0 69.3 72.5 75.3 76.8 76.5 74.2 70.4 66.7
Minimum temps per month 48.6 50.1 51.3 53.6 56.9 60.1 63.3 64.5 63.6 59.4 52.7 48.5
San Diego [right on the bay at sea level]
Maximum temps per month 66.8 66.9 67.0 70.0 71.8 73.0 77.9 78.8 78.1 76.2 72.0 67.9
Minimum temps per month 49.8 51.3 53.0 55.8 59.0 62.1 66.9 67.3 66.8 61.1 54.0 50.0 National Weather Service - NWS San Diego
Regarding palm trees. What is weird is that places like Jacksonville Florida\ New Orleans Louisiana & Houston Texas can not grow tropical palms common to California because of freezing cold fronts that regularly decent to the Gulf Coast each winter. This does not occur in SoCal and why there are more sub-tropical plants then in areas of Texas over to northern Florida [even though California is much further north]. Even palms like the California fan palm are damaged by cold weather in northern Florida & all of Texas because those regions get very cold minimums that do not exist in California. Frost is practically unheard of in coastal SoCal but a yearly event in cities like Houston & Galveston [also New Orleans]. Even Tampa & Orlando Florida are more prone to frost than Los Angeles & San Diego.
Interesting.
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