"The Dead Of Winter"

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

So, THIS is when it gets cold, eh? Dr. Paul

Here's the traditional time! (From our friends at Accuweather)

The Dead of Winter:

Jan. 10 marks the unofficial start of the `Dead of Winter,` which marks the coldest four weeks of the year historically. The lag in time between Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, and the Dead of Winter stems from the delayed reaction of the atmospheric temperature to the input of solar energy. It is not until three to four weeks after the solstice that the atmospheric temperature `catches up,` or comes into equilibrium, with the amount of energy flowing in from the sun.

The coldest four weeks at any location will vary somewhat across the nation. For instance, eastern New England has its coldest four weeks later than the inter-mountain West. This has to do with the longer lag time in cooling the nearby Atlantic Ocean compared the continental interior.

Story by AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Jim Andrews.

[happ]

Paul

I believe the "dead of winter" is between late Dec to lat Jan in Florida [also Texas & California]. So theoretically, we may only have a couple more weeks of potential "dead winter."

[PalmGuyWC]

"It was the best of times and the worst of times." For the past two weeks I have had fog and overcast and have only seen the sun peek out briefly at midday. My temps. have been running between low 40's at night and low 50's during the day. It's depressing but better than clear nights and freezing. Normally with fronts moving through I could expect 30's or 20's at night after a cold front.

We have had no rain, but a front is moving through tomorrow, so who knows what will follow it. I don't think I have seen 70F in six weeks.

Dick

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

"It was the best of times and the worst of times." For the past two weeks I have had fog and overcast and have only seen the sun peek out briefly at midday. My temps. have been running between low 40's at night and low 50's during the day. It's depressing but better than clear nights and freezing. Normally with fronts moving through I could expect 30's or 20's at night after a cold front.

We have had no rain, but a front is moving through tomorrow, so who knows what will follow it. I don't think I have seen 70F in six weeks.

Dick

Dick:

I haven't seen too many 70's either! By Thurs. they PROMISE!!

Happ:

I hope that the averages stay "close to the mark" I'm not doing too well in the deep freeze. (Surveyed damage; more cosmetic around here: brown patches on lower coconut fronds not much else but "tender" shrubs need a bit of a trim on top. I was lucky.

Dr. Paul

[Mark Heath]

Guys,

I've lived in Florida all my life. It is usually the coldest in mid Dec to mid Febuary in Central Fl. We will have some more cold blast before winter is done. I doubt south Florida will see those temps again this year, at least i hope not! The first full moon in March is usually the last gasp of winter here.

I hope the the jet stream stays far up north the rest of the year!! It is tough working outside when you're in mid 20s!!

I cringe when everybody shows their cold damage, i have alot of damage here myself.

I am happy to see that the Cali guys are doing good, at least somebody is'nt getting nailed by cold like us in the east!

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

Guys,

I've lived in Florida all my life. It is usually the coldest in mid Dec to mid Febuary in Central Fl. We will have some more cold blast before winter is done. I doubt south Florida will see those temps again this year, at least i hope not! The first full moon in March is usually the last gasp of winter here.

I hope the the jet stream stays far up north the rest of the year!! It is tough working outside when you're in mid 20s!!

I cringe when everybody shows their cold damage, i have alot of damage here myself.

I am happy to see that the Cali guys are doing good, at least somebody is'nt getting nailed by cold like us in the east!

Amen, brother, to that! We're all cold weary by this point, no??

Paul

[mnorell]

I would think it's the more northern latitudes that suffer the lag, since the sun is still low in the sky and days quite short, so the Arctic can play very easily in that backyard. From I guess about 34N southward, the sun is already getting noticeably higher and the days noticeably longer by mid-January or so. I can already tell a difference here at 31.5N.

Here, we're climbing out of the statistical temperature hole that occurs from 25 December to 12 January. The climb in January is very slow and slight, only a degree or so; and in fact the worst temps ever experienced here occurred between 14 December and 14 February. The oriental Magnolias start to pop right about 21 January and I take that as a major signal, even though some cold can still be expected; but February starts accelerating rapidly upward in temperature and the Gulf starts to push its air northward and begins its stormy pattern with the threat of tornadoes. If we can just keep the cold away for another month or so I feel I can start to breathe easy. And of course after what we've just gone through, I think most everything from here on out will seem like spring!!!

[_Keith]

I would think it's the more northern latitudes that suffer the lag, since the sun is still low in the sky and days quite short, so the Arctic can play very easily in that backyard. From I guess about 34N southward, the sun is already getting noticeably higher and the days noticeably longer by mid-January or so. I can already tell a difference here at 31.5N.

Here, we're climbing out of the statistical temperature hole that occurs from 25 December to 12 January. The climb in January is very slow and slight, only a degree or so; and in fact the worst temps ever experienced here occurred between 14 December and 14 February. The oriental Magnolias start to pop right about 21 January and I take that as a major signal, even though some cold can still be expected; but February starts accelerating rapidly upward in temperature and the Gulf starts to push its air northward and begins its stormy pattern with the threat of tornadoes. If we can just keep the cold away for another month or so I feel I can start to breathe easy. And of course after what we've just gone through, I think most everything from here on out will seem like spring!!!

Michael, I made a to Baton Rouge today for a business appt. Lots of toasty stuff, but nothing to make me think every palm I could see would not recover. It was interesting to see a light sheet of ice covering nearly all of Capital Lake. Last time I saw that was 1989. Of course in 89 it was not a 'light' sheet either.