There's no denying that Christmas saw some unseasonably warm weather—so warm, in fact, that reports of overzealous New Yorkers sporting shorts and tank tops have surfaced like some kind of Floridian waking nightmare. But who can blame them? Temperatures hovered just below those of the Fourth of July in New York, confusing both city folk and our botanical gardens alike.
Fox Newsreports the National Weather Service recorded some of the highest December temperatures in history, with highs of 66 degrees smashing 1982's previous record of 64 degrees. "A noontime temperature in Central Park of 72 degrees Thursday crushed the previous record of 63 degrees, set in 1996," they add. "National Weather Service meteorologist Carlie Buccola said 72 degrees was only 3 degrees cooler than it was on July Fourth." Yikes.
Meanwhile, Gothamist reports confused flowers and trees at the New York Botanical Garden have begun to bloom some four or five months early. Todd Forrest, the Arthur Ross Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections, says this could be a serious problem for the health of the plants that are blooming early.
"Any growth that pushes now will be damaged or destroyed when winter actually comes, which it will. This will be an added stress on top of the drought and heat of last summer. We would expect an increase in damage from secondary pathogens (insects and disease) in some cases."
The NYBG's gardeners are "primed and ready to do everything we can to take the best possible care of our plants," he adds, but don't expect to be seeing many of your favorite buds in bloom come spring. It's probably time to pack away our celebratory tank tops and officially worry for the safety of our planet, guys.
