December weather thread

[SubTropicRay]

Bill,

Now the models have the front stalling before reaching us.  Yesterday's 42F is now 50 something.  Let's hope the trend continues.

Ray

[spockvr6]

Doug-

Yes...my neighbors think I am unusual.  But, whenever anyone walks by, they always stop and talk about what this or that palm is.  99% of people have nothing but positive comments.   But, they all think that "it must be so much work keeping all those plants up".  They dont know that my tinme devoted to yard work has dropped 75% (or more) since I got rid of the lawn!  The stuff I have now pretty much takes care of itself....and no worries about those damn chinch bugs!

Ray-

Yes there is an HOA.  But, they have absolutely no problems with my yard.   In fact, whenever any of the board of directors get questions from homeowners about palms/plants, they always tell people to talk to me.

[amazondk]

Here is a shot of winter weather at 3.3 S. Latitude this afternoon.  It has been raining a lot, which is normal for this time of year.  This picture was taken at 3 PM and the temperature sign just up the street showed 26 C or 79 F, pretty cool for this hour of the day.   Behind me it was raining pretty hard and toward the city it was not raining at all.  A pretty typical condition around here.

[_Keith]

Good news for Gulf Coast.  Weather Channel just upped weekend forecast low from 32 to 36 degrees.  Wahoo.

[happ]

(amazondk @ Dec. 19 2007,19:26)

QUOTE

Here is a shot of winter weather at 3.3 S. Latitude this afternoon.  It has been raining a lot, which is normal for this time of year.  This picture was taken at 3 PM and the temperature sign just up the street showed 26 C or 79 F, pretty cool for this hour of the day.   Behind me it was raining pretty hard and toward the city it was not raining at all.  A pretty typical condition around here.

Don

I am startled by the photo compared to the others you have posted.  It looks like a street in Florida or even California   is that Manaus?

[Tyrone]

Here's the next few days for Perth. Summer has started in earnest now.

Saturday     Fine.                                  Min 14     Max 28

Sunday       Fine.                                  Min 17     Max 32

Monday       Fine, hot.                             Min 19     Max 35

Tuesday      Fine, very hot.                        Min 20     Max 38

Wednesday    Fine, hot.                             Min 20     Max 35

Thursday     Fine, hot.                             Min 20     Max 33

regards

Tyrone

[bubba]

Circa 8:20AM Temp 75F.,Ocean choppy,rained last night,some beaut's on the Stream.

[amazondk]

Happ,

That sure is Manaus.  It is Avenida Torquato Tapajos one of the main arteries in the city.  Just to my left is the Phillips Electronics factory which is a bit out of sight.  There currently are several major projects underway with viaducts, overpasses and the like to alleviate a relatively congested traffic flow.  

dk

[ruskinPalms]

Yes Ray, the forcast is looking better. Now all we need is a little bit of rain to go with the mild temperatures.

[spockvr6]

(ruskinPalms @ Dec. 20 2007,20:56)

QUOTE

Yes Ray, the forcast is looking better. Now all we need is a little bit of rain to go with the mild temperatures.

Got that last night!

We had a nice downpour around 3AM that dropped about 0.79".

[bubba]

8:23AM-75f.,surf choppy ,a bit cloudy,rained again last night.

[_Keith]

A great article summarizing our local December weather.

Article published Dec 26, 2007

Weather warmer in December

Month average temperatures at 63 degrees

Jim Bradshaw

jbradshaw@theadvertiser.com

Even our cold fronts haven't been that cold this month, and that means that this is shaping up to be one of the warmest Decembers on record in Lafayette.

Eighty-degree-plus days at the beginning of the month haven't been erased by cooler weather during the last week, so that the average temperature so far this month is about 10 degrees warmer than the long-term average for December at Lafayette.

The average high temperature for this month has been not quite 73 degrees and the average low just under 53 degrees, for an average for the month of 63 degrees. That would rank this month in the top 10 of the warmest months at Lafayette over the last century.

The national climate forecast center has predicted that this winter will be warmer and drier than normal in Acadiana.

Our warmest December ever was in 1971, with an average temperature of 64.5 degrees. That is followed by 1984 (63.6), 1933 (63.4), 1889 (63.1), and 1922 (62.9).

Our coldest December ever was 1989 (44.4 degrees), followed by 1963 (44.9), 1905 and 1983 (47.0), and 1909 (47.1).

The record high for December is 89 degrees, set Dec. 4, 1909, and the record low is 9 degrees, set Dec. 23, 1989.

Despite the warmth, the month has been drier than normal, with less than an inch reported for the first 20 days. Average rainfall for the month is just over 5 inches.

We will have enough rainfall this month to reach just about normal rainfall for the entire year, which has averaged a little more than 57 inches over the last century.

[spockvr6]

Keith-

You are not running all that far off my weather down here in Tarpon Springs, FL.  So far this month, my weather station has logged an average high of 75.2F and an average low of 57.4F.

[ruskinPalms]

Mid 30's F are starting to show up on long range forcasts for my area by the middle of next week.  Let the worrying begin again.... Bad thing is that all this warm weather has all my palms busting open new spears, so that new growth will be pretty tender.

[spockvr6]

(ruskinPalms @ Dec. 27 2007,22:16)

QUOTE

Mid 30's F are starting to show up on long range forcasts for my area by the middle of next week.  

Yeah!  Bring it!

Doing my best to act tough here.......

[_Keith]

(spockvr6 @ Dec. 26 2007,14:01)

QUOTE

Keith-

You are not running all that far off my weather down here in Tarpon Springs, FL.  So far this month, my weather station has logged an average high of 75.2F and an average low of 57.4F.

We sure have, but I hope it differs for you on Jan 1.  This forecast ain't purdy at all.

Tue Jan 1  Partly Cloudy / Wind  56°/33°

Wed Jan 2  Sunny 50°/30°

Notice that Wed Sunny after the front, that usually means a killer frost here, and one below freezing at that.

I hate January.

Keith

[BobbyinNY]

Hey Guys......

I know I haven't posted in awhile.... been SUPER busy with work, the band, and of course all my palms & Tropicals.... Weather's been Sh#$ty here as normal... mid 40's day, around 30f night.. but the stuff in my biospheres is growing like crazy... Bananas just bloomed last week and I've been picking oranges & grapefruits for the last month.

[Jimbean]

Things are looking very ugly for January 2!

Forecast to be 26 in Orlando as of now.

[_Keith]

Forecast for New Iberia, So. Louisiana is 27.

[Jimbean]

30 in Sarasota, 34 in Fort Myers, and 25 in Plant City, for those of you on the west coast.

[PalmGuyWC]

Did you ever notice? When it's cold on the West Coast......and I mean the real West Coast, and that's Calif., it's warm and balmey on the East Coast. When you guys get nasty cold, it's usually warmer here. December. in Cloriformia has been totally crappy, and looks like your about to get your share of cold on the East Coast.

I sure can't brag about the weather here today, as it's 40F, a little fog, and overcast, and it feels biteing cold outside. Everything is drippy from the light rain we had last night. It's totally depressing. Even my adventuresom dogs are staying inside today. With clouds and rain, we are going to warm up this week......if you can call 50's warmer.

Dig out the frost fabric and the sheets guys, and don't be afraid to put some light bulbs under the sheets.

Dick

[gsn]

(PalmGuyWC @ Dec. 28 2007,13:30)

QUOTE

Did you ever notice? When it's cold on the West Coast......and I mean the real West Coast, and that's Calif., it's warm and balmey on the East Coast. When you guys get nasty cold, it's usually warmer here. December. in Cloriformia has been totally crappy, and looks like your about to get your share of cold on the East Coast.

Dick,

That would be beccause the  winter weather in north america moves from west to east!

