It's dam HOT HERE Wooohooo Early summer weather

It's not 30.

If it's 30 in vancouver, I will vomit.
I've already gone through the fact it's actually warmer in Whitehorse than it is in Windsor.
Please don't make me trip out on mother nature again. I'll start cutting trees down, and kick the grass, and pick flowers just to rebel.

well not now cause it;s 1:30 in the morning but on wensday we had a high of 29c, but for the past week we have been having 20-25c weather, trust me ièm a landscaper and it gets fucking HOT!!!!!!

are u guys even from Van ( question mark )

so STFU if your not



W00t

ailiton that dog in your avatar is so fucking cute, whats itès name

If it's 30 in vancouver, I will vomit.
I've already gone through the fact it's actually warmer in Whitehorse than it is in Windsor.
Please don't make me trip out on mother nature again. I'll start cutting trees down, and kick the grass, and pick flowers just to rebel.

Hilarious!!





number7: chill out. Next time break the crack rock in half.

If it's 30 in vancouver, I will vomit.
I've already gone through the fact it's actually warmer in Whitehorse than it is in Windsor.
Please don't make me trip out on mother nature again. I'll start cutting trees down, and kick the grass, and pick flowers just to rebel.
LOL.

30 in the Valley, not in Vancouver. But since it seems like one big city anyways, you can consider the valley Vancouver. I remember it being 30 at the water in Vancouver last summer on many occations...meaning 35 inland! They are saying it's going to be just as hot and dry this year as last summer :D

That northern front better leave soon of I will freak out. On the other hand I hope the north continues to get a blast of hot air to speed up the melting proccess.

wow thats hot for this time of year...i dont get whats up with southern ontario its been so damn abnormaly cold!!its driving me insane the weather is so !^#%$# up and unpredictable

well this year in Vancouver i have heard several reports that this will be the hottest summer in B.C recorderd history, ève heard that there will be many 40c+ days.

well this year in Vancouver i have heard several reports that this will be the hottest summer in B.C recorderd history, ève heard that there will be many 40c+ days.

It hasn't been thirty, but I live in central Vancouver, and my thermometer has gone up to about 25C on several days. Today it's overcast and feels cool, and the thermometer reads 18C at 5:17 PM.

It's usually cooler where the official temps are recorded at the airport, which is near the water.

Its been around 25, and today is the cool only 16. It has defenatly been nice, considering how crappy the weather is in the east; it was snowing in Edmonton yesterday.

ailiton that dog in your avatar is so fucking cute, whats itès name

Its name is Toffy.

The highest temp reported at Vancouver over the past week was only 20C, and that only lasted for one hour. Even in the outlying areas, the highest temp was 23C.

^They do the measurments for Vancouver at the airport which is on an island! In a little ways from the coast it has been so hot! It was officially 27(or around that) in Abbotsford a few weeks ago and I was in Coquitlam and saw 29 on a thermometer!

Besides, what are your sources?

The airport is a really poor location to record weather, especially temps because it's always a lot cooler on that island. I was checking the records for this past month, and Surrey which is merely a 20 minute drive inland, has recorded 24, 26 on quite a few days this April. When people complain that it doesnt get hot enough in Vancouver, summers are too cold...hello dumbasses....drive 25 mins east away from the water!!

I definitely believe what you guys are saying about higher temperatures inland. Out on the east coast, we get the exact same. 80km inland it was 32 degrees (according to the Jeep thermometer). We drove home that afternoon and once we got down by the Bay of Fundy the temperature was about 18degrees, and in Saint John it was a FOGGY and COLD 15 degrees!

Even driving no more than 10-15km inland from Saint John, and the Bay of Fundy, will often result in atleast a 5 degree increase in temperature.

Besides, what are your sources?

Environment Canada published climate data.

I know all about the inland areas being warmer (I have a degree in climatology) but it's really misleading to start a post about Vancouver reaching 30 degrees this week when it was nowhere close to that.

I definitely believe what you guys are saying about higher temperatures inland. Out on the east coast, we get the exact same. 80km inland it was 32 degrees (according to the Jeep thermometer). We drove home that afternoon and once we got down by the Bay of Fundy the temperature was about 18degrees, and in Saint John it was a FOGGY and COLD 15 degrees!

Even driving no more than 10-15km inland from Saint John, and the Bay of Fundy, will often result in atleast a 5 degree increase in temperature.


You guys are getting wonky weather too eh? I have family in Fredricton and I was looking at some pics of the Saint John river FLOOD like crazy!
I was worried! It's terrible!

Well whatever the temperature is in Vancouver, it still has the best weather in Canada at the moment. Thats California written all over it and I dont see Ontario or "whitehorse" (Wherever the fuck that is:P) anywhere near Vancouver at this time.

Southern BC usually has the warmest weather in Canada from November through March and southern Ontario does from April through October. Once in a while, things get wacky and flip-flopped though.

Even in the outlying areas, the highest temp was 23C.

If you meant Abbotsford, it was 27.3 degrees C.

(Use weathernetwork.ca, as the hyperlink to the historical data page does not work.)

YVR, however, recorded only 20 degrees C.

Wow, to think that Prince Rupert was warmer than Vancouver for at least three days the past two weeks, and even made a record of 25.1 C for the (usually wet and cold) coastal city!

Yeah, but Abbotsford is a little too far away to be considered 'Vancouver'. Most regions of the country have already seen a few days of 28C weather this spring.

Blitz your just jelous that were having such good weather , it's ok .


FUCK YA PLAYER!!!!

Yeah im sure he's real jealous...You do realize he lives in Windsor, and uh Windsor is pretty much one of the hottest cities in Canada. Windsor(and all of Southern Ontario) was bordering 30C like 2 weeks ago, difference is we dont make threads for little heat waves....

^right, nobody cared when it reached 28C a couple weeks ago here because it's not unusual. Number7 just didn't realize how easy it is for people to get actual climate data to expose his lies.

Yeah, southern Ontario is hot, and is pretty far south. Windsor is almost in line with the northern border of California.

Too bad Windsor frys in Detroit's pollution :( *smog* :runaway:

Southern BC usually has the warmest weather in Canada from November through March and southern Ontario does from April through October. Once in a while, things get wacky and flip-flopped though.

Actually, Kamloops, Penticton, Osooyos and Lytton are hotter in the spring/summer than southern Ontario. Windsor has the highest humidex levels over the summer however.

Yeah, southern Ontario is hot, and is pretty far south. Windsor is almost in line with the northern border of California.

Not almost inline - it is inline.

For Canada's "weather winners" (or losers) check this out:

http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/weather/winners/intro-e.html

wow :|... like last april on my birthday it was only 19 degrees in halifax and 26 degrees at the airport wich is about 20-25 mins away :|...

Yes, temperatures can vary a lot from only a distance of 15-20 miles. It can be 70 F. on the coast of San Diego, and 25 degrees hotter only 30 miles inland.

Actually, Kamloops, Penticton, Osooyos and Lytton are hotter in the spring/summer than southern Ontario. Windsor has the highest humidex levels over the summer however.

That's true. I was only focusing on the Van/Vic region. The interior of BC gets hotter in summer although it's much more humid in summer in Ontario so it feels hotter. I don't like our summers here because of how humid they are - it drains all your energy.

Thats right oceanmdx, San Diego doesnt have the hottest weather in the United States, but temperatures really mean dick all. Same with Vancouver. I believe San Digo has the best weather in the Continental US. (Honolulu probably tops:D) And the same goes for BC as does for California. The coastal regions are usually 20F colder than the Inland regions. It can be 100F in Palm Springs and 80 in SD, same goes for

That's true. I was only focusing on the Van/Vic region. The interior of BC gets hotter in summer although it's much more humid in summer in Ontario so it feels hotter. I don't like our summers here because of how humid they are - it drains all your energy.

Yes, that's why I said that Windsor has the country's highest humidex level in the summer. I'm originally from Waterloo, so I know what you mean.

Thats right oceanmdx, San Diego doesnt have the hottest weather in the United States, but temperatures really mean dick all. Same with Vancouver. I believe San Digo has the best weather in the Continental US. (Honolulu probably tops:D) And the same goes for BC as does for California. The coastal regions are usually 20F colder than the Inland regions. It can be 100F in Palm Springs and 80 in SD, same goes for

SD has the overall best weather in Canada/USA.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico is even better than SD.

We had freezing rain today. :nuts:

35 is hot enough, anything over is just uncomfortable, by the way this is a fucking LIE!!!

was bordering 30C like 2 weeks ago LIES LIES LIES.


i looked at temps for southern ontario and it's pretty fucking cold 7-10c HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

by the way Kamloops, Osyoos, and Lynton get ALOT hotter then southern ontario cause there are Deserts


OWNED!!!!!. B.C OWNS

Number 7 - It was in the upper 20's in Southern Ontario a few weeks back, try looking it up. It only lasted for a couple days though. To me it doesnt make it much better, i saw clips on the news of people out enjoying that warm spell but everything looked pretty dead, brown grass and no leaves on trees yet. Kinda depressing. It's not just an Ontario thing, basically most of North America except for i'm guessing Florida, the Southern states and the West Coast. We're just blessed with this climate and greenery.

I'd rather have consistant low 20's and the lushness we have here. Does anyone notice how fast the leaves have been comming out lately? I mean by the end of April it looked like we were into July in terms of leaves on trees. It seems its blooming earlier every year. Plants that used to flower in May are now appearing in March.

After today, I have found out the meaning of scattered showers. I was on the golf course and the sun would come out for about 5 minutes and then it would go away and it would start pouring, one time it started to hail, HAIL!! This happened about 5 or six times.It was fairly cold out and windy, this is way below seasonal average in Toronto, thats for sure.

Tottaly..its usually a lot warmer there by now.

Thats right oceanmdx, San Diego doesnt have the hottest weather in the United States, but temperatures really mean dick all. Same with Vancouver. I believe San Digo has the best weather in the Continental US. (Honolulu probably tops:D) And the same goes for BC as does for California. The coastal regions are usually 20F colder than the Inland regions. It can be 100F in Palm Springs and 80 in SD, same goes for
There is such a thing as too hot, no?

I'd say SD and Hawaii are good for a one week vacation during the middle of winter (not that we get much of one here in Vancouver), but anything beyond that and the hot weather gets excessive. If you want the most ideal balance of hot and cold, try the SF Bay Area.

No SD (near the coast) eats SF's lunch for weather year round.

Near the coast (within about 10 km), SD never gets too hot.

No SD (near the coast) eats SF's lunch for weather year round.

