The Deep South shivered through another frigid morning today, with low temperature records crumbling again over much of Florida. Lakeland hit 27°F, smashing the old record of 34°F; Melbourne hit 28°F, eclipsing the old record of 32°F; and West Palm Beach bottomed out at 37°F, besting the old record of 38°F. The cold wave is being driven by an unusual sharp and persistent kink in the jet stream that is being blocked from moving by a strong ridge of high pressure over Greenland. As a result, an exceptionally strong surface high pressure of 1055 mb over the North Central U.S. is pushing large amounts of cold, Arctic air southwards from Canada. No coldest January temperature records have been set yet from the cold blast, but the 500 largest U.S. cities have been averaging about 11 new daily low temperature records per day the first five days of January, according to the National Climatic Data Center. The cold will ease Friday in the Deep South, but return with a vengeance Saturday night though Monday morning, as another push of cold air descending from Canada promises to bring a cold wave that will approach the December 1989 and January 1977 cold waves in intensity, and may being some new all-time January low temperature records to the South.
Colder in Florida than Alaska and Greenland
The sharp kink in the jet stream has brought record warm temperatures to a few stations in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest this week, making much of coastal Alaska warmer than Florida. Cold Bay, Alaska, set a record high yesterday of 47°F, after recording a low temperature of 30°F. This made Cold Bay warmer than Pensacola, Florida, which had a high of 47°F and a low of 24°F. In fact, most of Florida--including Jacksonville, Tampa, Melbourne, and Tallahassee--recorded lows at or below the 27°F low recorded in Anchorage, Alaska yesterday. The jet stream kink has also brought temperatures more than 30°F above average to Greenland. The temperature in Narsarsuaq, Greenland at 10am EST today was 46°F, far warmer than most of Florida.
Figure 1. Departure of the surface temperature from average for the first three day of 2010 shows much colder than average conditions were present over the Southeast U.S., much of Europe, and Central Asia. Much warmer than average temperatures were present over the Northwest U.S., Greenland, the Arctic, and Southern Asia. A sharp kink in the jet stream was responsible for the temperature anomaly pattern. Image credit: NOAA/ESRL.
Snow in Florida?
It doesn't snow very often in Florida, and the Wikipedia list of snow events in Florida lists only seven such events over the decade of the 2000s. This weekend's cold wave may be able to generate some snow over isolated regions of Central Florida, though it appears that the odds of this happening are less than 30%. The most widespread snowfall in Florida history occurred on January 19, 1977, when snow fell over much of the state, with flurries as far south as Homestead. Snow flurries also fell on Miami Beach for the only time in recorded history.
Figure 2. North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index for September 9, 2009 - January 6, 2010 (black line) and forecast from the GFS model (red lines). The NAO index was strongly negative, near -2.0, for much of December and January. Image credit: NOAA/CPC.
The winter cold blast: blame the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)
Why has the winter been so cold over Eastern North America and northern Europe? Well, don't blame El Niño. El Niño winters are rarely this cold. Instead, blame the the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO is a climate pattern in the North Atlantic Ocean of fluctuations in the difference of sea-level pressure between the Icelandic Low and the Azores High. It is one of oldest known climate oscillations--seafaring Scandinavians described the pattern several centuries ago. Through east-west oscillation motions of the Icelandic Low and the Azores High,the NAO controls the strength and direction of westerly winds and storm tracks across the North Atlantic. A large difference in the pressure between Iceland and the Azores (positive NAO) leads to increased westerly winds and mild and wet winters in Europe. Positive NAO conditions also cause the Icelandic Low to draw a stronger south-westerly flow of air over eastern North America, preventing Arctic air from plunging southward. In contrast, if the difference in sea-level pressure between Iceland and the Azores is small (negative NAO), westerly winds are suppressed, allowing Arctic air to spill southwards into eastern North America more readily. Negative NAO winters tend to bring cold winters to Europe, and the prevailing storm track moves south towards the Mediterranean Sea. This brings increased storm activity and rainfall to southern Europe and North Africa.
