A couple more beautiful days on the way with our next best chance for some rain arriving later Fri.-Fri. night. A pretty strong storm system will move from the midwest to the East Coast Fri.-Sat. As warmer air & moisture returns ahead of the storm, a few showers & storms should occur across the First Coast late Fri. into Fri. night. As the low passes north of the area, Sat. will be windy & very warm with afternoon highs well into the 80s. Upper level energy will end up well north of the area by late Sat., moisture looks to be limited & convergence weak so I'm not anticipating much activity with the attached weak cold front moving through the area -- just a few widely scattered to isolated showers & thunderstorms Sat. night.
The National Hurricane Center has issued a summary of its 2007 forecast verification. Track forecasts were generally pretty good but intensity forecasts -- per the norm -- were not so good. Rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones "Dean", "Felix", "Humberto" & "Lorenzo" were all underforecast when it comes to intensity. Click here for the report which also includes a comparison of forecast model accuracy.0
"Earth Gauge":
National Groundwater Awareness Week - Going on Now!
This week - March 9-15 - is National Groundwater Awareness Week. According to the National Groundwater Association, about half of U.S. residents rely on well water for their drinking water, and about 90 percent of fresh water available in the U.S. comes from groundwater. This is a great time for your viewers to conduct a well "check-up" to identify and address any problems before summer, which is peak water-use season. A well check-up should include inspection of water flow and level, well condition (and whether it meets code requirements), and water quality testing. Visit here for advice on having a well tested.
Project BudBurst - Ongoing Citizen Science Project
Volunteers are needed this spring to make important climate change observations though Project BudBurst, a national phenology field campaign. Phenology is the study of the timing of specific biological events (in plants this would include leafing, flowering, and seed dispersal) in relation to changes in season and climate. These 'phenological' events are sensitive measures of climatic variation and change, are relatively simple to record and understand, and are vital to both the scientific and public interest. Project BudBurst provides a unique opportunity to engage the public in the collection of needed data. By tracking changes in the timing of phenological events, scientists are able to better understand how our environment is changing.
Phenological observations have been used for centuries by farmers to maximize crop production, nature-lovers to anticipate optimal wildflower viewing conditions, and by almost all of us to prepare for seasonal allergies. Today, this well established science is also used by scientists to track changes in the environment. All information needed to participate can be found on the Project BudBurst Web site.
The annual Salvation Army (women's auxiliary) Celebrity Chef Luncheon is Thu., March 13th 11am-1pm at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds. This a fun fundraising event for one of the best local charities going. I'll be dishing out Cheeseburger Quiche -- a favorite & delicious dish made by my wife but handed down from friends. There's a wide variety of food & desserts as well as a silent auction -- come one, come all (& come hungry!).
