Yet another nice weekend on the way! We'll have some clouds across the area Sat. morning giving way to plenty of sun through the day & high temps. near or a little above 70. And a good deal of sun Sun. too with afternoon highs 70-75 but cooler at the beaches in the afternoon as east winds blow off the Atlantic.
Our major "weather-maker" for early next week still looks to be primarily Tue. though a few showers & an isolated thunderstorm will be possible Mon. night. Monday itself just looks partly sunny, a little breezy in the afternoon with warm highs 75-80. Severe thunderstorms should develop in the afternoon from the Gulf northward into Mississippi & Alabama as low pressure organizes close to New Orleans then rapidly strengthens as it moves northeast to west of Atlanta to Eastern Tennessee Tue. morning & eventually into New England west of Boston. This track put the First Coast "in the line of fire" Tue. morning through midday with a strong squall line of storms likely to charge west to east as individual cells race northeast. Wind fields & an upper level disturbance will be very strong but instability looks to be limited. The end result should be a band of showers & storms with strong, potentially damaging winds, brief heavy rain & lightning. As the system exits to the northeast & continues to deepen, west to northwest winds will howl across the area with gusts of 40+ mph possible into Tuesday evening. Some heavy wet snow might fall in parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee & Kentucky. Despite the snow potential -- unlike the last storm system -- this one will lack much in the way of cold air with temps. still near avg. for Wed.
March is here! The averages for Jacksonville:
1st 31st
Low / High 47 / 70 52 / 76
Sunrise / Sunset 6:52am / 6:26pmEST 7:16am / 7:45pmEDT ... gain 55 min. of daylight ... "spring forward" Sun. March 9th
Rainfall: 3.93"
March proverbs from the Farmer's Almanac:
So many mists in March we see,
So many frosts in May will be.
A peck of March dust is worth a king’s ransom.
The March sun lets snow stand on a stone.
Better to be bitten by a snake than to feel the sun in March.
In March much snow,
To plants and trees much woe.
A windy March and a rainy April make a beautiful May.
A dry March, a wet April.
A wet March, a sad autumn.
NOAA issued this press release today regarding wind-measuring improvements for the hurricane hunter planes:
Specialized Surface Wind Instruments Fly Onboard Nation’s Hurricane Hunter Fleet
For the first time, America’s entire fleet of aircraft that fly through hurricanes now have instruments that measure surface winds, giving forecasters at NOAA’s National Hurricane Center a better view of the intensity and the size of these powerful storm systems.
The instrument, known as a stepped frequency microwave radiometer, attached to the wing of each aircraft detects radiation that is naturally emitted from foam created on the sea by winds at the surface. Computers onboard the aircraft then determine surface wind speeds based on the levels of microwave radiation detected.
"When a hurricane threatens our coasts, key on the minds of forecasters and emergency managers is the strength of the surface winds.
With this equipment we’ll have that information in real time,” said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Data from these devices can improve our ability to forecast intensity changes of tropical systems.”
In the past, aircrews extrapolated wind speeds from the aircraft's altitude or from a GPS dropsonde released from the aircraft. The stepped frequency microwave radiometer provides a continuous measurement of surface winds giving NOAA’s National Hurricane Center forecasters a more complete picture of the storm. The instrument can also determine rainfall rates within a storm system. This, in addition to wind speeds at flight level, provides structural detail of the tropical cyclone.
The current generation of this radiometer was first used on NOAA’s two WP-3D Orion aircraft in 2003 for research flights and then used operationally in 2005. Installation on the ten WC-130J hurricane hunter aircraft flown by the Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron began in 2006 and was just completed.
Earth Gauge: Fuel Economy
For many cities, personal vehicles are the biggest year-round source of air pollution, and cars account for more than 25 percent of air pollution in the US! Congestion on the roadways is no longer just a big-city problem -- as a matter of fact, the amount of time commuters spend stuck in traffic has quadrupled since 1982 for small- and mid-sized cities. Sitting in traffic and idling vehicles generate emissions that affect our air quality and cost commuters billions of dollars in wasted gas and time.
