POW, POW, POW

SKY WATCH FRIDAY time! Welcome all sky fans!!! I truly appreciate your visit and comments. I might not have time to respond to you, but I will try my best to visit!!!

Our hosts: Klaus Sandy Sylvia Wren Louise Fishing Guy

Thanks, also,to Dot and Tom, who were instrumental in the success of this blogging event. You should definitely come fly with us!Fortunately, the temperatures didn't dip this morning as low as the forecast was hinting that it might. When I saw the 30°, I shivered... even before the temperature plunged, just in anticipation of more cold weather. It did get down to 34°, which offered some light frost, and with the drastic drop caused some intense fog, especially in the form of evaporation or steam fog over the small bodies of water and the river passing through town (which continues to recede--hallelujah!!!) It was so thick at one point that I could hardly see the car in front of me. Unfortunately, as is common with winter days in south Georgia, unlike what we experienced earlier in the month (the solid cold), our mornings tend to approach freezing with daytime temperatures quickly rebounding. It's a common occurrence for there to be a span of 30° between the high and the low. The complication arises when we try to dress for that, especially children standing out at school bus stops. No winter coats, so we layer them, but by the time recess rolls around, they have shed most of their layers (God only knows where they ended up), and by the time they leave school, they forgot they even wore a sweatshirt and jacket over their short sleeved shirt which they will be wearing home.

I shouldn't complain too much. At least we aren't in line for what TWC has dubbed, the "Triple Threat". With Winter Storm Advisories spanning from New Mexico to North Carolina, including an ice, sleet and freezing rain threat, in addition to the snow, they've got a rough road ahead, with likely power outages and road closures.Collection of maps for this weather event.
Better them than me...
~Thawing Dewdrop-cicle

WeatherFest!!

This morning, as Mini-Dew and I left the house to head to the bus stop (since the cold spell, I've been parking there with her), I noted the frost on the grass and rooftops. When Mini-Dew heard this, she growled, "UGH! What's with all this cold!? I thought we were done with that!!! Wasn't all that cold enough?! ERG! Now, I am not going to want to go outside." Spoken like a daughter of mine, eh?

Waters appear to be receding down at this section of the Withlacoochee River, which is good news. I assume that enough time has been allowed for the trickle down from the weekend's rain to impact us, if it were meant to. Fortunately, we didn't get the gusher that was forecasted. Our grounds are super-saturated, and it would have certainly put us under. Thank you, Lord.

Right now, I am looking at blue cirrus strewn skies. Although, temps started in the 30's for me. We are looking to hit 61°, then quickly rebound to some 70's weather. A monstrous system is traipsing its way across the country with a blast of cold air and moisture. Not a great mixture, but it'll miss us, so I am not too concerned.

I will be missing the WeatherFest event in Tallahassee on Saturday. I attended this event last year and had a truly T-rific time! I blasted everyone out of the water with my tropical intellect in Bob's weather challenge. I will actually be in Tally on Friday for a show, but not Saturday... argh! The show will be great, but oh what a tease. If you plan to be in the area and you are at all a weather geek (not even necessarily to my degree -- I know you're thinking... is that even possible???), I highly recommend it! I sure would love to check it out. I guess we'll see. They even do special weather balloon launches for the event!For more info about WeatherFest 2010, check out this link.

Have a great day!
~Dewdrop

Our flood adventures

Given the rise in water and the persistent flood watches being issued by the National Weather Service, we decided to check out water levels and see what was going on with everything around the rivers, creeks and so forth. So, Saturday afternoon, we headed out toward the river. My wonderful groom's kids are great adventurers, so it's fun to go out exploring when they are with us and see what we stumble upon.