Near the coast (within about 10 km), SD never gets too hot.
I take it you're a Mexican who's used to hot weather.

Number 7 - It was in the upper 20's in Southern Ontario a few weeks back, try looking it up. It only lasted for a couple days though. To me it doesnt make it much better, i saw clips on the news of people out enjoying that warm spell but everything looked pretty dead, brown grass and no leaves on trees yet. Kinda depressing. It's not just an Ontario thing, basically most of North America except for i'm guessing Florida, the Southern states and the West Coast. We're just blessed with this climate and greenery.

I'd rather have consistant low 20's and the lushness we have here. Does anyone notice how fast the leaves have been comming out lately? I mean by the end of April it looked like we were into July in terms of leaves on trees. It seems its blooming earlier every year. Plants that used to flower in May are now appearing in March.


Unfortunately, what passes for "greenery" in Vancouver outside of Stanley Park is just so much shrubby tree varieties, landscaping with cedar hedges manicured just so. That's not my idea of lush and hardly the broad, leafy canopies Ontario's cities typically enjoy in their older neighbourhoods for much of the year. We still have the year-round coniferous varieties, too. Ontario can boast Carolinian and Boreal forests in the same province in fact.

Unfortunately, what passes for "greenery" in Vancouver outside of Stanley Park is just so much shrubby tree varieties, landscaping with cedar hedges manicured just so. That's not my idea of lush and hardly the broad, leafy canopies Ontario's cities typically enjoy in their older neighbourhoods for much of the year. We still have the year-round coniferous varieties, too. Ontario can boast Carolinian and Boreal forests in the same province in fact.
There are lots of streets in Vanc with the broad leafy canopies you describe, you just have to look outside downtown in the older areas like Kitsilano, and even old East Van. Vancouver landscaping tends to become very dense if not kept under control; its the rainforest. I even saw weeds today that were 7 ft tall.

The thing about temps here is that they are usually pretty steady, not so much variation between day and night, and day to day; also there isn't usually any wind, which makes it feel always comfortable - right now its 14C at 12:20AM.

You know, comments like that are just plain stupid. Vancouver has all the trees Toronto has and then some, infact many many many more some. There are so many species that grow here, and thrive here that would never survive back east.

An interesting note to make is every february when thousands of cherry trees blossom along the streets and avenues of Vancouver, while at the same time, the rest of Canada is still under snow.

Also the fact that this is a rainforest means growth rates for anything you plant are stunning. Whereas other regions of this northern country struggle to make trees grow to any significant size in a person's lifetime, trees here are towering over the landscape after only a a few decades. The natural landscape here would eat the city alive if it wern't tamed.

There are lots of streets in Vanc with the broad leafy canopies you describe, you just have to look outside downtown in the older areas like Kitsilano, and even old East Van.

Even downtown... The West End is full of broad leaf canopies that started blooming 3 months ago, that look how a tree in Ontario would by August right now.

This is a dumb thread. If you like warm dry summers then the West Coast has the best weather in Canada during the summer. If you like really hot summers with thundershowers then eastern Canada has the best summers. If you like really wet but mild winters the west coast has the best winters. If you like cold, snow, rain, ice and other unpredictable weather you would like eastern Canada's weather.

Look at the weather statistics before you disagree with me, Vancouver gets less then half the rain that every other major Canadian city east of here gets.http://theweathernetwork.com/weather/stats/north_america.htm

http://www.eos.ubc.ca/research/pcigr/images/Van7.jpg

I take it you're a Mexican who's used to hot weather.

No, I'm a Canadian who lives part of the year in Mexico. I have also lived in SD (La Jolla). Obviously, you have no idea what San Diego's weather is like near the coast. 80 F. would be a hot day there even in the summer.

Even downtown... The West End is full of broad leaf canopies that started blooming 3 months ago, that look how a tree in Ontario would by August right now.

I agree with you that Vancouver is incredibly lush, but you are way underestimating southern Ontario - I know both very well thank you. One thing that you don't seem to realize is that once southern Ontario does warm up and get humid (say by June) vegetative growth far outstrips that in Vancouver. Even in Waterloo, we use to get 8-foot long shoots on our Manitoba Maple in a season.

I once took the train from Edmonton to Toronto, and when the train went through Toronto, I thought I was in the fucking Amazon jungle. So don't think Vancouver outdoes Toronto over the longterm. I may be that southern Ontario can grow some trees better than Vancouver can, and of course the reverse is also true. For example, fruit trees like apple and pear need enough "chilling degrees" over the winter to thrive. Southern Ontario's hot summers means that all fruits would get much sweeter than in Vancouver.

By the way, in Toronto by June 1, the trees' leafs are about as big as they will get - it doesn't take until August!!!!

Sorry dudes, Joey and WestCoast604. Try somebody who knows better. Vancouver is just not particularly impressive that way and not East Vancouver either. Something as diminutive as cherry trees which I consider strictly ornamental is exactly the type/types which is so prevalent that I'm referring to and fleeting blossoms just doesn't cut it next to the monster broad leaf varieties that grow here that dwarf houses and shade out entire streets, practically making older parts of the cities near-invisible by air. Vegetation going wild is not unique to Vancouver. This is Southern Ontario after all, whereas better than 50% of the most productive soil type in the entire country that is conducive to agriculture and large deciduous trees is right here.

It's impossible for anyone to boast diversity within their cities one way or another with people's penchant for importing non-native species.

What's patently retarded is how B.C./west-coast types come on here and start threads or in the media, and nah-nah-nah or equate their climate with the southern states which is ridiculous. When the snow flies, few people here are dreaming of B.C. but of southern states and the Caribbean. It's the same thing every year and you people apparently don't realize how boring, redundant and unimpressive you really are when we have far better examples to look to in terms of climate or greenery.

I realize how desperate B.C. is to figure for something in Canada but still... you way over estimate how impressed you think we must be of your climate.

This is a dumb thread. If you like warm dry summers then the West Coast has the best weather in Canada during the summer. If you like really hot summers with thundershowers then eastern Canada has the best summers. If you like really wet but mild winters the west coast has the best winters. If you like cold, snow, rain, ice and other unpredictable weather you would like eastern Canada's weather.

Look at the weather statistics before you disagree with me, Vancouver gets less then half the rain that every other major Canadian city east of here gets.http://theweathernetwork.com/weather/stats/north_america.htm

http://www.eos.ubc.ca/research/pcigr/images/Van7.jpg

Good points. A lot of people don't realize how nice and dry (if you like it so) Vancouver and Victoria are in the summer.

Vancouver has all the trees Toronto has and then some, infact many many many more some.

I doubt that. If it were true, though, I would be impressed. There's no equal to Stanley Park, but Toronto is covered in trees.

http://img145.exs.cx/img145/9130/162442534mnrfunfs0ww.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/alteclang/view8kr.jpg
http://www.magma.ca/~ilya/pic/tor_view.jpg
http://www.urbancanada.com/temp/torontodensity/CN7.jpg

Look at the weather statistics before you disagree with me, Vancouver gets less then half the rain that every other major Canadian city east of here gets.http://theweathernetwork.com/weather/stats/north_america.htm


Half the precipitation during the summer months, perhaps, but when it rains here, it pours, and that combined with electrical storms makes for impressive natural phenomena in and of itself. I LOVE torrential downpours and lightening on occasion and is preferable to the drizzly winters you are faced with.

Toronto isn't just a concrete jungle - it has millions of trees too.

Well i've posted these pictures before but it appears some people don't get the point. lol, BC does not get more lush then Southern Ontario other than a few secluded forests here and there...humid weather is basically a breeding ground for leafy trees...

These are right directly in Toronto
http://img62.exs.cx/img62/4301/PICT6064.jpg

http://img26.exs.cx/img26/2023/PICT6387.jpg


http://img52.exs.cx/img52/6815/PICT8565.jpg

http://img67.exs.cx/img67/2629/PICT8566.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/eighteighths/Ravines/PICT4783.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/eighteighths/Ravines/PICT4781.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/eighteighths/Ravines/PICT4338.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/Copper12/Panorama_1.jpg

I agree with you that Vancouver is incredibly lush,

I've tried to stay quiet, but this is getting a little out of hand.

On one hand, you get the argument that:

-Vancouver is very dry

Then you get:

- Vancouver is very lush

Well. They don't call it rainforest for no reason what so ever. How else do you get lush vegetation. Toronto's rainfall is consistent between 2-3 inches a month. Vancouver's ranges 1.something - 4, with more overall.

Holy shit Toronto has a lot of trees!

I've tried to stay quiet, but this is getting a little out of hand.

On one hand, you get the argument that:

-Vancouver is very dry

Then you get:

- Vancouver is very lush

Well. They don't call it rainforest for no reason what so ever. How else do you get lush vegetation. Toronto's rainfall is consistent between 2-3 inches a month. Vancouver's ranges 1.something - 4, with more overall.

It's only relatively dry for about 2 months in the summer. That short period of reduced rainfall causes very few trees in Vancouver to die. Vancouver is one of North America's lushest big cities. Portland, and Toronto are two others.

The metro Vancouver area varies from about 34 inches to 110 inches per year of rainfall depending on the location.

Holy shit Toronto has a lot of trees!

Exactly what I was saying. I wasn't joking when I said that parts of it are like a jungle. When I went through on the train, it was raining and it was so green and shady from all the trees.

By the way, all of southern Ontario used to be covered by a thick forest (like in the photos) but was cleared for agriculture like this (Waterloo Region):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/Waterloo.jpg

My forefathers helped clear this very land.

I wonder, doesn SO ever get Tornados?

I wonder, doesn SO ever get Tornados?

Yes, but no where near as often as parts of the US. The prairie provinces (especially Alberta) also get tornados.

Toronto has even been hit by powerful hurricanes!! Look up "hurricane Hazel".

This was taking within North Vancouver:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/ocean10/CapHeadImage01c.jpg

So Vancouver has lots of trees too.

Nobody said Toronto does not have a lot of trees. To say that Vancouver does not have an equal amount is wrong though, right now Vancouver looks like those pics posted of Ontario ....but I doubt it's actually that lush back east this time of year. Your growing season is much shorter. Your plants and trees bloom months later, and fall happens about a month earlier. It makes a big difference when judging greeness of a city.

algonquin - you are missing my point, which is the variety of species found in SW BC is un-parralleled by any other part of Canada. You can go out in January and see plants and trees all over that still have their leaves. BC is a gardeners paradise for the sheer numbers of different things that will grow here and not anywhere else in Canada. If I could find a species list of trees growing in Toronto, and one for Vancouver...the Vancouver one would be many times larger, anyone who doesn't believe that is out to lunch.

Ok well everyone knows Vancouver has alot of trees, but a good deal of them are evergreens. Toronto gets more big, deep leafy trees, not saying Vancouver doesnt but not to the scale of Toronto.

^Actually, the evergreens are mostly on the outskirts of Vancouver. The whole Vancouver Westside has those leafy trees, not as much in East Van - a lot of those trees are young and puny. Those pics of Toronto look very impressive btw.

If I could find a species list of trees growing in Toronto, and one for Vancouver...the Vancouver one would be many times larger, anyone who doesn't believe that is out to lunch.

That's a gross exaggeration. That would only be correct if Vancouver wasn't exposed to freezing temperatures. If that were the case, then you would likely be right.

One december, when I left Edmonton airport, it was -9 C. When the plane landed in Vancouver an hour or so later it was also -9 C. I know that that isn't common, but Vancouver's winter weather ain't the paradise for a lot of tree species that you make it out to be.

... on the other hand, in a place like Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where a really cold night in winter is +10 C, you likely couldn't grow too many deciduous trees that grow in Ontario, because they need a cold dormant period in order to thrive.

Why they don't (can't) try to produce maple syrup anywhere in BC:

"The sugar maple (acer saccharum) is a slow growing hard wood tree. It can reach heights of 130 feet or more and live to be very old. Often times the truck of an old maple can be three or more feet in diameter. A tree this size, however, is extremely old. To place a single tap on a maple tree, the trunk must be at least 12 inches in diameter, a size taking 40 years for the tree to reach. Sugar maples are only found in one area of the world. This ranges from Southeast Canada, down into the Northeastern United States. Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Maine, and as far west as Ohio all have sugar maples.

This is the only part of the world which has proper conditions for this tree though, and is therefore the only part of the world that can produce maple syrup.

The sugar maple is also sought after for its fine wood. It is tough, hard, fancy grained wood which is often made into furniture or used as a veneer. Some sugar maples form intricate patterns in their wood, such as the birds-eye maple which has circles scattered through the wood resembling bird eyes.

When I say weather, I am not only referring to the weather during the few weeks that the trees are actually tapped and the sap is being collected, but also the weather of the previous winter, and to some extent, even the previous year. Temperature, snowfall, snow depth, rainfall and cloud cover are all factors in the equation.

Temperature

Obviously the weather for the few weeks during which the trees are tapped is extremely important. For the maple sap to run, the nights must be cold, below freezing, without being too cold. Night temperatures should ideally be in the mid 20's. If the temperature falls to far below freezing, the sap will take to long to warm up the next morning, and will not run well. If the temperature is too high, above freezing, the sap just won't run the next day.

Daytime temperatures are just as important. The temperatures during the day should be in the mid 40's according to most people. If the temperature doesn't rise above freezing, the sap will not run at all. If the temperature is too high, the sap won't run either. While all of these things are not totally understood, it does seem to be the truth.

Clouds

Temperature is not the only part of the weather that plays a role in the success or failure of a maple season. If the temperatures are ideal, but the sky is always overcast, there will be a much slower run, producing much less sap. Just as your skin feels much warmer with the sun beating ion it, so does the maple tree. This added warmth draws the sap out of the ground and up past the tap holes where it is collected.

Snow

As was mentioned above, the depth of the snow on the ground during the season is also a factor. While this may seem strange, it is very true. Snow is like a layer of insulation on the ground. If there is a deep layer of snow on top of the frozen ground during maple season, the snow will help extend the season by keeping the ground frozen longer. This frozen ground helps to slow the development of the tree's leaf buds, and delay the "buddiness" of the sap. This "buddy" flavor makes the sap unusable.

How the weather before the season can affect the syrup

If the depth of the snow during the maple season plays a role in the quality of the season, the snowfall during the previous winter would have to be taken into consideration. It would seem, therefore, that the more snow that fell all winter, the better the season.

As it happens, there is no simple steadfast rules for predicting the quality of a maple season.

Snowfall is not the only pre-season weather that influences maple sap flow. Such factors as rainfall, amount of sunshine and even temperatures for the past year all make a difference. The more rain and snow that fell during the previous year, the more water is available to the tree in the ground. While this doesn't vary greatly from year to year, a dry summer will lower the water tables and reduce sap flow the following spring.

Sunshine and temperatures during the previous summer play a role in determining the amount of sugar the tree could produce and store in its roots. If the summer was very cool, or very cloudy, the tree would not be able to produce as much sugar. The lower levels of sugar may not impact the amount of sap which is collected, but the sap will have a lower sugar concentration meaning less syrup from the same quantity of sap."

http://www.bcn.net/~thatcher/trees.htm

Of course, maple syrup is produced in the Toronto area.

but Vancouver's winter weather ain't the paradise for a lot of tree species that you make it out to be.

Actually it is. Many exotics you see here shouldnt be here, and wouldnt survive if we had sustained -9 lows at night for more than a few weeks. They survive because those temps come in such short arctic blasts. I'm no plant specialist but I know for sure that the number of different species growing in BC highly out numbers anywhere else in Canada. Walk through the forest here and you will see ferns, "dinosaur-like" exotic plants with enormous leaves growing naturally, many many shurbs that just look bizarre. I've never seen half the stuff here in other parts of Canada.

