Sky Sanctums

"Sundog" in Center of Image formed by ice crystal in the high altitude cirrus clouds

Sundogs are made commonly of plate-shaped hexagonal ice crystals in high and cold cirrus clouds or, during very cold weather, by ice crystals called diamond dust drifting in the air at low levels. These crystals act as prisms, bending the light rays passing through them with a minimum deflection of 22°. If the crystals are randomly oriented, a complete ring around the sun is seen — a halo. But often, as the crystals sink through the air they become vertically aligned, so sunlight is refracted horizontally — in this case, sundogs are seen.


TODAY: Based on latest satellite imagery and a throw in from model guidance for comparison, high clouds today will be  less prevalent than of yesterday.  That means in a nut shell, more sun than not. Winds from the NNW-N later in the day at 10-18mph along the open areas with highs in the low-mid 60Fs, and some upper 60Fs South Florida.


TONIGHT/MONDAY: Winds becoming light after or near dark and veering toward the NNE-NE-ENE through the overnight. Coastal lows from Canaveral and south should level off mid-late evening in the mid-upper 50Fs, whereas further from the coast lows will fall within the 40Fs realm with only a few high clouds.


On Monday the wind will become ENE-E during the day with highs all areas in the mid-upper 60Fs, possibly lower 70Fs SW Coast of the peninsula. Clouds becoming a non-issue in the high altitude level category, but a better chance of lower level clouds due to moisture off of the Atlantic. Monday overnight lows again warmer than the previous evening, remaining in the low-mid 60Fs Canaveral and South, 50Fs inland or upper 40Fs. Winds continuing to veer toward the ESE through SSE toward sunset.


TUESDAY: Winds overnight will be  veering yet more toward the S-SSW-SW. A cold front will be entering our 'picture' but have little to no impact Central and South Florida in days ahead. Circulation around high pressure near Bermuda continues warm air advection with highs all areas in the mid-upper 70Fs with partly cloudy skies with a small chance of mostly cloudy intervals. In short, nothing like the past few days have been by a long-shot.


WEDNESDAY: Cold front will be struggling to impinge through the peninsula with noteworthy impact. Any rain showers should  be restricted to the I-4 corridor (Tampa/Orlando/Daytona) ie. North Central and north, although a sprinkle or light rainshower 'could' occur Central Wednesday evening toward sunrise Thursday. Mostly cloudy and a pleasant overnight low in the 60Fs.


THURSDAY/SATURDAY: Winds behind the front as it undergoes frontalysis quickly become ENE-E behind its decaying boundary pulling east and out over South Central Florida never really reaching far South Florida. Lows remaining in the 60Fs east coast overnight with highs in the mid 70Fs interior, but cooler east of US1 due to the influence of cool ocean waters and light onshore winds.