Fronts moving through and down affect us about 4 or 5 days after they hit the west coast! ::

[_Keith]

(gsn @ Dec. 28 2007,13:53)

QUOTE

(PalmGuyWC @ Dec. 28 2007,13:30)

QUOTE

Did you ever notice? When it's cold on the West Coast......and I mean the real West Coast, and that's Calif., it's warm and balmey on the East Coast. When you guys get nasty cold, it's usually warmer here. December. in Cloriformia has been totally crappy, and looks like your about to get your share of cold on the East Coast.

Dick,

That would be beccause the  winter weather in north america moves from west to east!

Fronts moving through and down affect us about 4 or 5 days after they hit the west coast! ::

Sometimes, but it seems the super artic blast, especially later in the year dip straight down the middle and miss the West Coast altogether at times.

[amazondk]

(BobbyinNY @ Dec. 28 2007,11:51)

QUOTE

Hey Guys......

I know I haven't posted in awhile.... been SUPER busy with work, the band, and of course all my palms & Tropicals.... Weather's been Sh#$ty here as normal... mid 40's day, around 30f night.. but the stuff in my biospheres is growing like crazy... Bananas just bloomed last week and I've been picking oranges & grapefruits for the last month.

Hi Bobby,

People have been wondering about your whereabouts.  I am glad to here your garden is growing.  Are you moving south in 2008?  Happy New Year.

dk

[ruskinPalms]

Forcast (from NWS) for 38F on Wednesday night (2nd night after the front), then it starts to slowly warm back up from there. This next real blast of cold air next week will probably not be a killer advective freeze given that the Gulf temperatures are back up to around 70F. I look for moderation during the windy portion of the front. However, the 2nd night after the front could cause some minimal to moderate damage down through interior west central FL with some frost. If this is the beginning of a pattern change where the door opens to the arctic, then it is the following fronts that we will have to worry about as there may not be a significant warm up in between to bring the Gulf temperatures back up.

[_Keith]

Good news, those forecast for Jan 2 are creeping up.  Started at 26 here, but is creeping up about 1 degree every 12 hours.  Forecast for here is now up to 29.   One more degree and I will worry about nothing.  Yahoo!!!

[Al in Kona]

Hey DK in Manaus, have you had to cover any of your super tropicals (guess that would include everything for you!) just to be on the safe side just incase it might get a bit too cold now that you're getting all that rain?  LOL.  Every area of the world seems to have certain "plus" and "minus" things we deal with but for some of us cold is not one and I am thankful for that.  

Some time ago there was a discussion of why in many parts of Latin America many people seem to paint (white wash) the lower part of their mature palm trunks.  Don't think there was ever a definite clear understanding as to why that was done.  However, on your above photo in Manaus of Avenida Torquato Tapajos, I notice that the palm trunk is not painted white but the light posts are!  Interesting.  BTW, is it a common practice in Manaus to paint the very lower portion of palm trunks white?  Just curious.

[amazondk]

Al,

The white paint effect is somewhat spotty around here.  In some places they do paint the trees.  I have heard the theory that it keeps certain insects away.  I don't know what the logic is for light concrete light poles though.   It sure has been raining though.  I really don't know how much this month though as I have yet to figure out where to get the data at.  But, just as a guess I would say we have had from 10 to 12 inches of rain in December.  The rainy season pattern is that it frequently is sunny in the morning.  But, as the temperature rises more moistture cycles into the air and it clouds up and rains.

dk

[ruskinPalms]

Official NWS forcast for Wednesday night has me down to a wind driven 32F    

No plans to protect as of yet, but if the wind is forcast to die down in the night, then it could easily creep into the upper 20s with frost. Not good.

[spockvr6]

NWS is still showing a windy 39F here in Tarpon Springs, but Weather.com is calling for 35F.  

Either way it probably wont make much difference as long as there is wind.  If the winds die, it could get a bit nastier!  Its going to be kinda fun watching this one as the change is so drastic over what weve otherwise been experiencing this past week or so.

