Aug. 12, 2016 — NOAA issued their updated hurricane forecast for the rest of this season. If it's accurate, the Atlantic Basin will be busy over the next few months. I update "Talking the Tropics With Mike" every day during the hurricane season.
The St. Johns Water Management District reports that rainfall has been well below normal for much of Florida during the past year (see map below). Most areas should have had at least 65" of rain for the period from August through July. Specifically for Jacksonville (JIA), rainfall from Aug., '15 through July, '16 was 10.71" below average. The second map shows what such dryness has done to the aquifer. If the last part of the tropical (wet) season does become more active, we should some very beneficial rainfall.
EARTH GAUGE (National Environmental Education Foundation):
U.S. drought monitor:
July global temps...... As part of an ongoing joint project between UAHuntsville, NOAA and NASA, Christy and Dr. Roy Spencer, an ESSC principal scientist, use data gathered by advanced microwave sounding units on NOAA and NASA satellites to get accurate temperature readings for almost all regions of the Earth. This includes remote desert, ocean and rain forest areas where reliable climate data are not otherwise available.
The satellite-based instruments measure the temperature of the atmosphere from the surface up to an altitude of about eight kilometers above sea level.
SUMMER ENERGY SAVINGS, Sarah Blount
As we enter the last leg of summer, it’s not just the temperatures that are elevated. For the past twelve months for which the US Energy Information Administration has published data, home electricity use has been highest in July and August, and the average monthly cost of that electricity has peaked late summer and early fall.
That this time of year is one of high electricity use and cost may come as no surprise to anyone who’s been wrestling with trying to cool their home during this summer’s historic extreme heat events, such as June’s “heat dome” in the Southwest or July’s heat wave in the capital region. According to the EIA, space cooling accounts for the largest share of electricity use in American residences (followed closely by lighting), and NOAA’s Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index shows that this June, people living in the lower 48 states were using much more energy to adjust the temperature in their homes than they have historically.
Clearly, late summer can turn up the heat in more ways than one, and if you’re not making savvy choices when it comes to your energy use, you and your wallet could be feeling the burn.
According to EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, one way to keep your energy bills in check is by keeping your HVAC system in good condition—starting with your air filters. During the winter and summer when you’re running your heating and cooling system particularly heavily, you should be changing your air filter every month. As dust and debris accumulated in the filter, this particulate matter impedes the flow of air, and as a result your HVAC system has to work harder to push the air through, wasting energy and setting the stage for costly maintenance down the road.
For more tips on how to conserve energy while staying cool this summer, check out ENERGY STAR’s list of tips for efficient heating and cooling.
Sources:
- National Centers for Environmental Information. 2016. "National Overview – June 2016." NOAA. Accessed July 8.
- US Energy Information Administration. 2016. Electric Power Monthly with Data for May 2016.Washington, DC: US Department of Energy.
- US Energy Information Administration. 2016. "Electric Power Monthly: Table 5.3 Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers: Total by End-Use Sector, 2006 – May 2016 (Cents per Kilowatthour)." US Department of Energy. Accessed July 8.
- US Energy Information Administration. 2016. "Frequently Asked Questions: How is Electricity Used in US Homes?" US Department of Energy. Accessed July 8.