We went by several areas that are known to flood, including the YMCA, which took 4' of water inside the building during the April flooding. Fortunately, it's only up as high as the parking lot for now, which is a common occurrence, and it doesn't appear that the Meadowbrook area is taking on much water (thank God, since some of those folks are still remodeling from the April flood... others just got moved back in...)We also checked out Skipper Bridge, which was completely under water during April's major flood, and has since been closed, as it is deemed unsafe for vehicular travel. We walked out there to the Hydrologic Monitoring Station there on the river. It was interesting. The water levels were high, but not anything close to what we saw in April.The area behind us in this shot is what it's like on the other side of the river from the Y. We got permission from Dr. Devine to travel onto his property to check things out. Unfortunately, with areas north of us experiencing 3 inches of rain in just one day, as the water trickles down, we might see a different story play out, but for now, we are ok down here in south Georgia.

~Dewdrop

Crazy January Weather!

I have gotten away from posting on Friday's, but with all the relatively near tornado activity yesterday, and the severe weather we had locally, I feel like an update is in order. Today, we have beautiful blue clear skies.

The big story was the well-covered (EF2 rated) tornado in Huntsville, AL yesterday, fellow Southern Weather Brigade members were chasing the cell as it moved across northern Alabama, until Mike had to leave to take care of his fatherly duties. JB and Mike parted ways, neither watching the cell anymore. Unfortunately, that's when that stubborn cell decided to produce a tornado. Poor Mike, his neighbor was actually taking pictures of the tornado from her front porch, since it passed his house within a mile. Holy cow, that sounds like my kind of luck! Poor Mike and JB. So close. I won't even bother posting coverage, as it would pale in comparison to what Mike has posted on his blog, with extensive continuing coverage of "the one that got away." Seriously, check out Mike's blog.

It was a very active storm day. The rotating cell that had once been tornado warned and then approached us, just missing to the south, caused downed power lines in my county. The same system moved across Florida and wreaked havoc all over the northern part of the state. This morning, I noticed that tornado warnings were being issued near Cocoa Beach (which has generated a tornado report for today). All in all, I would like to commend the Storm Prediction Center and the National Weather Service for being on the ball. Job well done, guys!You see the damage report dots on the graphic above. You can click on the map for a detailed list of the storm reports, including several tornado reports in Arizona and California. Crazy January weather.

Be safe.
~Dewdrop

Oh, the weather outside is frightful... well, not to me.

SKY WATCH FRIDAY time! Welcome all sky fans!!! I truly appreciate your visit and comments. I might not have time to respond to you, but I will try my best to visit!!!

Our hosts: Klaus Sandy Sylvia Wren Louise Fishing Guy

Thanks, also,to Dot and Tom, who were instrumental in the success of this blogging event. You should definitely come fly with us! I don't really have time for Sky Watch Friday, but it's a hard habit to break. Today I will post my favorite lightning shot, in honor of our thunderstorms today. Incidentally, as I typed that thunder rumbled. I have a lot of weather to dicuss, so let me just get to it. Currently, much of south Georgia, a portion of southeast Alabama and north Florida are under a tornado watch, meaning conditions are favorable for tornadogenesis.The watch was issued at 8:25AM, and it is expected to last until 4PM today. I am sure the watch window will change shape during the course of the day.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH... AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

SCTD SUSTAINED STORMS AND A FEW SUPERCELLS EXPECTED TO PERSIST ALONG WSW-ENE ORIENTED CONFLUENCE ZONE EXTENDING FROM THE NERN GULF OF MEXICO INTO S GA LATER TODAY. AS BOUNDARY LAYER CONTINUES TO SLOWLY DESTABILIZE ON SRN SIDE OF SYSTEM... AND AS REGION COMES INCREASINGLY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF EXIT REGION OF 100+ KT WLY HI LVL JET...POTENTIAL MAY INCREASE FOR EMBEDDED LEWPS/SMALL BOWS WITH DMGG WIND AND ISOLD TORNADOES.

