This week's weather will be characterized by very warm temperatures, increasing humidity, a weak front sinking southward & upper air disturbances rotating around an upper level low over the Great Lakes moving into the Northeast. The tendency will be for the First Coast to be on the edge of this pattern so fronts will be sluggish as they approach the area & showers & thunderstorms scattered each afternoon/evening. Tue. the best chance for some afternoon rain will be across Southeast Ga. then just about anywhere Wed. through Fri. By Sat. strong Canadian high pressure will drop southward out of Canada into the Ohio Valley giving the front a push southward. Timing on this development will be critical to the holiday weekend forecast. As is stands now, the front looks like it'll be close enough to the area to cause at least a few showers & storms Sat. but drier northeast winds should take over by Sun. & Mon. All hinges on the movement (timing) of the high pressure for this weekend.
So some areas of rain Sunday(??!!).....my call was for a dry day with the front far enough south to keep rain south. However, a pretty strong upper level disturbance helped pull the front northward, hence -- the rain. I saw the disturbance Fri. but played it south rather than over us. Still...much of the area was dry for a majority of the day.
The Atlantic hurricane season is fast approaching (next week is "Hurricane Preparedness Week") & begins in less than 2 weeks. But the Pacific season is underway -- begins May 15th. The East Pacific has a tendency to be a little warmer a little earlier in the season. It's also historically a more active hurricane basin though such has not been true in recent seasons. Nothing cookin' in the E. Pacific at the moment.
"Earth Gauge": American Wetlands Month!
May is American Wetlands Month! The month was designated in 1991 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its partners to celebrate the important benefits of wetlands. Among other things, wetlands slow flood waters, reduce coastal erosion, filter pollutants out of water, supply unique and staple foods crops for humans, and provide habitat for a wide array of animals and plants.
Learn more about American Wetlands Month here.
