Winds, seas & surf will finally subside this weekend. Seas & surf will still be rough Sat. with some rip current risk but not as severe as much of this week...more improvement Sun. The story will be temps. Lows tonight will dip to near 50 with some 40s well inland but will be even cooler Sun. night with widespread lows inland in the 40s -- the coldest since May 20th & if you take out that unusually cool late spring morning, it's the coolest since mid April! Afternoon highs will be downright delightful with temps. in the 70s, plenty of sun & low humidity.
As for "Noel", the hurricane passed some 300-400 miles east of Jax midday Fri. & there will be no more effects as the storm races north/northeast. Though no longer purely tropical, this huge ocean storm will be a headline-maker this weekend. Strong winds will impact the coast from the Carolinas to Maine with especially adverse effects for D.C., Newark to New York City & a big hit on Providence & Boston where there could be a period of hurricane force winds Sat. afternoon & evening.
Check out the kickoff forecast for the Seminoles at Boston College, 8pm: Cloudy, showers, NW winds 20-50 mph(!) & temps. in the low 40s. Major airport delays are likely followed by a big hit Sun. for Nova Scotia & Newfoundland.
NOAA has just announced an interactive web drought "tracker":
New, Interactive Web Site -- www.drought.gov Tracks Drought
The government today unveiled a new Web site for the public and civic managers to monitor U.S. drought conditions, get forecasts, and know how drought impacts their communities or what mitigation measures exist. Called the U.S. Drought Portal, the www.drought.gov site was developed for the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). A seemingly slow and nomadic natural disaster threat, drought blankets about a third of the United States at any given time.
"The new portal site provides all the information that managers need in one location, and delivers unprecedented access to key operational drought resources to answer the most pressing questions facing policymakers, emergency planners, businesses and the public," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "Everyone now has the ability to learn facts they need: What are the current drought conditions, its effects and when will it end?"
NIDIS is a collaboration between numerous federal agencies and several state governments to provide a dynamic and accessible drought-risk information system. NIDIS was created in response to extended drought conditions over the past decade, with strong advocacy from the Western Governors' Association and other groups. NIDIS, led by NOAA, coordinates use of the U.S. Drought Portal for drought risk assessment and management among its federal, state, tribal and local partners.
"The drought-related emergencies in the Southeast and Southern California underscore the importance of having timely, accessible, and actionable information on drought from the national to the local level," said Chester Koblinsky, director of NOAA's Climate Program Office. Koblinsky and Donald Wilhite, director of the University of Nebraska's School of Natural Resources, co-chair the NIDIS Executive Council.
NIDIS is intended to strengthen public and private sector partnerships, foster and support research, create an early warning system to detect drought and raise public awareness about why drought occurs and its impact on humans and nature. The goal of NIDIS is to improve the ability to understand and respond to climate change, natural disasters, and global environmental issues through better observation, data, analysis, models, and basic social science research.
"The U.S. Drought Portal centralizes drought information in an unprecedented manner, and paves the way for planned early warning system development pilots in select watersheds and states across the U.S.," said Roger Pulwarty, director of the NIDIS program office located on NOAA's campus in Boulder, Colo.
Pulwarty said the portal also serves as a focal point for the U.S.
commitment to cultivating information services for drought-risk management and adaptation internationally through the U.S. Group on Earth Observations (USGEO). USGEO coordinates the U.S. contribution to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
Remember to fall back this weekend -- set clocks back one hour Sun. That'll mean a sunrise of 6:43am & a sunset of 5:37pm!
Earth Gauge: Dim the Lights
As daylight time shortens, we're using indoor lights more and more. While heating and cooling account for more energy use than other household activities, lights and small appliances can also add up to big energy use at home. Taking small, inexpensive steps to save energy can help to lower the load on our energy-producing systems, prevent air pollution, and put a few dollars back in your pocket.
Tip: Consider adding dimmer switches to hallway or dining room lights. Dimming a light by 25 percent saves the same amount of energy (25 percent), and you can increase your energy savings even more by installing compact fluorescent dimmer bulbs (CFLs). CFLs last significantly longer than traditional light bulbs, and use about 75 percent less energy. You can find dimmer switches and CFLs at your local home improvement store.
(Sources: US Department of Energy, www.doe.gov; National Geographic. The Green Guide - Lighten Up: Dim and Dimmer. Available from: http://www.thegreenguide.com/blog/lighten-up/886)
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Climate Fact: Migration Timing
In Western Europe, a combination of milder winters and an earlier arrival of spring-like temperatures have prompted the Region’s birds to change their migratory patterns. Over the last fifty years, short distance migratory birds (birds that winter north of the Sahara Desert) have generally delayed the start of their autumn migrations, while long distance migratory birds (birds that winter south of the Sahara Desert) are generally leaving their northern breeding grounds earlier. Earlier springs and milder autumns mean longer breeding seasons, and short distance migratory birds that can have two broods of chicks each year instead of one have benefited greatly from longer breeding seasons, as they are having more offspring. This move toward two broods each year instead of one means that these birds will delay their departure to their wintering grounds; moreover, the general warming trend means that suitable wintering grounds are now farther north than they used to be, so the birds have less distance to travel. The warming trend has also resulted in both an expansion of the Sahara Desert and a longer dry season in the Sahel Region, which is the transition region between the Sahara and the moister regions to its south. This longer dry season means that long distance migrants must start their autumn migration earlier; if they do not, the land they will pass through will be too dry to provide the food they need. Because they must leave earlier in the year, the breeding season of Western Europe’s long distance migrants is now shorter than it was fifty years ago; this is probably one factor behind the recent widespread decline of these birds. (Source: Jenni, Lukas and Kery, Marc. “Timing of autumn bird migration under climate change: advances in long-distance migrants, delays in short-distance migrants.” Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. (2003) 270, 1467-1471.)
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Climate in the News: "Warming Revives Flora and Fauna of Greenland" - New York Times, 28 October 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/world/europe/28greenland.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
Life is becomming more lucrative for Greenland's population as warming temperatures are stimulating crop production and causing influxes of animal species.
Busy weekend for CBS47 & FOX30...the media sponsor for The Black Expo Sat. at the Prime Osborn downtown Jax 11am-7pm -- I'll be there for a time in the afternoon....& "The Sea & Sky Spectacular" both Sat. & Sun. -- I'll be at our media tent late Sun. morning.
NFL time....terrible week last week as I went 0-3 -- I'm now 8-13 on the season (better stick to weather forecasting!). Jags are at New Orleans. The Saints seem to be coming on. I'll go with the Saints in a tight one, 20-17....
Bengals are at Buffalo. What's happened to Cincy??!! This is a toss-up. I'll take the Bengals by default 24-20....
Packers go to K.C. Chiefs are playing better ball & the Pack has been getting all the bounces. Packers coming off a big Mon. night win. I think they'll come out flat & maybe a little tired...Chiefs win 20-17.
Have a great & safe weekend!