Already, areas of the MCS are being highlighted for rotation and doppler indicated tornadoes are causing the National Weather Service to vigilantly offer tornado warnings. Currently, there are two warnings, and one of those cells is on track for us. I will keep one eye on radar while I work hard on spending Obama-bucks. Of course, I also have my SAME loaded weather radio on alert, to warn me of anything nearby. This same system, yesterday and last night has spawned 14 tornado reports across Texas and Louisiana. Be mindful of rapidly changing conditions. Try not to go out in it, and keep your weather radios handy!!! Also, remember, Turn Around, Don't Drown.™

Oh, did I mention that I broke my garage door today?? Grr... me and mechanical things lately...


10:00 Severe thunderstorm warning Lowndes county with rotation getting stronger from the looks of it.










Be safe!
~Dewdrop

Weather gone wild

More unfortunate news from Haiti this morning, their strongest aftershock yet, struck at 6:03AM, with a 6.1 magnitude, just 35 miles from Port-au-Prince, not far from the original major earthquake 8 days ago. I haven't heard reports about how the already dangerous state of Port-au-Prince's structures were impacted or if any rescue workers were impacted, which is my first thought, but it is clear that they continue to need all of our prayers.

Back here, we have a relentless weather pattern, which is inundating much of the country with one type of weather or another. A series of low pressure systems is parading its way across the country moving in off the Pacific. Strong low pressure systems are dumping record rainfall on California, causing incredibly dangerous landslides and threats of more, as more rain moves in. As if that's not bad enough, southern California actually reported 3 tornadoes, including one in Los Angeles. Apparently, the turmoil in the water (20' waves) caused some water spouts which moved inland.

GOLETA SANTA BARBARA COUNTY CA
RADIO STATION KCOY IN SANTA BARBARA REPORTED A SHERIFFS DEPUTY SPOTTED A POSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR THE OCEAN MEADOW GOLF COURSE NEAR ISLE VISTA AROUND 1030 AM...ROOF DAMAGE (LOX)

HUNTINGTON BEACH ORANGE COUNTY, CA
TORNADO SPOTTED ON PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY JUST SOUTH OF ANDERSON STREET. THE FUNNEL CROSSED THE HIGHWAY AND HEADED NE. A BLACK LIMO WAS LIFTED UP AND AN SUV WAS FLIPPED (SGX)

HUNTINGTON BEACH ORANGE COUNTY CA
PROBABLE (Interesting wording) TORNADO IN HUNTINGTON BEACH. BOATS UPLIFTED AND DAMAGED IN THE HB HARBOR. DAMAGE TO BUILDING IN AREAS. CAR FLIPPED 16400 PCH. (SGX)

Neither San Diego, not Los Angeles's Weather Service Office reference the tornado at this time.

Local Storm Reports
Los Angeles
San Diego
Unfortunately, that same system is now causing treacherous blizzard conditions in the mid-west, with ice storms and just a huge mess. For us, down in the south, this all spells out severe weather potential.

For today, much of the central Gulf states are under a slight risk for severe weather with a mentionable tornadic threat. The area of risk stops short of my area with a new threat bumping into tomorrow's forecast.




Anyone within the green outlined area, should be mindful of rapidly changing conditions. The second graphic depicts the probabilities for tornadoes.

I am keeping a closer watch on tomorrow. Before you ask, NO! I WILL NOT BE CHASING! It's payroll day for me, so I will be stuck at my desk, missing out on all the fun, but the wording has me intrigued.You see, though it looks like instability will be lacking, south Georgia and north Florida look like the ripest areas for action. As in, if anything is going to happen, it is most likely to occur in my neck of the woods. I'll break down the discussion.

...SERN AL...SRN GA AND NRN FL...

AN MCS (mesoscale convective system-large rotating storm system) SHOULD BE IN PROGRESS OVER THE SERN STATES EARLY THURSDAY WITHIN ZONE OF ISENTROPIC LIFT (warm air overriding cold air. Lift is a key element of thunderstorms.) WIDESPREAD CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION SHOULD LIMIT MLCAPE (low instability- due to limited heating potential, cloud cover) TO WELL BELOW 1000 J/KG EAST OF ONGOING STORMS...BUT PARTIAL CLEARING WILL BE POSSIBLE FARTHER DOWNSTREAM ACROSS FL AND SRN GA (we might HERE have just enough break in the clouds to allow for the heating to destabilize things, instability is another key element for thunderstorms). STORMS DEVELOPING NEAR THE SRN END OF THIS MCS WILL EXPERIENCE AN INFLUX OF RICHER LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE (the third and final ingredient of thunderstorms.) AND THEREFORE SHOULD HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF BECOMING ROOTED NEAR THE SURFACE. STRONG VERTICAL SHEAR (a fourth ingredient making conditions ripe for tornadoes) ACCOMPANYING THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A THREAT OF SUPERCELLS AND BOWING STRUCTURES WITH DAMAGING WIND AND ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE AS ACTIVITY DEVELOPS EWD. HIGHER PROBABILITIES MAY BE NEEDED IN LATER OUTLOOKS IF IT BECOMES MORE APPARENT THAT THE BOUNDARY LAYER WILL UNDERGO SUFFICIENT DESTABILIZATION.

So, basically, all the ingredients for potential tornadoes in south Georgia (north Florida) are lining up for tomorrow. If we get a clearing in the sky, watch out! That's the only ingredient that is needed to trigger a significant event.

Be safe,
~Dewdrop

Continued prayers for Haiti

Unfortunately, the news out of Haiti is grim. The optimistic side was guestimating a death toll near 50,000. Initial speculation had numbers in the 100's of thousands. Unfortunately, with them having recovered 70,000 bodies already from the wreckage, it looks like the earlier, more devastating totals are a closer match with reality. The estimate is now at about 200,000. In a poorly constructed tightly populated city of 2,000,000, I fear that they are being overly optimistic once again. Sadly, the situation is also bad for rescue workers and survivors. Supplies of water, food... the basics are falling short of the need. How do you have enough for 3,000,000 people...?

Haiti's already poor health and infrastructure situation, such as a lack of water, and sanitation systems, has brought additional challenges to the rescue operations in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation.

The damage done to the main port of the country as a result of the earthquake, as well as the main roads and airport, have limited the distribution of aid.

~source

I received this prayer today through email. It does a great job of summarizing my thought and prayer for the people of Haiti and all those involved in rescue and relief efforts.

Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU, because this morning I woke up and knew where my children were. Because this morning my home was still standing, because this morning I am not crying because my husband, my child, my brother or sister needs to be pulled from underneath a pile of concrete, because this morning I was able to drink a glass of water, because this morning I was able to turn on the light, because this morning I was able to take a shower, because this morning I was not planning a funeral, but most of all I thank you this morning because I still have life and a voice to cry out for the people of Haiti. Lord I cry out to you, the one that makes the impossible, possible, the one that turns darkness into light, I cry out that you give those mothers strength, that you give them peace that surpasses all understanding, that you may open the streets so that help can come, that you may provide doctors, nurses, food, water, and all that they need in a blink of an eye. For all those that have lost family members, give them peace, give them hope, give them courage to continue to go on! Protect the children and shield them with your power. I pray all this in the name of Jesus!

We here are truly blessed!!!!!

I had a beautiful thing happen last night. I was outside and looked up to the magnificent star-filled sky. We live far enough from city lights to really have an opportunity to see and appreciate the magnitude of the universe, millions of twinkling diamonds plaster the sky. It's breathtaking on a clear night. Well, last night, as I was star-gazing, a brilliant ball of fire raced across the sky with it's tail streaming, as a luminous contrail reaching across the expanse of the sky. It stopped my words. It stopped my movement. I couldn't even signal my wonderful groom to look. I was paralyzed with awe of our great God. I immediately poured out thanks to Him and it was gone, another special love note from a loving Father.

