We're in for a nice weekend with chilly nights but mild days. Onshore east winds will keep beaches & near coastal areas cooler but still pleasant. A few brief showers will be possible late Sat. night into Sun. because of the moisture coming in off the Atlantic.
Afternoon highs will be close to 80 degrees early next week!
The January weather numbers are in. At JIA...the average high was 63.4, the avg. low 41.6 for a mean of 52.5 degrees which is 0.6 degrees below average. Rainfall totaled 2.63" -- 1.06" below avg. Here are some other rainfall reports around the area:
JACKSONVILLE VICINITY.. NORTHEAST FLORIDA..
JACKSONVILLE BEACH.....4.36 LIVE OAK..........2.52
GAINESVILLE.......3.79
FORT CAROLINE..........3.71 LAKE CITY.........3.22
BIG TALBOT ISLAND......3.31 FERNANDINA BEACH..2.58
LITTLE TALBOT ISLAND...4.07 ST. AUGUSTINE.....1.94
HIGHLANDS..............3.43 OCALA.............2.93
CRAIG FIELD............3.26 HIGH SPRINGS......2.89
S. PONTE VEDRA BEACH...2.42 HASTINGS..........2.65
GUANA RIVER STATE PARK.2.94 JASPER............2.85
BEAUCLERC..............2.97 FEDERAL POINT.....2.22
BELL..............1.37
WHITE SPRINGS.....1.61
BUNNELL...........2.00
WHITEHOUSE.............3.07 WASHINGTON OAKS...1.91
MAYPORT................0.70 ORANGE SPRINGS....2.68
NORMANDY...............4.26
HILLARD...........2.53
GLEN ST MARY......2.50
CRESCENT CITY.....0.65
SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...
BRUNSWICK.............. 3.05 ST SIMONS ISLAND...2.25
HOMERVILLE............. 2.80 ALMA.............. 2.71
PRIDGEN................ 3.70 BAXLEY............ 3.05
WOODBINE............... 3.27 HAZLEHURST.........3.41
WILLACOOCHEE........... 3.25 NAHUNTA........... 7.60
STEPHEN FOSTER SP...... 2.95
WAYCROSS................2.11 DOUGLAS........... 3.21
So let's see...The Weather Channel should tell you all about the weather -- especially when there's a lot of weather going on, right?? I tell ya' I'm actually not a
frequent Weather Channel viewer & here's one of the primary reasons: I decided I'd check out the national weather about 8:30 this morning since we had this big snowstorm moving across the country that included severe thunderstorms. The Weather Channel talked up a big storm but simply didn't deliver. The anchors first pitched to Mike Sidel in St. Louis. Well, that would have been o.k. (though I'd argue you start with a bunch of radars), but they stayed on the live shot for 3-4 min. It had stopped snowing...he was on a city street full of slush. He did end up talking a bit about Detroit & then when it went back to the anchors. They briefly showed a time-lapse radar image of the Northeast. Then to commercial break. I proceeded to go to the internet.
So Sat. is Groundhog's Day! In college Oklahoma University the big day meant the biggest meteorology department party of the year. Imagine a bunch of weather geeks partying it up big time. Groundhog's Day started in the U.S. in Punxsutawney, PA in 1886 but the true beginning was in Europe to mark the half-way point between the Winter Solstice & Spring Equinox. Ground hog burrows can be 20-30 feet long! And groundhogs can run up to 10 mph...& do typically come out of hibernation in Feb. looking for a mate (Valentine?). For more info. go to the National Wildlife Foundation.
Ya' know I've never been much of a fan of the month of February. As a meteorologist I've never found much use for the groundhog day forecast. Then there's Valentine's Day -- not a big fan. Now understand I've been accused of being a hopeless romantic, but that's the problem -- a hopeless romantic does not want to (nor needs to) be coerced into romance. And -- with so much of my life spent "up north" ... Feb. was the true doldrums of winter. Of course, that's not such a big deal "down south". And, finally, it can be so darn hard to say ... I mean look at how it's spelled. Is the 'r' silent, do you sort of roll it, is it pronounced like you have a mouthful of food? I don't get it.