The winter of 2009 - 2010 has seen a very strong negative NAO, causing much of our cold weather over Eastern North America and Europe. The NAO index for the month of December 2009 was -1.93, which is the third lowest NAO index since 1950 for a winter month (December, January, or February). The only winter months with a lower NAO index were February 1978 (-2.20) and January 1963 (-2.12). January 1963 was one of the coldest months on record in the UK and the Eastern U.S.. February 1978 was the coldest February on record for five U.S. states, and featured the historic blizzards in both the U.S. and UK. The NAO so far for January 2010 has continued to stay strongly negative, ranging between -1.5 and -2.1. However, the blocking ridge over Greenland is forecast to weaken next week, allowing the sharp kink in the jet stream to straighten out. This will increase the NAO index to more typical values, allowing a return of more ordinary winter weather to the U.S. and Europe.
Jeff Masters
from our porch view of sunrise this morning..totally different from the 'splendiferous' shots 1-8 taken from the top of our field overlooking the mountains
of winter in South Mississippi.
Like sand dunes or Antelope Canyon
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no
HeeHee...I'm fine as wine! Re the sneaux, pls. see my earlier post #122!! How YOU doin'?
Everyone must be looking at Oz's linked pics.
Spooky for sure!
Yeah, Mizzou should have feared The Goat...
LOL. Reminds me... are you and Mrs. Flood okay? Salty tears in your beers? After "the" game last night...looked pretty good there for awhile (I know nothing about football, so I'm easily impressed).
Time for snipe hunting! I'll bring the s'mores makin's. :-)
BTW - in those ink-blot tests, I saw three elephants, a battleship and Carmen Miranda....
She looked really Beautiful for 598.
Just click on my handle here to see the pics.
I don't see anything in those photos, what a load. IMO
Oh waiter...I'll have what he's having, please!
A lot of screaming going on at the Casa last night...most of it after Sabin, 1:48 left on the clock, decided to run up the score. A class coach would have taken a knee and let the game end. Sabin proves again what he showed when he left LSU: he is a no-class individual
Okay, enough on that score
Give 'em hell, Harry...
You too? Drives the docs nuts...thats lasagna; that one is lasagna thrown against the wall; that's lasagna dropped on the floor...
Is that legal?
Oz, can you say that in here?
LOL...an intelligent imbecile nyuck nyuck
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
Significant National Weather
Northeast:
Most of the cities in the Northeast will see one to three inches of snow as the winter storm moves east toward the Atlantic. Southwest New York, portions of upstate New York, western Pennsylvania and the mountains of West Virginia could see up to a foot of snow before the storm subsides.
Arctic cold temperatures are expected this morning in northern areas of New York and New England, where lows will drop below zero. Gusty winds along the coast will make it feel even colder.
Midwest:
Extremely cold air will continue in the region, with temperatures ranging from twenty to thirty below zero in the Dakotas to the teens in the Ohio Valley and Lower Michigan. Highs will remain below zero from north of Kansas City to the Dakotas and western Minnesota.
Cold air and windy conditions will create lake-effect snow on the southern side of the Great Lakes; six to twelve inches of snow is possible around Lake Michigan and south of Lake Erie. Overnight snow around Chicago will move eastward into northern Indiana later today.
West:
Rain and mountain snow will continue in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. Freezing temperatures continue in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado; conditions will remain below zero.
South:
Rain and possibly sleet will spread from the central Gulf Coast to South Carolina. Light snow is possible in Texas and southern New Mexico. The remainder of the region will be dry but cold, with temperatures in the single digits to near freezing. The wind chill will make temperatures feel much colder. (NOAA, National Weather Service and Various Media Sources)
Wind Chill Equivalent Index
The Wind Chill is the temperature your body feels when air temperature is combined with wind speed. It is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin, caused by the effects of wind and cold. As the speed of the wind increases, it can carry heat away from the body much more quickly, causing skin temperature to drop. The Wind Chill chart below shows the difference between actual air temperature and perceived temperature, and amount of time until frostbite occurs. www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill/
Frostbite: Frostbite is an injury to the body caused by freezing body tissue. The most susceptible parts of the body are the extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the tip of the nose. Symptoms include a loss of feeling in the extremity and a white or pale appearance. Medical attention is needed immediately for frostbite. The area should be slowly re-warmed.
