25 foot fruiting coconut on South Padre Island (climate, snowfall, warm)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Nice! I always thought the southern gulf region had coconut potential. How long has this palm been planted? Are there any cocos in Brownsville? Apparently Brownsville is 9b, so maybe not?
Although I haven't seen any coconut trees here in Portland, Texas, we have alot of orange, lemon, and other varieties of tropical type fruit trees here. Lots of palm trees here as well, but I suppose that can be expected.
Cameron county(Brownsville, Los Fresnos, Port Isabel) is a solid 10a. USDA only used 12 years of data , including the 3 coldest winters ever(1983,1985,1989). Normal winter lows in Brownsville are normally at or just above the freezing mark, some years only 35F or 36F. Port Isabel's lows are a hair higher. South Padre Island is a 10b, most winter lows on the island are around 36F, with mild years only in the 40sF(Zone 11!). You will see zone 10 vegetation everywhere in Cameron county, huge Ficus/Banyan trees, Flame trees/Royal Poinciana, and Royal Palms. Mangoes were grown here comercially before the 1980s. There are Royals about seven stories tall on South Padre Island, next to the Radisson Resort, that might have even survived 1989.
The only map that shows Brownsville as Zone 9b is the 1990 version of the USDA map.
The 1960, and 2003 USDA map show Brownsville as Zone 10.
The Arbor Day map also shows Brownsville as Zone 10.
Coconuts can grow on North Padre Island, and probably Port Aransas. Both are Zone 10a, though slightly cooler then the Rio Grande Valley.
Here's an odd picture, a coconut in snow(Brownsville). This photo was taken in 2004, the second time in the last few centuries(1899) since it has snowed in Brownsville. Later the same day it warmed up into the 70s, coconut survived.
A fruiting one in Brownsville
More in Brownsville
Here's an odd picture, a coconut in snow(Brownsville). This photo was taken in 2004, the second time in the last few centuries(1899) since it has snowed in Brownsville. Later the same day it warmed up into the 70s, coconut survived.
That's positively surreal!
Have there been any instances of frosty nights followed by highs below about 50 F?
Have there been any instances of frosty nights followed by highs below about 50 F?
To answer your question, Chester, would be YES. Although fairly infrequent, usually high temps being held below 50 aren't because of a frosty night, but because of an artic airmass and the overriding gulf moisture producing drizzle and fog/low cloud conditions keeping it in the 40s.
The times temps have been held below 50 with freezes at night? December 1989, 1983 come to mind. The coldest weather ever in most of S. Texas during these times. In 1899 there was also an extreme freeze over this part of the state too. Here are some actual numbers from the NWS Brownsville website for the top 10 coldest high temps ever recorded:
Here's an odd picture, a coconut in snow(Brownsville). This photo was taken in 2004, the second time in the last few centuries(1899) since it has snowed in Brownsville. Later the same day it warmed up into the 70s, coconut survived.
A fruiting one in Brownsville
More in Brownsville
I knew something sounded wrong with your statement. Actually, the high in Brownsville on December 25, 2004 was 52 °F, after a morning low of 28 °F. That day, 1.5" of snow fell. Here is the wunderground link if you don't believe me:
The day before that (December 24th), Brownsville's high temperature was a CHILLY 43 °F, with a low that night before midnight of 32 °F. Here is the link for that data:
On 12/24/2004-12/25/2004, in Corpus Christi, an average of 2-4" of snow was seen across the coastal bend. Extremely rare that it snows at all, this remains our greatest snowfall on record.
Ian
Last edited by txsizzler; 09-06-2010 at 04:56 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
, South Padre Island is the only 10b climate in Texas
I'll have to get down to South Padre Island and Brownsville one of these days 
