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Plenty of good things about autumn. The grass starts growing again, as do lots of trees/shrubs.
Oh, that's interesting. I didn't know that plants stopped growing in New Zealand summers -- do they stop growing due to summer drought (like as in a Mediterranean climate)?
I didn't think northern New Zealand would be exceptionally dry (for instance, Christchurch's summer rainfall doesn't look too different from say, London's).
No. Soil moisture levels return to more agreeable levels and most grasses have a 10-11 month growing season around here. Only tropical grasses have a die back period and that generally isn't until early winter.
No. Soil moisture levels return to more agreeable levels and most grasses have a 10-11 month growing season around here. Only tropical grasses have a die back period and that generally isn't until early winter.
The grass here usually becomes ugly and brown in winter.. especially after snow, then returns to life in spring.. or maybe I'm imagining it.
Oh, that's interesting. I didn't know that plants stopped growing in New Zealand summers -- do they stop growing due to summer drought (like as in a Mediterranean climate)?
I didn't think northern New Zealand would be exceptionally dry (for instance, Christchurch's summer rainfall doesn't look too different from say, London's).
Around here there is an average of 80mm/ 3 inches in the driest month, but we would still have soil moisture deficit at those levels. Sea breezes would be the main culprit around here and I have already started irrigating. We will typically sell off our sheep by mid November from a lack of grass. Last summer I lost chestnut and walnut trees from drought.
East/West is the main factor for drought conditions in NZ. Places like Chch have the norwester foehn wind, which lowers soil moisture very quickly. When that isn't blowing, there is the easterly which has the same effect. Chch is lucky in that it has significant groundwater. When I lived in Chch, I remember overseas visitors commenting that it was a lot less green and more Mediterranean looking than they had expected, which seemed to me, an odd thing to say. The sun would be stronger than in London as well, which is another factor.
Other parts of NZ are just dry. I go to Central Otago during summer where the annual rainfall is only around the 350mm/15 inch mark. They have a summer rainfall peak, so the rain has very little effect. It looks a lot more like inland SoCal than Ireland
09-06-2011, 04:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Stumbler.
I actually wouldn't mind autumn being long in what you describe above as mild weather (50s F -70F) especially if it is not too gusty. It's brisk and quite pleasant to stroll around wearing a light jacket on the low end of those temps anyways. If that lasted a couple of more months, with a "mini winter" (haha; I like your phrasing!) as you say, that'd be cool with me. NYC's weather is actually quite an improvement in Toronto's weather in that regard.
But temps in that range don't really last more than a month here (40s highs with frosty nights are already common by October). 70s F weather is usually gone by September, with a few outliers of days where the high still feels like a room temperature should outdoors in October perhaps and where people still go outside to take advantage of it before it cools down again a few hours later in the evening.
I'm hoping for a really nice, long autumn too before winter sets in. According to the fall outlook from "The Weather Network" here, it's supposed to be just around normal though (their prediction).
Great post response!
I agree longer extended periods of mild weather (50s, 60s,low 70s) would be enjoyable and rather than having a very long 5 to 6 month long cold winter there can just be a "mini winter" instead for like two weeks to one month so there can be much more time for the mild spring/autumn weather to exist. I think two weeks to one month and a half of winter is enough winter lol.
It seems like New York City and especially Toronto's autumns and springs can feel a bit too short most of the time and winters dragging on for way too long.
Most years, NYC has a pretty consistent winter from Early November to Late March/Early April and I assume for Toronto it is from Early/Mid October to Mid/Late April and one month and a half to two months longer there and of course with consistently colder temps.
It also seems like Toronto has one to two months less of summer than NYC which is another noticeable difference.
Most years, I am decently satisfied with NYC summer's length but I would like them a bit longer. I definitely like warm/hot weather as much as mild weather.
I would say my favorite weather months in NYC usually are May, June, July, August, September, and October. My least favorite weather months in New York City are November, February, March, and April.
I assume this is also how I would feel about those same months in Toronto too for weather with the only exception of October.
Are those your favorite and least favorite months for weather too in Toronto?lol
Living near NYC, I can pretty much go without wearing a jacket or sweatshirt May through September, except for a handful of days in May and September. Today was actually the first day I put on a coat (heavy rain and chilly 60 F weather) since May.
Living near NYC, I can pretty much go without wearing a jacket or sweatshirt May through September, except for a handful of days in May and September. Today was actually the first day I put on a coat (heavy rain and chilly 60 F weather) since May.
Interesting. It was around 63°F-64°F today and I'm north of NYC. We had a high of 66°F but it was brief. I saw weather map and it looked like it was gradually warmer in the afternoon as you went north, up to about 69°F by the Canadian border.
Interesting. It was around 63°F-64°F today and I'm north of NYC. We had a high of 66°F but it was brief. I saw weather map and it looked like it was gradually warmer in the afternoon as you went north, up to about 69°F by the Canadian border.
Today was actually the first day I put on a coat (heavy rain and chilly 60 F weather) since May.
Coldest low-elevation day this summer for me was 59°F in early June on the California coast. Though I think I had a number of days in the low to mid 60s in the middle of July.
weird that in NY today (summer) the day was colder than in BA today (winter).
And we didnt have an extraordinary hot day or anything, just the average high for septemeber (68/70 f, sunny)
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I think two weeks to one month and a half of winter is enough winter lol. 