The Super Bowl is Sun. night & unfortunately "my" Packers layed an egg 2 weeks ago & won't be in the big game (what do you call 47 millionaires sitting around a t.v. watching the Super Bowl? The Packers). The weather won't be particularly nice -- breezy & cool with clouds & a showers. South/southwest winds 10-20 mph & gusty with temps. falling from the 50s into the 40s (same storm that'll be a "biggie" for the Central & East U.S. early to mid next week). But if the NFL isn't happy with the weather, they can simply close the roof on the stadium.
Earth Gauge: Simple Steps
Abnormally dry and drought conditions are present across much of Florida - 88.9 percent of the state is classified as at least abnormally dry, and 34.5 percent of the state is classified at the moderate drought level or worse. While Florida has an average rainfall of about 54 inches (second only to Louisiana), growing demands on the state's water supply and unevenly distributed rainfall across the state make water shortages a challenge.
Tip: Winter is a great time to implement simple water conservation measures inside your home:
Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when they are full - save about 1000 gallons per month.
Fix a leaky faucet - save about 140 gallons per week.
Keep your shower under five minutes - save up to 1000 gallons per month.
Added up, these easy steps save more than 2500 gallons of water in a month - that's enough water to meet the daily needs of a family of four for almost two weeks!
(Sources: U.S. Drought Monitor, January 22, 2008. ; Water - Use it Wisely: Southeast Indoor Tips. USGS Water Science for Schools
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Climate Fact: A Coming Coral Calamity?
Coral reefs are some of the most colorful, diverse, and productive ecosystems on the Planet. In addition to being some of the World’s most popular tourist destinations, coral reefs provide humans with many immediate and tangible benefits including medicines, materials for jewelry, and buffers against storm surges. Most importantly, however, coral reefs are a source of food - in Asia alone, the animals that live in coral reefs are the primary source of protein for an estimated one billion people! All of these benefits are being threatened by two trends: increasing ocean temperatures and decreasing ocean pH (or increasing ocean acidity). Between 1955 and 1998, the overall temperature of the World’s oceans rose by 0.067 degrees Fahrenheit. While this number may seem small, the same amount of energy it would take to raise the World’s ocean heat content by just 0.18 degrees Fahrenheit would be enough to raise the average global atmospheric temperature to 212 degrees Fahrenheit (the Earth’s current temperature is about 59 degrees Fahrenheit)! This rise in temperature has made the water too hot for many corals. Another problem for coral has been rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. Carbon dioxide in oceans reacts with carbonate to form carbonic acid, and more CO2 means that that there is less carbonate available for corals to build the calcium carbonate that makes up their bodies. In just the last fifty years, 30 percent of the World’s coral reefs have died and another 30 percent have been severely damaged.
(Sources: United Nations Atlas of the Oceans: The Value of Coral Reefs. Accessed Online 8 October 2007: and Orr, JC et al. “Anthropogenic ocean acidification over the twenty-first century and its impact on calcifying organisms.” Nature. Volume 437, pp. 681-686 (2005) and Miles, Edward. Multiple Stresses, Thresholds, and Ocean Acidification. Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC. 20 September 2007 and Probasco, Mat. “Researchers Warn About Coral Reef Deaths.” The Associated Press 24 October 2006, and United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Climate Change, Wildlife, and Wildlands: A Toolkit for Teachers and Interpreters. Washington: GPO, 2000.)
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Climate in the News: "Antarctic Ice Loss Speeds Up, Nearly Matches Greenland Loss" - Terra Daily, January 24, 2008 -
Over the last ten years, the rate of ice loss in Antarctica has accelerated by 75 percent.
Our FOX30 Jan. teacher of the month was Shawn Pendry -- a fun, energetic & talented music teacher at the LaVilla School of the Arts near downtown Jax. Pendry has his work cut out for him -- he teaches all girls all day long! It would seem to me his approach includes a good disposition & a sense of humor. He takes solace in knowing he can go home to his 2 sons. Here's a photo of the 8th grade music class from which the nominating student -- Jazmyn Price (3rd from the left in the back) -- is a part of.
