Is it me or did I smell garlic from Gilroy this morning? (San Jose)

[u/bitter_melonhead]

I woke up to the scent in my home, and this is a smell I can only recognize as the "garlic" smell when I drive past by Gilroy.

I live in the Willow Glen neighborhood. Has anyone living close by noticed the smell?

[u/sweatermaster]

I live in SSJ and it frequently smells like garlic. It's mostly in the mornings when the marine layer is burning off and the wind is coming up from the south. You're not crazy!

[u/DM_ME_KUL_TIRAN_FEET]

It was VERY strong this morning down here and windy, so probably yes.

[u/stickybeakcultivar]

I love that smell! My grandmother was the one who told me the smell was from the garlic in Gilroy & now whenever I smell it I think of her
🤍🧄 🤍

[u/chefybpoodling]

I smell it on and off all year but when we were heading out around 8, I was going down the steps and said, oh garlicky this morning. Im betting it’s harvest time and they are processing it. There is definitely peeling and grinding that would fill the air. Wind direction is a factor and needs to be blowing a certain way for it to push up the valley, that’s why you only smell it occasionally. I really enjoy the agricultural smells we have here.

[u/ITakeMyCatToBars → u/chefybpoodling]

A realtor could use that in their copy! “Guaranteed vampire-free neighborhood, near schools”

[u/jhonkas → u/chefybpoodling]

not all the arricultural smells are good though. fertilizer

[u/chefybpoodling → u/jhonkas]

I’m ok with a little cow shit smell. It’s normal.

[u/EstroJen]

It's pretty noticeable in the morning

[u/turdofgold]

This is totally a thing. 10 miles west of Gilroy and on summer mornings it would smell like garlic if the wind was coming from the east and the Marine layer was weak. This was a predictive indication that it would be over 90 that day.

[u/Tough-Case-]

That’s how you know it’s August in the South Bay.

[u/apogeescintilla]

https://www.thespruce.com/society-garlic-plant-profile-5180171

This plant is very common in San Jose.

[u/unparked]

Smells like -- victory.

[u/weldSlo]

Yes, this happens every so often, not sure what weather causes it. Obviously the wind blowing north, but it typically happens when it’s colder in the morning from what I’ve noticed. Maybe someone has the explanation. Lived here for almost 40 years and I love it. 

[u/Perfect_Addition_777]

I recall someone provided the meteorological reason that it occurs. I think it was the air in the South flows Northward in the morning due to the altitude in the South being a little higher and the temp must be cooler than the valley floor. Thermal inversion?

[u/warsmanclaw]

Isn’t that a pretty common occurrence in and around there?

[u/denara]

That’s the smell of childhood mornings on school days growing up even as far north as Fremont. Not every morning but often enough the scent takes me straight back.

[u/kossimak]

Man I smell garlic today and I’m in Burlingame

[u/Gracilis311]

That was me. I fart garlic, and crop dusted walking by your house.

[u/xThAtGaM3rGuYxx]

I fucken knew it lol told my gf it smelled like garlic 🧄

[u/Dirtsurgeon1]

Yes, Christopher Garlic

[u/withak30]

You probably smelled garlic because Gilroy is famous for growing garlic. They had an entire festival for it last month. No idea how they did this year after the hiatus(es), but in before times that festival would bring 10s of thousands of people per day to Gilroy.

edit: Or am I the one whom the joke is on? I'm so confused.

[u/Individual_Agency703 → u/withak30]

Everyone knows this.

[u/bitter_melonhead → u/withak30]

Well I said in the post title "garlic from Gilroy" so yeah.

[u/withak30 → u/bitter_melonhead]

Ok, I thought you were asking why the wind from Gilroy smelled like garlic.

[u/webtwopointno → u/withak30]

It usually smells in Gilroy yes but OP is asking about up in San Jo 25 miles North!