Keeping Fingers Crossed - Winter Has No Place in Florida, So Far

For warm air frolickers in Florida, Fate is On Our Side. Recall  last winter's freeze, a faded memory of times past. This morning , I recall what was to come just one week from today at this time last year. A freeze on the beaches, and ice in the bird bath. 

http://highspeeddirt-steve.blogspot.com/2010/12/thar-she-blows-batten-hatches.html

TODAY: Another day like those of the recent. East to ESE winds, light, with some early morning mist and fog toward the northern portions of the state now in progress will lift out shortly after sunrise toward mid-morning. Highs again in the mid-upper 70Fs for the most part, with some patches of stratocumulus clouds from time to time. So far, my area has had a sprinkle or trace of rain 4 consecutive days, with a very nice December rainbow only yesterday. A rarity gift at this time of year, like a big package wrapped in a colorful bow. Considering the approach of the Christmas Holiday...a rain-bow.

I took several photos yesterday. A friend of mine in the Storm Chaser community affectionately refers to rainbows as "Peace Offerings"... The Storm Has Passed and we can now rest. The odd thing about seeing a rainbow at this time of year is where it is located in the sky because of how far south the sun is located along the horizon. The viewer must have one's sun to their back to be able to see this phenomenon, and only once the sun has reached a certain angle above the horizon (either right after sunrise or toward sunset).

TONIGHT/WEDNESDAY: Light winds after sunset, dewy with possible fog away from the coasts, but rapidly eroding after sunrise. Temperatures remain on the par.  Warmer on Wednesday as winds becomes SW during the afternoon. It has been quite a while since we have had a SW wind, and with that will be warmer highs around 80F or so under partly cloudy skies. A cold front is on the way. Mid-upper level high pressure areas moving east and away as a trough of low pressure with the attendant front replaces them toward the East Coast of the U.S., thus the wind shift and warmer air...but only for Wednesday. Enjoy.


THURSDAY: Front appears now that it will proceed through the state toward Florida, but will quickly undergo frontalysis , break down, from late Thursday and into the weekend after crossing Central shortly after sunset Wednesday evening, onward to South Florida it goes by sunrise. But not before we have a very cool morning, not unlike that of around one week ago with lows in the low 50Fs toward the east coast south of I-4, but 40Fs being the rule west of I-95 North Central and North (even colder here) and toward the west coast to the Northwest side of the Big Lake.  Fear not, the Fickle Finger of Fate (or for purposes of this post, of Cold Air Fate) will bid adieu almost as quickly as it moves in. Winds becoming NNE-ENE from Thursday afternoon and beyond. This direction is again off of the ocean waters as it has been and was last weekend, and thus, temperatures will quickly moderate back toward what we have already been experiencing the past few days by Friday.


FRIDAY-WEEKEND: Winds  having returned to their NE-ENE direction as mentioned above...could also translate to a  slightly better chance of showers somewhere along the east coast toward the interior. Until this time comes closer to 'real-time' exactly where those showers will have the best chance of manifesting will need to be determined. The key point at this conjuncture is that it does appear the chance of measurable showers as opposed to 'cloud tinkles'...will be better than it has been this week. Although, there has been some measurable amounts here and there from time to time, simply too far wide spread and erratic to warrant mention.


BEYOND: Amazingly, the GFS shows the next cold front not 3 days down the line, not 5 days down the line (the norm this time of year), nor even a week down the line. Beyond that, is anyone's guess. As noted in the top image, the GFS hardly shows much of anything other than another frontal boundary somewhere in the great beyond that has an impact similar to what that of this Thursday's   toward the 3rd week in December around the 18th or so. Go figure. This year is nothing like last year...running on track with a solid La Nina type pattern from all appearances.