I hope the storm in Tucson wasn't cold enough to do any damage to my newly planted outdoor figs. They have't been covered all winter, but they do have a string of old style incandescent Xmas lights on a thermostat wrapped in each small tree.

I'm away at work and wasn't in Tucson to witness the snow. The report from home was that it snowed pretty hard for short durations a couple of times. The temperature plunged twenty degrees in minutes, but didn't drop below 35 degrees on the yard thermometer located right next to the figs. My family said it was by far the biggest snow event they've seen in Tucson in the 9 years they've been there. They were slightly amused by the reactions of native Tusconians though, after spending quite a few years living in Alaska and seeing "real" snow storms.

I don't think this one event was much to do any damage, but this Arizona winter has been pretty brutal on my yard plants. My citrus took some heavy damage from earlier cold snaps that went to 17 degrees one night. This is 2 out of the last 3 winters with record cold snaps for the Sonora desert. The trees will survive, but the citrus that wasn't ripe before the cold hit (most of the crop) was ruined. My in ground peppers and dragonfruit are toast from the earlier cold. Most winters Tucson only sees a handful of nights barely below freezing for a few hours.

I'll be home in Tucson in a couple days from the current work trip. Although I worry more about the weather in my Arizona backyard, the winter has been pretty brutal in Arctic Alaska as well. It's -35 and blowing 25mph here now at work, windchill down in the -60s. About normal for this time of year.