First Frostless January

Since we moved to San Geronimo in 2011, January has warmed tremendously. Frosty days at or below 32 F have disappeared completely:

• 2012 - 31% of days were frosty, and 25% of days were in the 20s
• 2013 - 53% of days were frosty, and 30% of days were in the 20s
• 2014 - 58% of days were frosty, and 29% of days were in the 20s
• 2015 - 13% of days were frosty, and 10% of days were in the 20s
• 2016 - 7% of days were frosty, and both days were in the 20s
• 2017 - 16% of days were frosty, and for the first time no days were in the 20s
• 2018 - no frosty days

The green and blue minimum temperature lines show dramatic warming over the
last few years. Jan 2013-15 had less than 4% of average rainfall.

Luckily, this January follows a December when 63% of days were frosty. This ties 2013 for the most frosty days, well ahead of any other year.

I say "luckily" because just think of the implications of not having frost. It affects everything--fruit trees, insect activity... it also affects the length of the growing season, since February hasn't gotten below freezing since 2015 and March hasn't been below freezing since 2012.

And for only the second time in 7 years, January had no high temperatures in the 40s--the highs were at least 50 F all month. The lowest max is not shown on the graph.

Luckily, here it has rained enough to make it wetter than 2012 or 2014 at this point in the season. Unfortunately, those were our two driest years since 2011, at 70% and 51% of average, respectively.

Reimagining San Geronimo Valley (Golf Course)

The pent-up demand for open space in the middle of a community--open space that has been locked up for use only by paying customers during business hours seven days a week for almost 50 years--is huge. In the first two weeks since the San Geronimo Valley Golf Course closed, the excitement in our community was everywhere. Even though the former golf course is closed (and warnings have been issued not to use it), and is not yet public open space, locals are heading there (especially on weekends) to play--but not just golf.

January 2, 2017 - the second day of the San Geronimo Valley
Golf Course closure. Locals were enthusiastically claiming the
newly-accessible territory. This access point was already
popular in the evenings after business hours prior to the closure.

I did see a local man heading up the closed links with his clubs. But mostly people are walking, walking dogs, birdwatching, fish watching, riding bikes, flying drones, and fishing. Reports are that local kids are catching four bass in half an hour in some of the ponds.

This desire to access a large area of flat open space in the middle of a community is huge, and visible everywhere. It is the same desire people have who want to use the L.A. River, and who convert rails to trails. It is the same desire kids have who play in parking lots on weekends or in the middle of their street when there is no traffic. This land is your land! And it isn't locked up anymore!

As Marin County begins its process for planning the transition from golf course to "Open Space" with a captial OS, I have the following advice: