Climate and Weather Conditions. The field trial location in Half Moon Bay, California has a Mediterranean climate characterized by cool xxxxxxx, mild xxxxxxx, year-round coastal breezes, and overcast/foggy nights and mornings that usually clear by the afternoon (WRCC, 2006). The temperature range during the year is typically between 42F and 64F and rarely is below 37F or above 68F. From mid-September through early November average daily high temperatures are warmest, usually above 62F (CLVI, 2014). Based on data collected from 1948 to 2006 in Half Moon Bay, average annual precipitation was 26.98” (WRCC, 2006). At the beginning of the growing season in May and June, the daily probability of precipitation drops from about 20% to 10%. From July through mid-September, daily probabilities of precipitation are lowest, typically below 10%.The probability of precipitation from mid-September through November increases from below 10% to greater than 30% (CLVI, 2014). The weather conditions1 for the years during the field trial are summarized below: Year 1 (2012): Total precipitation, 25.63”, was much greater than the subsequent years (2013 and 2014) of the field trial, though still less than the average annual amount (~27”). This year was also relatively cooler than 2013 and 2014 throughout the growing season from May through November (CLVI, 2014). Two days in October and two days at the start of November had daily high temperatures above 75F (US Climate Data, 2015). 1Weather conditions are based on data from the Half Moon Bay Airport weather station which is directly across Highway 1 from Cabrillo Farms. Year 2 (2013): Total precipitation for 2013 was very low: 6.38”. Precipitation in May, July, October and November were noticeably lower than expected for those months, but more than double the expected amounts in June and September (US Climate Data, 2015). For most days in August, daily high and low temperatures were above average, and the longest warm spell occurred from early to mid-September with greater than average high temperatures. October had five days with temperatures greater than 80F (US Climate Data, 2015). Overall, the latter part of the growing season had more extreme heat days, and was dryer than normal. Year 3 (2014): Total precipitation increased in 2014 to 21.00”, but was still well below average annual precipitation (US Climate Data 2015). The longest dry spell occurred from August 7 to September 23 (48 days) with no precipitation (CLVI, 2014). The majority of days in July, Aug...
