Buresh

Buresh Blog: Warm Feb., March averages - Feb. 27th

Feb. 27, 2018 — A remarkably warm Feb. will go down in the record books as one of the warmest on record with the most 80 degree days - 15 - of any Feb. going back to 1871.  And for "meteorological winter" of Dec./Jan./Feb., the 25 80 degree days ties the record set in the winter of 1956-'57.

So we turn our calendars to March.  Averages for JIA:

Low / High - 1st: 47 / 71.... 31st: 52 / 76

Rainfall: 3.95"

Sunrise / Sunset: 1st - 6:52am / 6:25pm EST.... 31st: 7:17am / 7:44pm EDT - gain 54 min. of daylight... "spring forward" Sunday, March 11th.

The countdown clock for Cape Town, S. Africa essentially running out of water may happen this year & if not, will likely happen sometime in the relatively near future.  City officials originally feared Cape Town taps would have to be shut off in March which was moved to April then May & now July.  IF the winter rains come (S. Hemisphere), the bustling city might survive this latest water crisis.  But no doubt, the crisis will not be truly over as a combination of a burgeoning population with little water conservation in the past combines with a severe drought to add up to further water shortages in the future.  It's a story that's not at all unique to Cape Town as a combination of using way too much water + global climate change will make water crisis more & more common - including the U.S. - Florida not excluded.  As a column in the Washington Post explains, the water crisis is a major push & pull on Cape Town.  Maps showing the drought vs. previous year rains - here.  Table below of avg. annual rainfall for Cape Town courtesy weather and climate.com: