Our weekend is here & we'll be inbetween storm systems so -- overall -- a pretty decent weekend. Winds will be onshore from the east & northeast Sat. so much cooler at the beaches where highs struggle just to get into the 60s. Winds become offshore from the south & southwest Sun. & temps. will soar reaching close to 80 degrees at many inland locations but winds will be 15-20 mph with higher gusts. The wind & warm temps. will be ahead of the next large/strong storm system that will affect the First Coast. The storm will swing a strong cold front through the area Mon. preceded by a line of showers & a few thunderstorms later Sun. night into Mon. morning. Timing would suggest little threat for severe weather but this is another dynamic system with tropical moisture not far away, so I can't rule at least a few strong if not severe storms approx. between 3am & noon Mon. While there are some similarities between this set-up & the one Thu....differences include:
-- timing (morning)
-- warmer
-- the triple point (warm front/cold front/low pressure area) should be well to the north at least across the Carolina's.
Similarities include lots of moisture coming off the Gulf of Mexico, a strong upper leve disturbance, & a very strong low & mid level jetstream. So taking all this into account:
*** 100% rainfall coverage late Sun. night/Mon. morning
*** Threat for strong winds with showers/storms...tornado threat appears lower at the moment
*** Heavy rain at times but swift movement & warm front far to the north should add up to lower amounts than last system with avg. of half inch to 1", locally more.
Meanwhile cold air continues to build over Canada & all indications remain that this arctic air will eventually dump into the Lower 48. The First Coast will get just a glancing blow Tue.-Wed....a stronger shot of cold late in the week/next weekend...& probably subsequent harsher cold thereafter.
Speaking of the cold...the Ga. Sea Turtle Center continues to help cold "stunned" sea turtles -- see the photo below. This from Mary Eva Tredway at the center:
Dr. Terry Norton, GSTC Director/Veterinarian (R) is pleased to work with others tending to a newly arrived green sea turtle at the GSTC. Suffering from a wound on its carapace (shell) and affected by last week's cold, the turtle will receive expert care at the GSTC. (- L-R Samantha Clark, Jeannie Miller, Amy Hupp, Michelle Kaylor and Dr. Norton).
The recent influx of cold-stunned turtles has certainly created a surge of activity at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (funded and operated by the Jekyll Island Authority) with Dr. Norton and the GSTC staff and volunteers kicking in to overdrive. We are pleased that many of the new green sea turtles are responding nicely to treatment, eating and moving about. Several others are responding more slowly and are being watched for additional or secondary concerns.
Per your request of updates on the condition of these turtles and release dates, at present, there are plans to release five of our recently acquired patients on Friday, January 22. Pago, Icicle, Anemoi, Kalt, and Lenaea (all names relating to "cold") will be boarding a vehicle with GSTC staff and a volunteer tomorrow AM for their release in the Merritt Island, FL area. We are then likely picking up two more critical sea turtle patients (green sea turtles) from the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, one a boat strike victim and the other a "floater," both of which are in the 60cm range (about 2 feet).
There are many ways that your viewers/readers can do to assist, if interested with the sea turtles…… we wanted to share with you that having people come to visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is a terrific way to support our efforts while learning about sea turtles and seeing our patients (Closed Mondays until March, though).
They can also get an explanation of why our need for special assistance is great by going to here...and see a list of needed items by clicking here. With cash donations to support our general operating funds being the best way to help.
Storm surveys from our Jax N.W.S. confirmed at least 2 tornadoes Thu. The St. George, GA tornado was an EF-0 (winds up to 85 mph)...the Bradford Co. tornado near Starke was an EF-1 (86-110 mph winds). Additional surveys are being conducted & info. will be posted over the weekend or early in the upcoming week. Click here for a preliminary map & pics from the Bradford Co. tornado.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT..
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
500 PM EST FRI JAN 22 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0120 PM TORNADO 5 SSE RAIFORD 30.00N 82.21W
01/21/2010 F1 BRADFORD FL NWS STORM SURVEY
TORNADO TOUCHDOWN AT 1322 EST. PATH LENGTH APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES. PATH WIDTH VARIED FROM 200 TO 400 YARDS.
NUMEROUS OUTBUILDINGS DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. MOSTLY MINOR DAMAGE TO SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURES. NO INJURIES OR DEATHS.
THE TORNADO TRAVELED JUST NORTH OF DUE EAST AND LIFTED IN WESTERN CLAY COUNTY ABOUT 4 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF
LAWTEY.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
253 PM EST FRI JAN 22 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1245 PM TORNADO ST. GEORGE 30.52N 82.04W
01/21/2010 F0 CHARLTON GA NWS STORM SURVEY
A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY CONFIRMED A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT EFO SCALE WITH WINDS OF 80 MPH. TIME OF
OCCURRENCE WAS FROM 1245 PM TO 1247 PM WITH PATH LENGTH OF ABOUT 1 MILE LONG. MINOR DAMAGED OCCURRED TO A POST
OFFICE AND MOBILE HOMES AND NUMEROUS TREES DOWN. AN OLD ABANDONED BRICK BUILDING WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED.
Photos below:
(1) Ilyssa Trussel...victims cleaning up in Bradford Co.
(2) Thomas Crawford - damage in St. George, Charlton Co. Ga.
This has been a wild week of weather with record low pressure readings reported at Los Angeles, massive mtn. snowfall & severe flooding for parts of the Rockies & Southwest U.S., to damaging tornadoes from Tx. to Al. to Ga. & Fl.
RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
500 PM PST THU JAN 21 2010
...PRELIMINARY RECORD LOWEST BAROMETRIC PRESSURE AT LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...
AT 121 PM PST TODAY...THE BAROMETRIC PRESSURE AT LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FELL TO 29.07 INCHES OF MERCURY...OR 980.0 MB. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD LOWEST BAROMETRIC PRESSURE READING OF 29.25 INCHES...OR 990.6 MB...SET ON JANUARY 17TH 1988. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE PRESSURE WILL FALL EVEN FURTHER THROUGH THE MORNING...AND THE RECORD WILL CONTINUE TO MONITORED. PRESSURE DATA RECORDS AT LOS ANGELES AIRPORT DATE BACK TO 1931.
Click here for tornado surveys from Shreveport, LA including an EF-3 tornado....here for damage surveys from Dallas Ft. Worth...here for New Orleans/Baton Rouge N.W.S. survey -- including pics & doppler radar images...an excellent summary -- including video & pics from Huntsville, AL - click here...Mashville, TN - click here.
JOIN JACKSONVILLE ZOO AND GARDENS FOR THEIR FOURTH ANNUAL PET-ADOPTION AND WOLF-AWARENESS EVENT.
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is hosting its fourth annual pet-adoption and wolf-awareness event on January 23, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend for an opportunity to adopt a pet-in-need.
The pet-adoption event, for which there is no admission fee, will be held in the main parking lot of the Zoo. Adoption fees for cats and dogs will vary depending on the adoption agency represented. The Pet Angel Welfare Supply will also be onsite, accepting donations of pet food and supplies to give to local families and shelters in need.
Following the pet-adoption event, the public is also invited to take part in the Zoo¹s wolf-awareness event. Zookeepers will be providing information and activities about wolf awareness at the red wolf exhibit located in the Jacksonville Zoo.
WHO: Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens, with Animal Shelters and Adoption
Agencies
WHAT: Annual Pet-Adoption and Wolf-Awareness Event
WHEN: January 23, 2010: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
370 Zoo Parkway
Jacksonville, FL 32218
Have a great & safe weekend!