Here are some ferns, im not sure if they are only in BC but I think so. I wish I had some pics of the dinosaur leaf plants growing around here, i'll take a walk to Stanley Park and snap some pics someday.

http://canadacalling.ca/other/juandefuca/wettree.jpg

Of course, you must know that ferns grow very well in SO. I challenge you to list all the tree species that can thrive in Vancouver but not in SO. Understand that the deciduous trees (maples, oaks etc.) growing in Vancouver are not native. Ironically, Vancouver nurseries would have originally obtained them from Ontario.

Ferns in SO:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/ocean10/fernsofontario.jpg

Like I said im not a plant expert and don't have the time to do that. But off the top of my head.

Bamboo
Arbutus
Monkee Puzzle Trees
Windmill Palms

All thrive here, I am pretty sure Ontario would be too cold. Ill tell you what, i'll talk to some biologists at my office tommorow and get back to you. They would know a lot more about plant species than me. Basically with sustained ice and snow in Ontario for 4-5 months, plants have to be very hardy. When that ice and snow lasts for a week at the most in Vancouver, it would obviously permit a lot more species to live.

I guess the most straight forward proof of my claim would be hardiness zones. Vancouver ranges anywhere from 8a to a 9a in some microclimates. Toronto is a 5b-6a at the mildest in some microclimates. So if you want to find lists of species that will grow in each of those categories be my guest.

Up to 4 zones higher in hardiness for Vancouver is a big difference, and your trying to tell me the number of species would be similar in variety between the two regions. Give me a break.

Like I said im not a plant expert and don't have the time to do that. But off the top of my head.

Bamboo
Arbutus
Monkee Puzzle Trees
Windmill Palms

All thrive here, I am pretty sure Ontario would be too cold. Ill tell you what, i'll talk to some biologists at my office tommorow and get back to you. They would know a lot more about plant species than me. Basically with sustained ice and snow in Ontario for 4-5 months, plants have to be very hardy. When that ice and snow lasts for a week at the most in Vancouver, it would obviously permit a lot more species to live.

5 months of ice and snow :weird:

5 months sounds about right. I know I'm not from Ontario, but 5 months is December, Jan, Feb, March, April. Isn't that right?

Westcoast604,

Southern Ontario is home to the Carolinian ecozone which boasts a greater number of both flora and fauna species than any other ecosystem in Canada. Yes even more than BC, I know it's hard to believe.

http://www.carolinian.org/images/bigpic5.jpg


Click the link to learn more:

http://www.carolinian.org/SpeciesHabitats.htm (http://)


Quick Facts About Carolinian Canada

25% of Canada’s population on 0.25% of its area

More endangered and rare species than any other life zone in Canada.

A great diversity of wildlife of all kinds, including many species not found elsewhere in Canada.

5 months sounds about right. I know I'm not from Ontario, but 5 months is December, Jan, Feb, March, April. Isn't that right?

It's more like 2.5 -4 months.

Snow usually comes Dec (we have had many Green X-mas), late November, usually melts by the end of February, by the latest it melts by the end of March...

Are we arguing tree covers again? For crying out loud, it has been done. Toronto has considerbly more mature crown cover than Vancouver. No clue where the myth of more forest in Vancouver came from but it has no bearing to reality.

In any case, all this was discussed in the previous thread. I don't see why this discussion has to be done all over again, from the beginning no less!

I guess the most straight forward proof of my claim would be hardiness zones. Vancouver ranges anywhere from 8a to a 9a in some microclimates. Toronto is a 5b-6a at the mildest in some microclimates. So if you want to find lists of species that will grow in each of those categories be my guest.

No the hardiness zone doesn't prove your claim. While it's true that Vancouver rates higher on the hardiness zone than Toronto, you are ignoring the point I have been making all along. That is that some plants/trees need freezing temperatures for a long enough time to thrive. Ask your biologist friends about this. Ask them if they know that Rhubarb won't thrive in Vancouver since the ground doesn't freeze deep enough (or long enough). Rhubarb does extremely well in the Toronto area. Also ask them why Peach, Apple, Pear or Cherry trees can produce sweeter fruit in the Niagara Region (part of the extended Golden Horseshoe with Toronto) than Vancouver. This is because Niagara (or Toronto) gets more "degree-days" than Vancouver.

Up to 4 zones higher in hardiness for Vancouver is a big difference, and your trying to tell me the number of species would be similar in variety between the two regions. Give me a break.

Lack of cold weather (hardiness zones) is not the entire answer regarding whether or not a tree/plant will thrive.

I was only challenging your claim that Vancouver can grow many more times as many varieties of trees than Toronto - that's all. It can not; Toronto even has some advantages over Vancouver - as I have shown.

5 months sounds about right. I know I'm not from Ontario, but 5 months is December, Jan, Feb, March, April. Isn't that right?

I certainly wouldn't include April. So 4 months - at the very most! 3 1/2 months is more like it.

Are we arguing tree covers again? For crying out loud, it has been done. Toronto has considerbly more mature crown cover than Vancouver. No clue where the myth of more forest in Vancouver came from but it has no bearing to reality.

In any case, all this was discussed in the previous thread. I don't see why this discussion has to be done all over again, from the beginning no less!It doesn't look like it's an argument about tree covers - I don't see anyone saying Vancouver has more forest. It's more like one of those 'who has a bigger penis' threads, if you know what I mean.

"Are we arguing tree covers again? "

I've found vancouverites are the most willing people to argue, even when the evidence is glaringly obvious. Denial is all i can think of.





"Nobody said Toronto does not have a lot of trees. To say that Vancouver does not have an equal amount is wrong though"


Actually, it would be right. In terms of urban forest, Toronto is probably the world leader. The only city in NA that appears even a contender is Atlanta. It's not just the sheer numbers of them (about 15 million), they tend to be very large, mature and full canopy species. Toronto is kinda the opposite of Vancouver...the inner city harbouring a much larger and thicker and more mature flora and fauna, while Vancouver's inner-city is fairly sparse in comparison, with surrounding mountains that are very treed.






KGB

Are we arguing tree covers again? For crying out loud, it has been done. Toronto has considerbly more mature crown cover than Vancouver. No clue where the myth of more forest in Vancouver came from but it has no bearing to reality.

In any case, all this was discussed in the previous thread. I don't see why this discussion has to be done all over again, from the beginning no less!
Hmm, I've been to Toronto, and yes, there are lots of older trees, but Vancouver's vegetation is much more dense; they grow faster here, and a good percentage are still green in winter (and many areas are a hundred years old). There is IMO, a greater variety of common trees & shrubs here. And yes, tree lined streets with deciduous tree canopies several stories tall (maybe 80' - 90'). The Westside especially, is mostly all so dense that you can't see any houses. I will have to take some pictures.
BTW, I'm from the East.

Here's how you can grow rubarb in Vancouver so it will thrive.

In the winter, dig the plant out of the ground and rap it up so that it won't dehydrate in your freezer, which is where you will place it for 3-4 weeks.

Then replant it in the soil.


In Toronto, you can just leave it in the ground.

I've found vancouverites are the most willing people to argue, even when the evidence is glaringly obvious. Denial is all i can think of.

Their whole problem is that they think it's all about the "hardiness zone". This reasoning is obviously wrong because if they want to see an impressive hardiness zone, lets talk about Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. I doubt that a spruce tree would grow there, and lots of other hard woods that thrive in Ontario likely wouldn't either.


Actually, it would be right. In terms of urban forest, Toronto is probably the world leader. The only city in NA that appears even a contender is Atlanta.

KGB

Portland and Houston also come to mind.

Here's how you can grow rubarb in Vancouver so it will thrive.

In the winter, dig the plant out of the ground and rap it up so that it won't dehydrate in your freezer, which is where you will place it for 3-4 weeks.

Then replant it in the soil.


In Toronto, you can just leave it in the ground.Sorry, I'm going to have to argue with you on this. :)
I grew up in the Dunbar area of Vancouver, and we had our own rubarb plant in the garden. We left it in the ground for over a decade and it always produced, almost too much for us to handle :). We gave it none of this special treatment that you are talking about. I can't believe I'm talking about rubarb at 11:40pm. :ohno: I guess I just don't like seeing things being said that aren't true.

The hardiness zones really doesn't mean that much outside of how harsh or mild a climate is. There's vegetation typical to a particular zone, in a particular region, but that doesn't necessarily mean any tree, plant etc. can be readily transplanted to any zone as they do have their preferences, not the least of which is soil conditions. Black spruce that is typical of the boreal forest that spans much of Canada's north and loves bog conditions does not fare well in these "mild" southern climates but Norway spruce does for example. Norway maples also fare better in urban environments than do our own native maples.

What's suited to grow where is more complicated than just "hardiness" zones.

This is a pic taken Apr 28, showing Nelson Park and part of the West End (not where I live). Most of the park trees were planted only about 20 years ago or less, so this area is not mature or well canopied, but here and there you can see an older tree. There are however, areas of the city with predominantly older and larger trees. The West End is somewhat spotty. As for the rhubarb, I'm not sure, but it grows well in Nfld.
http://upload.pbase.com/joecanada/image/43197529/original.jpg

Sorry, I'm going to have to argue with you on this. :)
I grew up in the Dunbar area of Vancouver, and we had our own rubarb plant in the garden. We left it in the ground for over a decade and it always produced, almost too much for us to handle :). We gave it none of this special treatment that you are talking about. I can't believe I'm talking about rubarb at 11:40pm. :ohno: I guess I just don't like seeing things being said that aren't true.

My information comes straight out of the Readers' Digest Book on Gardening in Canada. In it they stated that unless the rhubarb root is frozen for a few weeks each winter, the rhubarb plant will grow, but it will get very thin and spindly over a time period of a few years and will not thrive. If you wanted to grow it in places where it didn't get cold enough, you had to dig it up and freeze it for a few weeks like this to "force" it:

"Dig up the roots of plants that are to be forced (three-year-old plants are best) keeping excess soil on the roots to prevent damage from subzero freezing. "

http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-forcing.html#TOC28

The rhubarb in your garden must have obtained the required chilling degrees to thrive. Thanks for that information that you were able to grow it well in Vancouver, but it wouldn't grow well in a warmer climate.

My point was that some plants/trees need a period of cold weather to thrive. You managed to produce rhubard, but try to produce maple syrup in Vancouver.

Like I said im not a plant expert and don't have the time to do that. But off the top of my head.

