May you & yours have a Happy & safe Thanksgiving!..........
Our storm system is still on schedule for Thanksgiving Day-night. While mild...rain will spread west to east through the day. Showers should first move into Waycross & Lake City by late morning then gradually progress eastward reaching the Jax metro area by at least late morning then to St. Augustine & Palatka by afternoon. Temperatures will range accordingly -- from the lower 70s at Waycross to mid to upper 70s along the I-95 corridor including Jax to low 80s at Palatka & St. Augustine but will drop as rain arrives.
While the entire area will get rain, amounts won't be substantial-- a quarter to a half inch, maybe a few scattered spots reaching three-quarters of an inch to an isolated inch.
This same storm is producing the first signficant snowfall of the season on its "cold side" in the midwest. See my dad's photos below from Toledo, Iowa which is about 75 miles northeast of Des Moines. The first photo shows heavy late afternoon snow with visibility down to 1/4 mile -- about 2-3" fell in just a few hours.
The 2nd photo shows colorful geraniums covered in snow -- "geranium snowballs?". Watch & listen to my phone conversation with my dad & click on "Wed. Nov. 21st - 5:30pm Weather".
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More significant rainfall for the First Coast looks to occur with a second storm system Sat. night & on-&-off Sun. through Mon.
A late season hurricane -- "Kate" made landfall in the Florida Panhandle 22 years ago today in 1985 as a low end Cat. 2 but had been a Cat. 3 at one time in the Gulf of Mexico. Storm surge on the Central Panhandle coast reached 11 feet.
From the National Wildlife Federation:
The wild turkey was a contender for our national symbol. Find out how the turkey lost to the bald eagle.
Wild turkeys are native to North America. Populations plummeted after European colonization as a result of over-hunting and habitat loss. Due to strong conservation and reintroduction programs, however, the population has recovered and is growing.
Wild Turkey Facts:
Male turkeys are called “toms” and females “hens.” Baby turkeys are called “poults.”
Wild turkeys feed on seeds, berries, fruits, shoots, buds and nuts. They also eat insects and other invertebrates and even reptiles and amphibians.
Click here to hear the call of the wild turkey.
Wild turkeys live in groups and have a dominance-based “pecking order.” Those that live in suburbia recognize people and react to them as if they were other turkeys, which can sometimes be a bit of a nuisance.
Wild turkeys were an important food source for American Indians and were most likely part of the first Thanksgiving feast along with other native foods such as corn, squash, fish and venison.
This Thanksgiving consider serving a heritage breed turkey and help keep traditional turkey breeds in existence. Heritage turkeys are typically pasture-raised and live better lives than animals confined in mass-producing industrial farms. This method is also better for the surrounding environment.
David Mizejewski
Naturalist
National Wildlife Federation
As you might guess, the Pilgrims had an extreme battle with the weather of New England. Their first winter, however, was not as severe as it could have been. Click here for the full story from "Stormfax".
The Pack play on T'giving afternoon, so it's time for my NFL picks (2-1 last week; 12-18 on the season)......
Who at the beginning of the season would have thought that the Lions-Packers game would mean something on T'giving Day & might even be entertaining? Boy...this is a tought pick. Favre hates playing indoor & doesn't have a good track record in Detroit. Pack is due for a bad game...Lions are coming off 2 losses & no doubt will be fired up & feeling like this is a must-win for them. Lions win 24-20..... The Jags are home against Buffalo. On paper this is a relatively easy Jags win but history tells us look for a team that comes out flat & full of turkey. I'll take the Jags in an uncomfortably close game, 24-23.....
Cincinnati is at home against Tennessee. What has happened to the Bengals? They're starting to look like the Bengals of the 90s except with some offensive power.
It would be great for the Jags if the Bengals could win. I think the Bengals will come out hungry & win this game 27-20.
