Quote:
Originally Posted by Docta_Love
I'm not an expert on Eurasian climate although it does bear similarity to central north america however there isn't a gulf of mexico to help balance the arctic ocean on its northern flank. Further more the LP of MI and the "peninsula" that Windsor-Essex sits on help moderate the extremes of summer and winter. It's not a huge degree but when a arctic front sweeps down not only do the clouds created by the cold air passing over the lakes help insulate from the initial blast but the large bodies of water themselves have an effect (unless they freeze up like they do every so often when although much more rarely these days). I lost my young windmill palm in the record breaking winter several years ago although i made a mistake and it would have survived outdoors with protection instead i had it in our unheated sun room all winter and it was killed during a freak April cold snap when i accidentally left the window open all night next to it during a high wind/snow event after a 70 degree day 2 days before. 
During many of the worst cold snaps places like Indy and Chicago will be colder especially at night than Detroit-Windsor, looking at maps during these events it almost seems like the worst cold air has to navigate down and around lake Michigan before coming up from the south to reach SE MI & SW ONT slightly moderating all the time.
I digress though the Detroit - Windsor area has a micro climate that is 6b in the city and near lake st clair and 6a over the rest (i think Windsor is 6b as well). Oddly enough 6b climate zone is the same as most of Kentucky southern Missouri and southern Kansas and 6a is found in areas like Nashville the Texas panhandle and high plains of New Mexico.
Moscow is a urban heat island 5 surrounded by 4 while Detroit-Windsor is a 6a-6b would be more like the Black Sea coast or most of Crimea aka the Soviet Riviera which has palm trees too, although only naturally occurring in the Sevastopol-Yalta area.  |
Yep, the Detroit/Windsor area is quite a bit milder than what most people think, 6b, like you posted. We can grow many plants here that can't be grown further to the north of us like evergreen Southern Magnolia, exotic Mimosa Trees, fruiting Fig Trees, various Yuccas, and some small hardy unprotected palms, like Needle Palms and Sabal Minor can survive for years with good siting before succumbing to extreme cold events.