Bamboo
Arbutus
Monkee Puzzle Trees
Windmill Palms

All thrive here, I am pretty sure Ontario would be too cold. Ill tell you what, i'll talk to some biologists at my office tommorow and get back to you. They would know a lot more about plant species than me. Basically with sustained ice and snow in Ontario for 4-5 months, plants have to be very hardy. When that ice and snow lasts for a week at the most in Vancouver, it would obviously permit a lot more species to live.

Monkey Puzzle, different types of bamboo and windmill palms are all being grown here in NS now too. Not near in the same quantity or quality as the Vancouver area. When you say that Vancouver/South West B.C. is a gardener's paradise I have to agree with you. The milder winters make it easier to experiment with plants, but at the same time we have to remember that more then just temperature comes into play. There is still soil type, degree days, rainfall vs drought etc.

Dupe...

My point was that some plants/trees need a period of cold weather to thrive. You managed to produce rhubard, but try to produce maple syrup in Vancouver. Ok :lol:. I got it. You should have used the maple syrup example instead then. :) I guess this makes Vancouver a bit un-Canadian - not being able to produce maple syrup.

Yes, many people in the west were mad that the maple leaf was used on the Canadian Flag because maple trees there were few and far between (not that Vancouver doesn't have any). ;) Maybe they would have been happier (and avoided western alienation) if a rhubarb leaf was on the flag instead since they can grow that. ;)

By the way, I already did use maple syrup as an example (a few pages back).

Yes, many people in the west were mad that the maple leaf was used on the Canadian Flag because maple trees there were few and far between (not that Vancouver doesn't have any). ;) Maybe they would have been happier (and avoided western alienation) if a rhubarb leaf was on the flag instead since they can grow that. ;)

http://zapatopi.net/cascadia/casflagbg.gif

Now that's a flag. ;)

When I lived in Ontario in 2003. The snow came in early Nov, and lasted till mid march. Thats about 5 months. This year you still had snow in April did you not? Even if there is no snow, there are freezing overnight temps, and the ground is frozen.

Thats interesting that certain plants will not grow unless they recieve winter freezing temps. But wouldn't you think this would apply to the opposite too? Obviously. There must be hundreds of plants that will survive here because of the lack of sustained freezing. Looking in gardens in January I see many plants with leaves on them that i've never seen in Ontario.

Westcoast604, I spent the first 25 years of my life in Waterloo, and I can't recall ever seeing it snow in November where it remained on the ground for more than a day or so. Normally, on Nov 21 (for example) it's cool, windy with drizzle - similar to Vancouver. Often we would wonder whether we would get a white Christmas or not. Often, the ground wouldn't be covered with snow (that lasted) until around Dec. 15.

If you check the weather stats, no part of Canada has a more pleasant autumn than southern Ont. - I know because I already checked. The spring and winter are another matter however.

By the way, what part of Ontario did you live? It's a big place.

I was living in London. 2003 mind you was an unseasonable cold year for Southern Ontario though (much like 2005 hey), everyone was complaining about it. There was snow from November to March, probably just my luck the year I happened to be living there.

The thing about autumn that I didnt like there was how short it was. It seemed all the leaves were on the ground and the trees barren much earlier than how it was back home. Just from flying back to Vancouver for a visit in late october I noticed it. The deciduous trees outside Virgin Megastore on Robson were still green into December this year.

Regarding Vancouver being higher on the hardiness zone, sure, that offers some advantages; but because Vancouver is still exposed to hard frosts, there are thousands of plant/tree species that can't suvive there.

I know a lot about citrus because I grow (and graft) several cultivars of it in Mexico. If Vancouver/Victoria were just a little warmer you could grow Satsuma mandarins in your area! Wouldn't it be neat to grow citrus in the ground around Vancouver?

When I lived in Ontario in 2003. The snow came in early Nov, and lasted till mid march. Thats about 5 months. This year you still had snow in April did you not? Even if there is no snow, there are freezing overnight temps, and the ground is frozen.

Snow in early November?? Well lets just say that is pretty rare. This year yes it snowed in April but it depends on where you are. Toronto did not get snow in April it was southwest Ontario that got the snow which basically melted away within hours anyway. Still snow in Southern Ontario in April is somewhat rare. The snow usually lasts mid Dec through mid March with exceptions depending on the year.

Yeah there are a lot of border line plants that wont quite survive in SW BC, but the borderline stuff that WILL survive is amazing. It's all about finding the right microclimate on some cove or gulf island. I've seen bananas growing here, mind you those plants have to be barked and mulched during the winter, but i'd say its very impressive.

Wait for more global warming.

If not, then genetic modification will do the trick.

Yeah there are a lot of border line plants that wont quite survive in SW BC, but the borderline stuff that WILL survive is amazing. It's all about finding the right microclimate on some cove or gulf island. I've seen bananas growing here, mind you those plants have to be barked and mulched during the winter, but i'd say its very impressive.

Those banana plants (not trees) look good, but make for very poor eating apparently (cold tolerant species). I have also seen them grow west of Aldergrove. To produce good bananas you need a much warmer climate. For most fruit to get sweet, you need enough heat ("degree-days"), and Vancouver lacks enough heat.

Wait for more global warming.

If not, then genetic modification will do the trick.

I once used that idea to play a trick on an American in Mexico. I told him that we have grapefruit orchards in Canada because we were able to introduce the genes of the Colorado Spruce into the grapefruit trees. :)

Oh I know their probably not the greatest, but there are bananas growing in Canada nonetheless.

Just give it a rest.

Sure