[Jimbean]

Accuweather 40

NWS  36

Weatherunderground  35

Weather.com  40

[spockvr6]

As of this AM for Tarpon Springs---

Weather.com - 34F

NWS - 36F

Accuweather - 34F

Weatherunderground - 36F

[spockvr6]

Yikes....big forecast drops from NWS for Wednesday night for parts of Tampa Bay this AM.  

As of this AM---

Tampa AP - 28F

McDill - 28F

Brandon - 26F

Ruskin - 27F

According to these current forecasts, the only areas "safe" in Tampa Bay will be the extreme west coast areas of Pinellas.

[spockvr6]

Looks like Orlando is in the same boat with forecasts ranging from 25-27F.  But, the east coast coastal areas are forecast to fare much better and stay in the 30's (to near 40F in some cases).

[Jimbean]

At this hour, my forecast is about the same as it was yesterday.  It looks like East Central Florida will fair comparatively well compared to many other places around the state. The overnight winds must be coming out of the NNE.

It looks like I am currently looking at ~ 35 F

[ruskinPalms]

This freeze is supposed to hit us with strong northeast winds which takes the moderating effects of Tampa Bay and the Gulf out of the picture for most of us. I really didn't think a bad advective freeze would ever blow out of the northeast because of the moderating effects of the Atlantic ???

Anyway, it is a good thing that I got a couple home depot cards for Christmas so that I will be able to repair my garden come spring time.  I may stand to lose a lot of palms like Adonidia, V. arecina, C. nucifera, Hyophorbes...the list could go on. And if I don't lose them, then they are likely to take serious defoliations. At least frost probably won't be an issue since the winds are going to be high. I am not sure if it would be worth trying to cover palms during an advective freeze. I might try to protect my cocos with a blanket or two staked into the ground. I think the palms that I am going to hate to lose the most are the V. arecina. They were really starting to take off. 27F is a lesson to be learned. Unfortunately, my weather station is screwed up here lately and is reading way too high of temperatures when the humidity is up above 90%. Any thoughts why it is doing this?

[spockvr6]

(ruskinPalms @ Dec. 31 2007,10:33)

QUOTE

Unfortunately, my weather station is screwed up here lately and is reading way too high of temperatures when the humidity is up above 90%. Any thoughts why it is doing this?

Bill-

Perhaps you are getting condensation forming in your enclosure, or perhaps under the sensor dome?  When water condenses, heat is released.  So, this could explain your warmer than expected readings.

[spockvr6]

Another nice drop in the forecasts-----

As of 1230PM today for Tarpon Springs---

Weather.com - 31F

NWS - 36F

Weatherunderground - 33F

Accuweather - 34F

[ruskinPalms]

Hi Larry. I took the damn thing apart and it had SPIDERS. It is an all in one type weather station enclosure with the radiation shield and wind thing all on the same poll. I had temps over 100F this morning before I cleaned it...... Anyway, I cleaned out a little bit of web, egg sacs and spiders of course. It seems to be spot on as far as temps and humidity within the house since I have the AC on still and the dewpoints are dry in the house. I compared it to the indoor portion of the weather station. It had always read just fine during dry periods outside, but these last weeks of land fog, sea fog and spiders have done a number on it. I think I fixed it more or less though as it seems on par with the other stations in the area now. It rained quite heavily here about an hour ago and it is only reading a humidity of 79% right now outside so that seems a lot better. I guess the heat of the phase change of the water during the very heavy fog contributes to false highs but also I think that the intricate webbing on the circuit board inside the housing also caused a problem too. The web is not a problem when the dewpoint is low and condensation is not happening because the web stays dry. When water vapor starts condensing, I think the web gets wet and starts to actually conduct electricity and causes little short circuits between solder points on the circuit board. Just a hypothesis. Anyway, spiders are probably not good for weather stations.

[ruskinPalms]

For my zip code 33570:

Wunderground: 28F

NOAA: 27F

TWC:  31F

Accuweather: 31F

Definite freeze coming.