News

According to a new United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zone map released in November 2023, parts of lower Eaton Canyon have been elevated to the 10b zone classification. The USDA 10b zone is characterized by annual average extreme minimum temperatures being within 35°F and 40°F. In other words, the average year is not expected to drop below 35°F even on the coldest winter nights in 10b zones.

This warming is a direct result of the combination of the urban heat island (UHI) of Los Angeles and global climate change.

The USDA plant hardiness zone map is a reference that can be used by gardeners to understand which of the plants they wish to grow can survive the coldest temperatures of the year. Since it is based solely on the year’s minimum temperature, the map has been criticized for its inability to incorporate other aspects of a particular area’s climate. For example, most of Miami-Dade County in southern Florida shares a USDA hardiness zone of 10b with Eaton Canyon. This is because Eaton Canyon and Miami-Dade County both see an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 35°F – 40°F. While Miami-Dade County is a warm tropical rainforest that has never exceeded 100°F, Eaton Canyon has a relatively cooler mediterranean climate that can top 115°F in summer. 

Being located in a dry, mountainous region of the world, Eaton Canyon is subject to dramatic temperature swings between the ridgetops and the canyons at night. On dry winter nights, these temperature differences can be most pronounced. Here, temperatures within the wash can plunge into the 30s while the homes overlooking the canyon remain in the 40s. A given night’s minimum temperature can be as much as 15°F warmer at the Pinecrest Gate compared to the Eaton Canyon Nature Center. At a more microclimate scale than just broader Eaton Canyon, it’s possible that some areas are already in USDA hardiness zone 11a, which does not drop below 40°F on even the coldest nights of winter.

Here is a look at how annual extreme minimum temperatures have warmed locally over the past 116 years: 

This past autumn, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center embarked on a new mini-project within the canyon to fix erosion caused by Tropical Storm Hilary and prevent more erosion from future storms. Following the repavement of the main parking lot that sent water flowing in new directions, heavy rains would significantly erode the decomposed granite trail connecting the staff parking lot to the main walkway in front of the Nature Center. This erosion would create a hazard for visitors, and something needed to change. Instead of placing unsightly sandbags, the nature center dug a 20′ long, 1′ deep trench in the ground to serve as a swale.

A swale is a landscape feature designed to manage stormwater runoff by gently sloping a tract of land to create a shallow, vegetated channel. It serves to capture, slow down, and absorb rainwater, allowing it to infiltrate the soil rather than running off. Swales prevent erosion, filter pollutants, and help recharge groundwater, serving as an eco-friendly method of water management in both urban and rural settings. The longer the swale exists, the more efficient it is at absorbing water.

With only four-fifths of an inch of rain over the past 3 months, the flora and fauna of Eaton Canyon are eagerly awaiting the onset of winter 2024. Back to back wetter than average winters in this region are very rare, with only six occurring the past eleven decades. As El Niño sets up in the equatorial East Pacific, hopes are high that a seventh such miracle will occur. As of December 1, 2023, Eaton Creek is flowing throughout 58.3% of the park, or 1.30 miles of the 2.23 mile journey. If you think it’s been dry recently, you aren’t imagining things. The 2024 water year is ranked 100 out of 120 years for the wettest start to a water year in old town Pasadena.

Early indications show our bad luck will end around the 4th week of December, and 2024 will in fact be a wetter than average winter. A powerful jet stream in the open Pacific is expected to annihilate the ridge of high pressure blocking storms from hitting California around the solstice. This will open to the door for multiple powerful storm systems to slam into the Golden State around the Christmas holiday. According the climatological records, how much rain falls between October and December has zero correlation with how much falls between January and March.

The map that follows shows where Eaton Creek is currently flowing below the main waterfall. Area with blue lines indicate active water flow, whereas areas with orange line indicate a dry creek bed.

This table shows how much of the creek bed from the main waterfall to the New York Dr. bridge was experiencing water flow for each month of 2023. We are slightly unsure of the September 1, 2023 numbers as the creek was drying up rapidly following the departure of Tropical Storm Hilary. All other months should be accurate, however. Photographic evidence of the lower wash around the Nature Center is appreciated.