Spring comes early in California!

@TheHorse (218464)

Walnut Creek, California

December 12, 2015 1:35pm CST

One of the strangest things about living in Northern California is that the fields become beautiful right about when everyone else in the US is lamenting the bare trees and brown grass. Because we've had some December rains, our fields are already turning emerald green, and the cows are out, grazing merrily away. By April, when others are celebrating the first little green buds on their trees, our fields will be turning brown. There will be beautiful wildflowers out in the hills, but we'll already be speaking of the passing of the Ireland-like beauty of our pastures and foothills, and the long, brown Summer ahead. Are the seasons "strange" in any ways where you live? I grew up mostly in the Midwest, and became used to cold Winters, beautiful Springs, occasional Summer thunder storms, and colorful Autumns. It's very different here in CA.

21 people like this

20 responses

@jstory07 (139517)

• Roseburg, Oregon

13 Dec 15

Right now it is snowing here.

3 people like this

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@Marcyaz (35316)

• United States

13 Dec 15

@jstory07 Judy that is a really pretty picture, I had heard though a friend that it had started snowing there yesterday and the streets were getting slick to drive on.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Dec 15

Looks purdy. They've been talking about more rain here, but it's just cloudy and cool, right now.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Dec 15

@Marcyaz I'd be throwing my SUV into 4-wheel drive if I were there.

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@cindiowens (5120)

• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

12 Dec 15

I live in SC, and it is upper 70's right now. We rarely get snow or ice, but when we do, the whole place shuts down. Our county doesn't have a snow plow.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Dec 15

It was similar when I lived in Seattle. They were used to rain, but not snow.

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@Hatley (163776)

• Garden Grove, California

12 Dec 15

@TheHorse I miss the A utumn changing colors of the leaves as it does not ha ppen here in Southern California at all.

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@cindiowens (5120)

• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

12 Dec 15

@Hatley It doesn't happen here either.

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@Hatley (163776)

• Garden Grove, California

12 Dec 15

yes indeed it is so different from the state of Califor nia where I wass raised. cold cold winters witjh blizzards. long john undies, summer thudnerstorms and sheet lightning and hail stones. wild flowers and sp ring here its nice all winter but for the past two years it has not rained here in Southern California at all.

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@Hatley (163776)

• Garden Grove, California

12 Dec 15

It was 60 years ago that we last had snow in Orange count and it lasted for several hours and melted. it was in February and our son was in kindergarten. I live now in Garden Grove then we lived in Costa mesa all in orange county Southern Calif where it has not rained in almost two years.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Dec 15

I'm hoping El Nino comes through for both the North and South.

2 people like this

@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Dec 15

@Hatley When I lived in Santa Barbara I think the Santa Ynez mountains would get dusted with snow one in awhile. But it was rare.

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@marguicha (222756)

• Chile

13 Dec 15

Where I live it is said that the climate is similar to the one in California. We have mild winters with rain and dry summers.

2 people like this

@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Dec 15

Yep, that is exactly what we have here (usulally). Interesting that in some temperate places, the rainy season is in the Summer.

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Belle Starr (Iz)

@BelleStarr (61102)

• United States

13 Dec 15

That is strange but of course green grass needs rain and we get ours in the Spring.

2 people like this

@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Dec 15

Yep, we usually get ours in the late Fall and Winter. The Summers are warm and dry

2 people like this

@totobasso (331)

• Canada

12 Dec 15

We should be having lots of snow and very cold weather but we've hardly seen any snow and today was another beautiful day. And what a glorious sunset that I can see out of my window. Something strange is in the air?

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Dec 15

You must me in the Eastern part of Canada! It's still early afternoon here.

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@totobasso (331)

• Canada

13 Dec 15

@TheHorse You got it!

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@totobasso (331)

• Canada

14 Dec 15

@sugartoes It used to be that we were the first but things seem to have changed.

@GardenGerty (160611)

• United States

12 Dec 15

It has contnued to be mostly warm, except for an ice storm around Thanksgiving. It is brown here, too as it has not been wet enough to do anything else or when it is wet, it is not warm and the trees, etc. know it is not time to be bursting out in bloom.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Dec 15

Last year, our grasses didn't turn green until way late, as we had little or no Fall rain.

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@Marcyaz (35316)

• United States

13 Dec 15

I grew up in the Midwest and when I moved to Northern California I couldn't belive all the rain, it seemed all it did there was rain or it would be foggy. Then going up in the mountains the strange snow storms in July headed toward Lake Tahoe.

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@Marcyaz (35316)

• United States

14 Dec 15

@TheHorse That fog can be a killer glad it is no longer so rainy there.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

14 Dec 15

@Marcyaz We need the ran, though! I dont mind it a bit. We've had severe drought here for several years now.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Dec 15

When I first moved here (this time) it rained a lot in Winter. In recent years, not so much. We still have the fog, though, especially in San Francisco and Marin.

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@koopharper (7601)

• Canada

12 Dec 15

I spent four years in southern California. I missed winter. Never traveled further north than San Francisco/ Sacramento. I probably would have liked it more than the south.

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@koopharper (7601)

• Canada

12 Dec 15

@TheHorse Santa Barbara was a nice little town. I cycled through there on several occasions. I was less thrilled with the LA basin where I spent most of that time.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Dec 15

@koopharper LA was a bit too much for me. I just went down there for the occasional concert or baseball game.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Dec 15

Hard to say which climate I like better (North or South). The people seem happier in the South (I lived in Santa Barbara for several years).

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ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12074)

• United States

13 Dec 15

Green hills are even more rare in SoCal. We have very confused trees. Some have brown or orange leaves as they get ready to fall off, but on the tips of the same branches, there are small green clusters of new leaves appearing.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Dec 15

I always felt a little confused when I lived in Southern California as well.

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ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12074)

• United States

14 Dec 15

@TheHorse I am very in tune with SoCal, so rarely confused by it.

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (317040)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

12 Dec 15

I never realized California was different with their weather from the rest of the US. I like the four seasons as they should be, though winter is my favorite - if it ever gets here this year.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Dec 15

Green Bay can have some serious Winters, as did Chicago and Iowa when I lived in the Midwest.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

14 Dec 15

@just4him Seems like it's pretty warm across most of the US right now.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (317040)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

13 Dec 15

@TheHorse Yes we can. However, it's more like spring than winter at the moment.

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@shellyjaneo (1081)

• United Kingdom

13 Dec 15

That is the opposite of the UK the Spring time here is around March and it is my favourite time of year, our summers are pretty rubbish and so are the Winters but Spring and Autumn are lovely x

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

14 Dec 15

@shellyjaneo What is the best time to visit the UK if I want to experience some rain, but some sunny days as well? Late Spring?

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Dec 15

What are the Summers like there? Does it keep raining?

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@shellyjaneo (1081)

• United Kingdom

14 Dec 15

@TheHorse No it doesn't rain too much in the Summer, or at least it shouldn't. The last two summers have been rubbish though it has rained quite a bit and except for the odd nice day it's been very mild x

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@andriaperry (116936)

• Anniston, Alabama

13 Dec 15

My yellow bell bushes are blooming :)

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Dec 15

What are they usually doing in December?

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

14 Dec 15

@andriaperry I wonder if they'll keep blooming through the Winter. Or if they'll "admit" that it's cold in a month or so.

@marijuana (570)

• Tel Aviv, Israel

13 Dec 15

I love the seasons in Israel . Long summer and long winter. Winter here is not as bad as other places. Lowest temperature is 11 ? in my location. In rare occasions, it gets to 6 ? in Jerusalem part :) But during the day it's bright and sunny :)

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Dec 15

You're talking Celsius, right? 6 C would be in the 40s F. Chilly, but not freezing.

@marijuana (570)

• Tel Aviv, Israel

13 Dec 15

@TheHorse Oh Ive noticed it did not print the celsius but gave me questions marks instead :)

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@marijuana (570)

• Tel Aviv, Israel

13 Dec 15

@TheHorse Yeah there are a lot of amazing things in Israel :) Especially how a very tiny country can defend itself from the surrounding bullies :)

@bunnybon7 (50973)

• Holiday, Florida

12 Dec 15

that sounds wonderful. not much foliage at any point here in the desert.

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@Hatley (163776)

• Garden Grove, California

12 Dec 15

we l iv ed i n Tempe Arizona for a number of years then moved to Cal ifornia the year President Kennedy was assassinated Our son was fo ur and l isas was three when we moved to 'California

@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Dec 15

The beauty of the desert is very different! To me, it's subtle. I got to the four corners area a lot in my Tony Hillerman novels. And to the high desert when driving through Nevada.

@marlina (154131)

• Canada

12 Dec 15

We have 4 seasons in Canada and I like the changes.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Dec 15

I miss the changes. We have them here, but they're subtle. I've grown used to them, though. A lot of people don't realize that the prettiest time to visit California is in January or so.

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@amadeo (111938)

• United States

12 Dec 15

we do have four seasons here.But the weather has been very unusual and the lawn is still green. The wood box full of wood and at this time.We did not have a wood fire yet.This is a first

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Dec 15

I just spoke on the phone with my brother in Worcester Mass. He says it's quite warm there too.

@garymarsh6 (23404)

• United Kingdom

12 Dec 15

That is a beautiful green. It is amazing how the grass bounces back even after a few drops of rain. The UK like Ireland is usually very green too. Especially up north where it rains so much.

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Dec 15

Sadly, our deep green lasts for only a month or so. I'd imagine it stays green longer in the UK.

@DeborahDiane (40288)

• Laguna Woods, California

13 Dec 15

One of our daughters is a teacher in the heart of the Napa Valley. When we visit her in the winter, we love how lush and green everything is!

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Dec 15

That's the prettiest time up there!

@JudyEv (339431)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Dec 15

That's a lovely photo when it's blown up. Is that a pebbly riverbed in the foreground or perhaps a road?

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@TheHorse (218464)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Dec 15

It's a creek bed. Soon, our creeks will be running (if we keep getting rain). Then they'll dry up in the Spring.

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