Will Sedona See Temps Dip Below Freezing?
(Above) - December 1st, 2021- Leaves Are Falling
Watching the Japanese Maple helps give us some understanding of previous peak color seasons and why the peak may vary each year. In the last two years, our peak color on the Japanese Maple has gone well into December. It really makes for a wonderful Thanksgiving because the color is pretty vivid. This year, it made it through Thanksgiving but that weekend we got some unusual wind and the tree lost a lot of leaves. Within 3 days, leaves were falling on their own. This blog post explains why the leaves can fall at different times during Autumn or Winter.
One of my favorite things ...
One of my favorite things to watch on my Japanese Maple is that the filtered sunlight can make a rainbow effect on different leaves. Some leaves have multiple colors. I think it is because the tree is so dense. However, the leaves that dropped first this year were on the upper branches allowing the light from the sun to hit the lower leaves which were largely green. The leaves that have not dropped yet, are all red now. It is very interesting to see the process. 
Charts For Sedona Weather through November 2021
Precipitation By Month
Sedona Temperature Almanac
Number of Days / Month
November 2021 Weather Summary of Above Charts
November - There were 27 days of sunshine bringing the total to 265 days for the year. Two areas that were very prominent were the higher temperature per day and the amount of rain we got in November. We had a total of 29 days in the 60ºs and 70ºs. In previous years there were at least 6 to 8 days in the 50ºs and much lower temperatures in the mornings. In fact, 2020 had 9 days of low temps below 32º before the sun came up with a low of 20º. This year, only 1 day was at 31.2º. As for rain, we only got 0.17 inches of rain. But that one day, it drizzled most of the day, so the ground got a good soaking. If we do not get any rain in December, this year will be ranked about 8 out of the last 11. However, we doubled the rain from last year. There were only 8.15 inches last year with no measurable snow. Whereas we have received 15.75 inches of snow so far this year.Will Sedona See Temps Below Freezing?
In the last 2 years (2019, 2020) there were a total of 11 days each year where the temperatures dipped below the freezing temperature of 32º. So far in 2021, there have been only 2 days total so far below 32º, one day in October and one day in November. Most of December usually has temps that dip below freezing. This is rarely a long event during the morning hours but it can be a hard freeze. Plants and cacti can get burned through the short freeze. In longer freezing events, plants will inevitably be susceptible to freezing conditions.
It is December, Is It Time To Cover the Plants In Sedona?
Another example that happened in the last 2 years during December is that 18 to 25 days each month, the temperatures dipped below freezing. So now is the time to cover the plants. December 10th and the 11th should be the first two days that the temperatures will dip below 32º. So act now to take care of your susceptible plants, bushes, trees, and flowers.
Oak Creek Canyon and View from Midgley Bridge
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