A busy local weather pattern will peak Mon.-Tue. as a strong storm system develops over the Southeast U.S. bringing the potential for very heavy rain & severe storms. And a cold wave will be possible by next weekend.
** First things first....a stalled frontal boundary will hang out over or near Southern Ga. Sat. focusing on-&-off showers & t'storms. By Sat. night, there will be the potential for 2-4" of rain, more in a few spots. The ground is dry, so the soil will be able to handle this rain pretty well though there will likely be some minor urban, small stream & street flooding/ponding. Farther south across Jax & NE Fl., there will only be isolated, brief showers Sat. in what otherwise will be a partly sunny, breezy & very warm day with highs 80+.
** The front will sag south as a cold front Sat. night spreading showers & a few storms through the metro & all of NE Fl. but the more transient nature of the rain (compared to SE Ga.) will translate into amounts of only a half inch or less.
** The front will become stationary Sunday south of Jax leading to a cooler day with a northeast breeze. This more southern position could lead to showers in Daytona which might interfere with the Daytona 500.
** A very dynamic storm system will take shape for the beginning of the week. As the sytem approaches, the warm front will lift north & cause more heavy rain to develop Sun. night-Mon. The warm front will then be followed by a strong cold front that will ignite heavy showers & storms later Mon. into at least Tue. morning. It's this second storm system that will be the most powerful. There will be the potential for another 2-4" of rain -- or more -- across SE Ga. which could lead to flooding. There will also be heavy rain potential over NE Fl., especially Mon. night-Tue. Severe storms will also be a concern Mon.-Tue. with the risk of damaging winds, hail & maybe a few tornadoes.
** Cooler but not terribly cold air will follow for midweek. A much stronger push of cold air will roll into the First Coast by next weekend with a freeze/frost possible.
GARDENERS BEWARE: unseasonable cold next weekend could send temps. to or below freezing.
Click ** here ** to send First Alert weather photos &/or video. You can send storm reports & rainfall measurements to weather@actionnewsjax.com.
Earth Gauge: Saving Water on a Budget
Over 65 percent of the contiguous United States is experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions. Conserving water at home can help! If you want to save water but don’t have the budget for a bathroom makeover or landscaping redesign, follow these steps to stop pouring money down the drain.
• Trash your tissues. Don’t flush them—one less flush per day can save nearly 1,300 gallons of water over the course of a year. That’s enough to wash about 32 loads of laundry!
• Lighten your number of loads. Did you know washing clothes is the second largest use of indoor water? Combine small loads to eliminate one load per week, and you’ll save 2,100 gallons of water per year.
• Keep your (water) cool. Fill your water glass with cool water from a pitcher in the fridge. This way the water goes in your glass, not down the drain.
This information is provided by the U.S. EPA’s WaterSense program. Learn more here.
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State of the Climate Report - Highlights from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center. Visit here for more information.
Climate Fact: Heavy Rainfall Helps Eliminate Drought Conditions for Some Areas
Mean temperatures were above average for the month of January in the Southeast region. During the stretch from January 12 through 17, more than 500 daily high minimum temperature records were tied or broken for overnight temperatures. On January 30, Jacksonville set a monthly record high of 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation varied across the Southeast with the wettest locations occurring in the western sections of North Carolina and Virginia, where totals exceeded 15 inches. On the other hand, Atlanta, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina recorded their driest Januarys on record. Heavy rainfalls helped eliminate drought conditions across northern parts of Alabama and Georgia, western North Carolina and parts of central Virginia.
Have a great & safe weekend!