Today was an interesting day so far... It started with a simple adjustment that lasted way too atypically long. They were having a Monday, too, apparently. This made me late for the dentist, who was running behind, so I got caught up and only had a short wait. I decided then to make my deposit at the bank, which is on my way and generally only takes a few seconds. I prepared my checks and money and deposit slip, placed them all in the tube thing.... placed the tube in the chamber and pressed send... that's when it started... this HORRIBLE RACKET that they could hear on the other side of their no-doubt very thick glass. A loud roaring noise rumbled and whirred and the tellers looked at me, like I had done something. They immediately came on and asked what I had sent... meaning, they didn't get it. Well, with it no longer in the chamber and not with them... UGH! So, this racket continues for some time as the machine tries with all its might to try to send the canister through the tube to the teller. Still nothing. Well, then, smoke starts to pour out of what I can only imagine to be the motor on this crazy contraption. The couple in the car two lanes over are starting to get nervous and give an eye witness report of what was going on... as if all the tellers' noses weren't pressed to the window gawking at this nutso scene... Well, then, the smoke gets thicker and starts boiling out of every crack and crevice the machine has to offer, apparently even filling the tube that travels into the bank. Well, that was my signal to pull up and away from this thing before it burst into flames in my face. A teller and the manager came running out and try to communicate the same way I was with the tellers inside... hand signal showing billowing smoke coming from the machine. They asked me to come inside so they could figure out how to take care of me. The crazy drive-thru teller machine repair man was called in to seek out my deposit which I was assured will be recovered... good grief. Crazy start to a day, but if that's the least of my problems, I still consider myself exceptionally blessed.

Have a great day!
~Dewdrop

The Happy Dew Dance - I saw a funnel cloud...

SKY WATCH FRIDAY time! Welcome all sky fans!!! I truly appreciate your visit and comments. I might not have time to respond to you, but I will try my best to visit!!!

Our hosts: Klaus Sandy Sylvia Wren Louise Fishing Guy

Thanks, also,to Dot and Tom, who were instrumental in the success of this blogging event. You should definitely come fly with us!

I spent a lot of time yesterday processing and coping with the tragic disaster in Haiti. I am taking a step away from the details and the terror of it all today. Instead, I want to tell you a story that Mini-Dew shared with me the day before yesterday.

First, exciting NEWS! Second, Mini-Dew was at school Monday, when a friend approached her and said... I saw your parents on TV last night. Mini-Dew's response was, "Oh great, that means you saw my mom's Dew dance." Then, she proceeded to mock my dance complete with fist rolling in front of her, all the while singing "I saw a funnel cloud. I saw a funnel cloud. I saw a funnel." Then, she told me that I am the only person who gets so excited about funnel clouds that I made up a dance. LOL. What she is referring to is my appearance on "Twister Sisters", a reality show about storm chasing Twister Sisters Peggy and Melanie. Apparently, reruns are being aired on WEtv. My experience shooting that show was unparalleled, and though I busted a high risk/PDS day with my persistent Dewvoid, I had some weather experiences on June 6, 2007, which will last with me forever, and yes, that is the day that Diane, the dear director, captured me dancing over a few funnel clouds, but it's also the day that I witnessed this. An awesome shelf cloud. The same system produced some funnel clouds.The above shot is Zac and Peggy checking out the awesome and VERY LOW shelf cloud approaching us. Overall, it was an amazing experience, even if we didn't end up seeing the real deal. I learned so much about productions and all the effort that goes into a reality TV show. I joined in at the tail end of shooting, so everyone was pretty much on their last nerve by then, which is a shame. I love the artistic personalities of the crew though, and each night was one big party!I even got the chance to use the $6,000 HD video camera. Were they NUTS?!

The media is covering the disaster in Haiti around the clock, and I find myself growing more and more sad, as I hear more and more details. I continue to pray for hope for the people of Haiti and their families and friends... and now the rescue and relief workers. In a time like this, I imagine hope would be a difficult thing to hold onto, but the bible encourages hope in the Lord. Put your hope in the Lord is a repeated statement in Psalms. In the book of Job, we hear the story of a truly tested man, who, nonetheless, rested his hope in the Lord, never wavering from his praise for God, and in the end, God blessed him abundantly.

Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. The LORD Almighty is with us

God bless those suffering.
~Dewdrop

Devastation in Haiti

By now, most of you have heard of the major earthquake that has devastated Haiti, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. News of natural disasters affect me greatly, like they do most people. It saddens me to watch the full media barrage, and yet, I find myself drawn to it, almost as if I need to somehow understand their pain, so I submerge myself in the emotion of it all. I suppose that is part of coping, relating. My heart and prayers go out to all the people there in and around Port-au-Prince and their families and friends, where the 7.0 magnitude earthquake, centered just 10 miles from Port-au-Prince, demolished the capital and surrounding areas. In a 3rd world-poverty-stricken nation of 9 million plus, for a quake to hit just south of its capital, bearing about 25% of the entire population is a tragic blow to the infrastructure. In the part of the nation built up with stories of concrete-blocked structures, the number of people who must be buried under the rubble, entombed in the disaster that struck during business hours, is unfathomable, and to pile on after-shocks for those terror-stricken people, so far numbering more than 32, each stronger than 4.5 in magnitude, it's truly unimaginable. The images coming out of the area are heart wrenching... homes, the President's home, buildings, the main hospital, the UN peace-keeping building... destroyed, piles of concrete lay in the wake of this historic earthquake. It is estimated that 3 million people were affected by the powerful earthquake that struck Haiti yesterday and that thousands of lives were claimed.

The heart-warming part is the way the world unifies in disasters such as this...

"Haiti has moved to center of the world's thoughts and the world's compassion," said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

So many countries are activating humanitarian relief to rush to the aid of this devastated, impoverished nation.

... women covered in dust clawed out of debris, wailing. Stunned people wandered the streets holding hands. Thousands gathered in public squares singing hymns.
~source

Even during the most horrific natural disaster this nation has ever known, these people have turned to God in praise. How beautiful. How beautiful that these strangers, hand-in-hand, find a way to seek Him for counsel.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

The people of Haiti are in desperate need of our prayers and assistance. Please keep them in your thoughts as you walk through your day today.

1:13PM I just got this breaking news update:

Haitian officials are estimating the dead at between 100,000 and 500,000 from Tuesday's quake in Haiti.
~source

Missionary saves his wife and roomate
~Dewdrop

Close, but no cigar

I reconnected with my husband's cousin yesterday, which reminded me of one of my favorite days in weather. It was during a trip I took with my wonderful groom down to Miami for his cousin's wedding. Of course, being in the place where he grew up, he took me to all the places he remembered from when he was a child, and we explored some of the geeky tourist attractions. It was after visiting the National Hurricane Center and while we were exploring Key Biscayne, that I discovered something spectacular in the sky and begged him to "PULL OVER!" with jaw dropped and arm outstretched, pointing toward the sky. There it was, clear as day (not a clear day), a powerfully rotating column of air in the sky!!!Storm Report for June 13, 2008
It was actually reported as a water spout that went ashore. Thanks to a ridiculous amount of curves and palm trees, my view of the best part was obscured, but I saw it reaching down further than in the picture. Unfortunately, this is all I got. What a day though!!! The only other times that compare would be early on while sitting by a field with my boyfriend back in 1989 watching as the skies churned and dropped funnel clouds, 3 tornadoes were reported on that October 1st, causing damage even as close as outside the video store we were holed up in during the worst of the storm.

Conyers-area historical tornado activity is slightly above Georgia state average. It is 89% greater than the overall U.S. average.
OCT 01, 1989 030 1806 F2 247
OCT 01, 1989 031 1830 F1 247
OCT 01, 1989 032 1844 F2 247

The next time was also in June, but it was in 2007, when I was with Peg and Mel and the crew trying to chase naders. We came across a wicked low precip supercell near Murdo, SD, which dropped several needle funnels as we sat and watched. It never dropped anything more substantial for us, but the same system did produce a very picturesque tornado over the Badlands, which we had just passed.

