Showers & thunderstorms are moving across the area this evening but with no severe weather. We've had some lightning & heavy rain + a few cells that looked to be rotating off the coast but nothing over land. It's probable that our lack of instability over land is prohibiting the development of stronger storms. Temps. are only in the 60s with only decent moisture. Offshore, warm water temps. + lots of moisture is working with the turning winds in the atmosphere (from southeast winds at the surface to strong southwest winds aloft) to produce very strong storms. The air is more unstable across Central & South Florida where we have had a few severe storms. Check out this afternoon report relayed to the Melbourne N.W.S.:
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
342 PM EST TUE FEB 12 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0305 PM TORNADO CAPE CANAVERAL 28.39N 80.61W
02/12/2008 BREVARD FL OTHER FEDERAL
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION KXMR REPORTED SIGHTING
FUNNEL CLOUD WHICH TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE SKID STRIP AND
MOVED NORTH TOWARDS KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.
It would appear this evening that any severe storms will be isolated at best (worst). But more unstable air will be working northward overnight + an upper level disturbance will approach -- the two combined along with a warm front moving toward the area, could produce some severe storms later tonight. In fact, storms are intensifying this evening over the Eastern Gulf west & northwest of Tampa & moving east/northeast. If enough moisture moves north tonight with the warm front, these storms will have to be carefully watched as they move into North Florida -- especially from Gainesville to Palatka to St. Augustine & south. A second area to watch is an approaching cold front with a prefrontal squall line that's over the Fl. Panhandle. This line of storms should reach Waycross to Lake City by 5am or so then progress eastward across the rest of the area through 9 or 10am. This line will not be moving through the area at peak heating but will be forced (helped along) by a strong upper level disturbance & vigorous cold front. Wind fields both at the surface & aloft will still be strong but with LESS turning with height. The result is a potential for strong & wind gusts rather than tornadoes along with some brief downpours.
This storm is yet another winter 2-headed monster: severe storms in the warm sector & ice & snow in the cold sector. Expect another "2-headed monster" this weekend with some strong storms possible on the First Coast late Sun.-early Mon. Timing of this system might be a little slower which could help out the Daytona 500 but -- for now -- there is still a risk of a shower or storm during the race. Ice & snow will fall over parts of the Midwest, Tennesee & Ohio Valley into the Northeast.
By the way, we could see some frost around our area early Thu. morning as the current storm moves off to the northeast & dumps a quick but sharp shot of chilly air into the First Coast. Inland areas will drop to the low to mid 30s.
So I had to mow my lawn today -- the first time since moving here 6 yrs. ago that I've had to mow in Feb., so it'll be the first time I've mowed each month of the year. One beautiful spot in our landscaping is a poinsettia that sits next to our home near the front door facing south, strongly protected by the house & gets full afternoon sun. I decided to leave this plant after Christmas '06 but payed it no particular attention thinking it probably would not survive, certainly not thrive. Well, it stayed a nice, deep green all year long & into Dec. I figured it would just stay green since there's a street light not too far away but low & behold a couple of beautiful red blooms sprouted near Christmas & remain today. Apparently the plant is protected enough from the street light & freezing temps. (hasn't been very far below freezing for long) to flourish -- pretty cool!
Abraham Lincoln's birthday today. Great President. 2 things:
(1) I've always wanted to be President Lincoln in a play(?!?!)
(2) What would he say if he were able to come back to life today? How would he have handled some of our recent crisis? It would be so cool to listen to him, to hear his observations.
Happy Birthday to a great man far ahead of his time. Photo is from civic-online.org -- portrait taken in 1861........
The Gettysburg Address
November 19, 1863
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation may live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people shall not perish from the earth.