Hypothermia: Hypothermia is abnormally low body temperature (below 95 degrees Fahrenheit). Warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, disorientation, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion. Medical attention is needed immediately. If it is not available, begin warming the body slowly. (National Weather Service)
International Volcanic Activity:
Costa Rica's Turrialba volcano began erupting on January 5, 2010 spewing ash and steam and prompting authorities to evacuate about 20 people evacuated the area. Turrialba has been dormant since 1886, when a 22-year active period ended. The 10,958 foot volcano is situated east of the capital-San Jose, in the remote central highlands of the Central American country. (USGS, media)
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)
No activity(FEMA HQ)
Tropical Weather Outlook
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Earthquake Activity
A 4.1 magnitude earthquake occurred at 1:09 p.m. EST on January 7, 2010 approximately 11 miles north-northeast of San Jose, CA, at a depth of 5.6 miles. There were no reports of damage or injuries. (USGS)
Preliminary Damage Assessments
No new activity (FEMA HQ)
Disaster Declaration Activity
Amendment #1 to FEMA-1862-DR-VA, published January 7, 2010, establishes November 16, 2009 as the incident closure date for severe storms and flooding that began November 11, 2009. (HQ FEMA)
Last Modified: Friday, 08-Jan-2010 07:59:41 EST
"I'm not gonna be the Alabama coach" 2 weeks later "I am happy to be the coach here at Alabama..."
some sparks may fly.
:)
Release Date: January 6, 2010
Release Number: 1791-553
TEXAS CITY, Texas -- Texans currently living in temporary housing units supplied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may want to take extra precautions due to expected freezing temperatures. Officials with FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) offer the following safety recommendations:
* Only use the unit’s built-in heater. Occupants should not use kerosene heaters, kitchen stoves or ovens, or electric space heaters to heat living quarters.
* Ensure propane tanks are full.
* If the water hose to the unit has been insulated, make sure the electric heat strip is plugged into the outlet on the side of the unit.
* If the water hose to the unit has not yet been insulated, consider letting a trickle of water run at night to prevent freeze-up. Ensure drainage piping is not blocked before taking this step.
* Do not block unit exhaust vents.
* Use care when utilizing any propane appliances.
o Know where your shut-off valve is located and how to shut it off.
o Always be sure to have proper ventilation in your home.
o Never use grills or camp stoves indoors.
o Keep flammable and combustible materials away from open flames.
o Keep children and pets away from all heaters to avoid accidental burns.
o Don't assume that the smell of propane is because the tank is low.
o Never place your head near or directly over the valves on your storage tank.
* If traveling, shut off all appliances before leaving home.
* Know where the fire extinguisher is in the unit and learn how to use it.
* Learn how to use the emergency window opening devices in the unit.
* Do not store gasoline or other flammable liquids in or under the unit.
* Do not store gasoline-powered vehicles or equipment in the unit.
* Never smoke in bed
For concerns with the unit’s water hose or other maintenance issues, occupants of the FEMA-supplied units in Galveston, Brazoria, Harris, Chambers, Jefferson, Hardin, Liberty, and Tyler counties can call the FEMA Sullivan Maintenance toll-free line at 1-800-591-7685. Occupants in Orange, Jasper, and Newton counties can call the FEMA RV Services Maintenance toll free line at 1-866-757-5766.
(Please note: Craig Fugate, former head of Florida's Emerg. Mngmnt., had this new Mission Statement issued)
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Last Modified: Thursday, 07-Jan-2010 07:58:06
So excellent...but remember, real purple hippos have curves!
So what you're saying is that it's raining iguanas in South Florida...that's most unfortunate, as iguanas are well known for their lack of aerodynamic properties; gonna need better umbrellas, I'm afraid...
Very disappointing. I cannot use inappropriate language on the blog, I am furious! Maybe they'll be dumped off their lofty perch, let those foolish people be humbled, let them become poor and suffer. Maybe then they'll change their tune..
Saw only 2 Joggers and 3 Dog walkers.
Even the Egrets Looked cold.
Iguanas from heaven...
Okay, the moment has passed. Think I need to up my meds...
Its more religion than Business.
And really kinda spookie.We never use Wal-Mart,lotsa better thrift stores with Quality here Uptown on Magazine,and the dollars help support our Local Folks,not Corporate Buffoons.
Were opening a Local Thrift store soon here under the Portlight.org Banner.
More on that in the Portlight Featured Blog here.
.
LOL...it's back...pedestrians fleeing for overhangs, sidewalks littered with the stunned and comatose reptiles...
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