Ahh, yes, SDS is bad.
~Dewdrop

Oh the weather outside...

Ask yourself, “Am I a calming breeze, or a storm waiting to happen?”

My first thoughts... I sure hope I'm a storm waiting to happen, it might be the only storm action I get. Probably not the right answer...

With the persistently freezing temps (and incidentally snow flurries in the wee hours Saturday morning (according to my friend) and supported by radar), we decided to be one of "those people" who set up the hose in the yard and spray the tree. It was a great experiment, which unfortunately demonstrated that we needed a harder stream for the full effect. We did get something out of it though, and the kids had a great time licking their icicles. I am just biding time until this way too cold spell passes us by. This week, we should resume our regularly scheduled weather! Record lows were set this weekend and this morning in the Miami and the Keys area. They are having to deal with all this ridiculousness and, in most cases, don't even have heaters. They typically don't need them. Good thing for all that global warming... can't imagine how bad things would be if not for that! cough cough. (Just for the record, I do not believe in Global Warming.)

We have family and friends over on Saturday night for a fun and rowdy game night, complete with an exciting couple of rounds of Guesstures, pizza, wings, brownie sundaes and 7 kid pile-ups. It was SO MUCH FUN!

Have a great day!
~Dewdrop

Mini-Dew made it home safely in the wee hours of the night. With a high of 38° today, already surpassed in the pre-dawn hours, it's no surprise that the iguanas in Miami are falling from the trees.

Kamikaze Iguanas fall from trees in unusually cold temperatures, in a sudden hybernation state.


Incidentally, we did not get any snow, but I did hear that the snow in southern Wisconsin was smallish and dinky. LOL!

~Dew

The grips of SDS

SKY WATCH FRIDAY time! Welcome all sky fans!!! I truly appreciate your visit and comments. I might not have time to respond to you, but I will try my best to visit!!!

Our hosts: Klaus Sandy Sylvia Wren Louise Fishing Guy

Thanks, also,to Dot and Tom, who were instrumental in the success of this blogging event. You should definitely come fly with us!
I'm so tired of talking about the cold. It's there. It will continue to be there after today. My toes are numb, my fingers feel brittle. I'm running out of winter wear. (My sweaters have to be dried flat.) As a result, I have posted a June shot of yummy juicy boiling cumulus clouds in a nostalgic black and white, remembering the fonder days when Jack Frost wasn't nipping at my nose, and moisture, lift and instability combined in delightful ways to entertain me... Yes, folks, my SDS is bad. What's SDS? Ahhh, it's a common acronym in the storm chasing community, which stands for Supercell (Storm) Deprivation Syndrome. Plenty of storm chasers have written about this syndrome which grips us during the winter months, while storms are but a distant memory. You can see in Steve Miller's (TX) chart here, that we are approaching the time of highest incidence of this suffocating disorder.Unfortunately, during times of El Niño, such as now, the symptoms can be extremely severe. (At least there's severity somewhere right.) Some of my symptoms include, but are not limited to:

1. Innate fascination with the "little tornado" in the bathtub drain
2. Secretly watches videotape of "Twister" repeatedly (and know every line...)
3. Drags feet across carpet and touches metal object just to see the little CG lightning bolt.
4. Constantly testing alert tone on wx radio to make sure it is working
5. Simulates hail by throwing ice cubes up in air allowing them to fall upon the pavement, chase vehicle or the patient him/herself.

Unfortunately, the only known cure is to witness a supercell, in person... given the Dewvoid effect, I might be in big trouble.