Tip: It is estimated that Florida residents spent more than 3,600 dollars on gas in 2007, up seven percent from 2006 (an increase of about 230 dollars). Regardless of how much time you spend on the road, there are simple steps you can take to save gas and reduce emissions. Tune-up your engine to increase fuel economy by four percent; clean or replace air filters to boost fuel economy by up to ten percent; inflate your tires to the proper pressure for an increase of up to three percent; and obey the speed limit to increase fuel economy by seven to 23 percent!
(Sources: US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. "It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air." The Alliance to Save Energy. "Florida Energy Costs to Jump this Winter: Energy and Money Saving Tips for Consumers."
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Climate Fact: Chill Out
The World’s lakes are freezing an average of 5.8 days later and thawing 6.5 days earlier in the year than they were at the beginning of the century. For example, between 1863 and 2005, the average number of days per year when Wisconsin’s Lake Geneva remained frozen declined by 16 days. Between 1850 and 2005, the average number of days per year when New York’s Lake Ostego remained frozen declined by 14 days and Minnesota’s Lake Detroit now remains frozen for 11 fewer days than it did at the beginning of the 20th century.
(Source: Benson, B. J. and J. J. Magnuson 2006. North Temperate Lakes Long Term Ecological Research Program, Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI.)
The wonderful "Stingray Bay" opens at our beloved Jax Zoo & Gardens Sat., March 1st. I've already had a chance to experience this exhibit a couple of times (see my forecast from the zoo...click on Thu. Feb. 27th) -- it's fun & interactive -- my kids love it! Details from the zoo:
JACKSONVILLE ZOO CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF NEW STINGRAY BAY EXHIBIT.........
Seaweed-Cutting Ceremony Set For Saturday, March 1, at 10 a.m.
The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ newest exhibit, Stingray Bay, officially opens with a special seaweed-cutting ceremony on Saturday, March 1 at 10:00 a.m. Guests will have the opportunity to interact with the stingrays by petting and feeding them as they swim in a 17,000-gallon pool. This exciting, interactive exhibit is made possible by of the generous support from Jacksonville’s hometown supermarket Winn-Dixie.
“This is the only opportunity in Jacksonville for families to interact with stingrays,” said Dennis Pate. “Kids large and small will enjoy and learn about these sea creatures that live right off the First Coast.”
Stingray Bay is designed to engage the Zoo’s 700,000 annual visitors by allowing them to touch the animals on display. This exhibit reinforces the Zoo’s commitment to conservation and education and promotes a better understanding of the interactions of people, wildlife and their environment in a fun and memorable way. Stingray Bay will be at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens until September this year and again from
March to September 2009.
Winn-Dixie is the presenting sponsor of Stingray Bay at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. The Jacksonville-based grocer is proud to help bring new and interesting exhibits to northeast Florida, which follows the company’s mission of helping the communities in which it has stores to get better all the time.
“As a Jacksonville-based company, Winn-Dixie is proud to be a long-time partner of the Jacksonville Zoo and sponsor Stingray Bay,” said Terry Derreberry, manager of corporate donations at Winn-Dixie. “It’s an honor to support a program that makes education fun and accessible.”
The event will feature live entertainment, prize drawings for guests, Jazoo, the Zoo’s mascot and Seymour the Sea Monster from the Jacksonville Suns Baseball Team. Representatives from various sea life conservation agencies will have tents set up in the Zoo’s Main Camp area to discuss the conservation of animals from the First Coast.
And...finally...I received this marketing email a couple of days ago:
"Introducing Poop-Freeze™, the amazing pet product that every pet owner should have! Bring it with you when you take your dog for a walk, or just keep it under the sink for when your pet has an "accident" in your house. Poop-Freeze™ is ideal in homes with young pets for learning the basics of potty training. It is also great for the pet owner whose older pets occasionally make a mess in the house. The best part is that it is safe to use both on your carpet and your lawn!"
Realize I've NOT tried this product, but it sounds like it could work. You have to admit it would at least grab the attention of your neighbor as you cryogenically take care of your pet's poop!
