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nafex - [NAFEX] Accurate well defined hardiness map.

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  • From: Jwlehman@aol.com
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Accurate well defined hardiness map.
  • Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 21:53:12 EST

There is no such thing.

If you found one that divides down to the county level it will be meaningless. Each zone has a 10 degree difference, and just because a line might be drawn on a county line, those counties will not have average temps 10 degrees warmer or colder than the other. Also those temp ranges aren't absolute.  My zone 5b (-15 to -5, my extrapolation) regularly sees -20 and the record is -32.

Conclusion: A well defined map is meaningless. Close counts in horse shoes (the game), hand grenades and USDA Hardiness Zones. 

Opinion time: Add at least one zone to what most nursery catalogs list their material to be hardy too.  If they say zone 5, if might survive zone 6 over a long time period. 

Stephen is correct when he writes:  Even in a very large area of a single zone, one might live in a microclimate;
I might add, those microclimates can be much colder as well as warmer. 

Jerry



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