OK, OK, I'll talk about the cold now. I woke up to 21°F temps and a hard freeze. Tomorrow, I will awaken to freezing temps. Snow is in the forecast for parts of Georgia, as a second ridiculously intense cold front presses in hot on the heels of the one we are just coming out of... I haven't seen a cloud in DAYS! Nothing but clear skies and teeth chattering cold. Initially, there was talk of snow flurries in my neck of the woods, but the National Weather Service in Tallahassee has done away with that talk, saying only that lagging rain up against the approaching cold front could offer sleet, but that isn't highly likely and the chance for snow is almost nil. Here is what they have said. ...

WITH IT BEING SO COLD THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF INQUIRIES AS TO THE POTENTIAL FOR FROZEN PRECIP. DESPITE THE CONTINUATION OF BELOW-AVERAGE TEMPERATURES TODAY...IT IS ALREADY TOO WARM FOR SLEET OR SNOW AS SIGNIFICANT WARMING HAS BEGUN ABOVE THE SHALLOW COLD BOUNDARY LAYER. THE TROPOSPHERE WILL REMAIN TOO WARM TO SUPPORT FROZEN PRECIP UNTIL THE EARLY MORNING HOURS FRIDAY BEHIND THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT. ALL OF THE GUIDANCE SHOW THIS...AND THERE IS JUST THE SMALLEST OF CHANCES FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF LIGHT SLEET WHERE (IF) THE ARCTIC AIR REACHES ANY LAGGING PRECIP. (THE COLD LAYER WILL LIKELY BE TOO SHALLOW FOR SNOW AND NOT COLD ENOUGH FOR ACCUMULATING SLEET).

As for my initial concerns of rain with freezing temps causing an icy mess locally, the Weather Service has addressed that concern as well...

THERE HAS ALSO BEEN SOME CONCERN EXPRESSED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR WATER FROM TONIGHTS RAIN FREEZING ON THE ROADS FRIDAY MORNING IN AL AND GA. BECAUSE THE QPF IS LESS THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH...AND BECAUSE GUSTY WINDS AND FALLING HUMIDITY ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP QUICKLY AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH EVAPORATION AND GROUND ABSORPTION TO PREVENT THIS FROM BEING A SIGNIFICANT THREAT. IT WILL BE COLD AND BREEZY FRIDAY WITH HIGHS STRUGGLING TO REACH 40 DEGREES...AND WIND CHILL VALUES NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY.

Try and stay warm,
~Dewdrop

COLD!

The cold spell continues, and I am running out of cold weather clothes!!! Though there is talk about a slight reprieve for the day on Thursday (not above average temps still, expect low 50's), the warning of a worse cold blast over the weekend hangs a dark cloud over the minimal break. Tallahassee's Weather Service office has taken the snow references out of our forecast and left it with rain and barely above freezing temps.

IT IS NOT ENTIRELY OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR A LITTLE BIT OF SLEET TO OCCUR ALONG THE BACK EDGE OF THE PRECIP BAND EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...BUT THE LIKELIHOOD AND IMPACT OF THIS SEEM TOO SLIGHT TO FORECAST AT THIS TIME.

If that holds, school will most likely not be cancelled, unless they consider what's on the other side of that rain... Now, if you check out Jacksonville's Weather Service, they seem to be of a varying opinion. Their graphic forecast paints a picture of failing white stuff on Thursday night.

...should enough cold air remain in place, a wintry mix may occur across portions of Southeast Georgia with sleet or freezing rain possible before sunrise followed by a few snow flurries. Freezing temperatures Friday morning and wet ground may cause ice on roadways- especially on bridges and overpasses- which would create hazardous driving conditions. Interests should continue to monitor this evolving weather event.

Aside from the ridiculous cold weather, which I am not a big fan of... The National Weather Service nationally, effective yesterday, has raised (or in some places kept the same) the parameter for severe hail to one inch size or quarter-sized hail. Locally, it was only 3/4" or penny sized until yesterday's change. Notice that hail is not compared to marbles, but coins which are much less variable.

Have a warm day, or try to.
~Dewdrop