July is in the books & was wetter & cooler than avg. The avg. temp. was 80.5 degrees -- a full 1.1 degrees below avg. Rainfall at JIA totalled 8.73" -- 2.76" above the avg. of 5.97". Here are other amounts from Northeast Fl. & Southeast Ga. courtesy our Jax N.W.S.:
JACKSONVILLE VICINITY... NORTHEAST FLORIDA...
JACKSONVILLE BEACH..... 6.25 LIVE OAK........... 6.75
ARLINGTON.............. 7.08 GAINESVILLE........ 5.61
FORT CAROLINE.......... 5.74 LAKE CITY.......... 7.48
BIG TALBOT ISLAND...... 7.89 FERNANDINA BEACH... 6.43
LITTLE TALBOT ISLAND... 5.75 ST. AUGUSTINE...... 3.30
HIGHLANDS.............. 9.88 OCALA.............. 7.29
CRAIG FIELD............10.45 HASTINGS........... 8.45
GUANA RIVER STATE PARK. 4.74 JASPER............. 2.68
BEAUCLERC..............10.28 FEDERAL POINT...... 9.79
SOUTHSIDE NEAR D'TOWN.........12.83 BELL............... 4.01
MAYPORT................ 3.75 BUNNELL............ 3.70
SOUTH PONTE VEDRA BEACH 2.86 WASHINGTON OAKS.... 5.73
WESTSIDE...............12.04 FLAGLER BEACH...... 7.26
STARKE............. 7.55
GLEN ST MARY....... 9.07
AMELIA ISLAND PL...10.14
ORANGE SPRINGS.....11.98
WHITE SPRINGS...... 6.77
SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...
BRUNSWICK.............. 7.16 ST SIMONS ISLAND... 4.17
HOMERVILLE............. 7.29 ALMA................4.72
PRIDGEN................ 5.18 BAXLEY............. 4.34
WOODBINE...............10.73 HAZLEHURST......... 8.72
WILLACOOCHEE........... 3.67 NAHUNTA............ 4.97
STEPHEN FOSTER SP...... 8.13 PATTERSON.......... 3.91
WAYCROSS............... 6.79 FOLKSTON............7.73
Here are the avg's. for August for JIA:
1st 31st
Low / High 73 / 90 72 / 89
Sunrise / Sunset 6:45am / 8:20pm 7:03am / 7:50pm
Lose 48 minutes of daylight
Earth Gauge: Fridge Facts
About 20 percent of homes in the U.S. have at least two refrigerators, and often, one of those refrigerators is kept in the garage. While the extra space may be helpful, the extra energy used to power a refrigerator in the garage can add up fast - especially during hot weather, when garage temperatures can be significantly higher than indoor temperatures. Each one degree change from a normal kitchen temperature results in a 2.25 to 2.5 percent change in energy use by your refrigerator. That means that a refrigerator stored in an 80 degree garage would use between 22 and 25 percent more energy than the same appliance in a 70 degree kitchen!
Viewer Tip: Avoid placing refrigerators or freezers in the garage or other areas of your home where it is hard to regulate air temperature. Inside, place your refrigerator away from heat sources, such as ovens, dishwashers and direct sunlight. Make sure the seals on refrigerator doors are tight, and try to reduce the amount of time the doors are open so that your appliance doesn't have to work overtime to stay cool.
(Sources: McKay, K. and J. Bonnin. “True Green: 100 Everyday Ways You Can Contribute to A Healthier Planet.” The National Geographic Society, Washington, DC; Energy Star. "Refrigerators and Freezers." Energy Star. "Frequently Asked Questions"
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Climate Fact: Seagrass and SSTs
The summer of 2003 was one of Europe’s warmest on record and maximum sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Mediterranean were well above average (by about 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit). These temperatures were the highest recorded between 1972 and 2004. Also during this period, years when the maximum water temperature was above average were years when there were above average numbers of seagrass plants flowering (these plants generally produce flowers only once every five years). In 2003, the Sea’s dominate seagrass species (Posidonia oceanica) flowered at record levels. While this phenomenon may suggest that warmer SST’s are good for seagrass, the overall warming trend in the Mediterranean of 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit since the early 1980’s has corresponded to an increase in seagrass mortality, a decline in the species’ areal extent, and a decline in rhizome growth (stalk-like plant structures that grow horizontally, usually underground) . Indeed, years of extensive flowering are often followed immediately by years of extensive mortality.
(Source: Diaz-Almela, E et al. “Consequences of Mediterranean warming events in seagraa (Posidonia oceanica) flowering records.” Global Change Biology 13 (2007): 224-235.)
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Climate in the News – "Explosion In Marine Biodiversity Explained By Climate Change."– Science Daily, July 28, 2008 -
The first appearance of complex living organisms occurred during a period when Earth’s oceans were cooling.
I'll be out of the office for a week.....next blog entry will be Mon. Aug. 11th..."Talking the Tropics With Mike" will continue to be updated daily.
