I wish it would rain

[KathyLauren]

Odsox, you have my sympathy. We have had no rain to speak of since mid-June, other than a wee splash three weeks ago. My spreadsheet is telling me that our stored rainwater will run out September 23rd or 24th. I suppose that most of our veggies will be harvested by then, but it would sure be nice to get some moisture before then.

[Stonehead]

The rain has been bucketing down here, again. Much of the croft has at least an inch of water sloshing over it, turning into rivulets and then streams as it washes down the hill. Not only is it raining, but it's blowing a gale. And the temperature hasn't gone above 4.8C all day. And we've had three sleet showers. So, if anyone wants a bit of wet, cold and windy, I'm more than happy to share...

[battybird]

you are too kind, Stoney!! The temperature here has plumetted and we had a heavy shower (just the one!!)...feels quite autumnal today. Dont want sleet or wind thanks

[Millymollymandy]

And there I was thinking gosh it hasn't even managed to get to 20C today!

[Odsox]

Wow, I don't want any sleet in August thank you, or at any other time of the year come to that.

It looks at the moment that hurricane Danielle will veer away and just skirt here, although anything could happen in the next 5 days it takes to get here.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphic ... e#contents
Hurricane Earl is looking a bit nasty, category 3 at the moment and expected to strengthen, but thankfully not coming my way.

[Millymollymandy]

It was 6.6C when I got up this morning which is rather chilly and it's still August, just. I was cold in bed last night!

[Stonehead]

Temperature was 1.5C here overnight and it's just crawled past 7C now. I'm harvesting veg like mad as I'm concerned we'll get a frost soon. Normally, I'd expect to have most of September for harvesting and processing, with the tatties lifted in October. But we've had a wet, windy and cool summer, and with the chill already settling in I think it wise to get as much in as possible as soon as possible.

And on that note, I'd better finish the coffee and get back to work!

[Millymollymandy]

How do you not get a frost at 1.5C? We get frosts at 3C and below plus ice on the birds' water. Don't envy you though. We've had our hottest day in Brittany in September at 36C but also the first frost on 1st September one year. A mixed up old month, is September!

[Millymollymandy]

I need rain now too! A week since it rained and the rudbeckias are starting to droop again - they really aren't suited to my garden but they look so stunning and last a nice long time too if they get enough moisture. Already gone through 500 litres from one IBC in a week just on the veg patch and will have to pump to the back door water butt to water my pots around the house.

However looks like rain is coming with a vengeance from Tuesday and cooler weather so I am going to enjoy what might be the last of the summer and I still have two packs of magnums unopened in the freezer and I don't do ice cream when it's cold or even cool so I'd better get on with it!

[Odsox]

Well I finished painting the house in dry weather, but just in time it seems as we have a little rain forecast for tonight.
Also a huge quantity of rain coming on Monday .... 92mm forecast which I think is getting on for 4 inches. I think it's the remnants of hurricane Danielle, not much wind, just lots of tropical rain.

[Odsox]

How do you not get a frost at 1.5C?

Technical answer ... because the soil is acting like a radiator and keeping the temperature up.
This time of year the opposite happens compared to winter frosts. In winter the ground is cold and the cold air sinks and makes it even colder, hence a ground frost but not necessarily an air frost.
In early autumn the ground is warm and the sinking cold air is warmed at ground level, hence you can have air frost (<=0c) but no ground frost.
Sorry you asked now, aren't you ?

[Millymollymandy]

I have not the foggiest what is the difference between an air frost or a ground frost, but it's a lot hotter here than Aberdeen so how come we have had frost on the grass at 3C on 1st September? We always have frost on the grass at temps around 3C, sometimes at 4C. That's not to say it's a problem frost, that comes when temps go below zero which is why my toms and geraniums are good outside for months yet.

I wouldn't know if there was frost in the AIR cos I can only tell if it is on the grass or the water has ice on it! So that's how I know we had frost on 1st September several years ago. Followed by 36C a few days later.

[Odsox]

I have not the foggiest what is the difference between an air frost or a ground frost

How do you know the temperature was 3c ?
Obviously you have a thermometer somewhere above ground level, probably at eye level.
So on 1st of September you only had a GROUND frost ... cos there was frost on the grass but your thermometer said +3c
If your thermometer reads zero or below you are having an AIR frost as well as a ground frost.

[grahamhobbs]

Also was it a maximum and minimum thermometer, otherwise all you can say it was 3degC when you read it. For the ground to be 0degC in September surely the air temperature would have needed to fall below 0degC at some point to cool the soil down to 0degC.

[KathyLauren]

For the ground to be 0degC in September surely the air temperature would have needed to fall below 0degC at some point to cool the soil down to 0degC.

The ground seldom cools by contact with cooler air, except perhaps immediately after a cold front. More typically, the ground cools by radiation, and the air is cooled by contact with the colder ground. On a clear night, the ground will normally drop below freezing first. Only if it stays frozen for long enough will it cool the air above it below freezing too.

Same in reverse when it warms up: it is the ground, not the air, that absorbs solar radiation and warms up. The warm ground in turn warms the air.