Buresh Blog: Fall color!; White Christmas; U.S. snow records; Cloud charts; “Water Less”; Dec. skies

We are enjoying some fine fall foliage - by NE Fl./SE Ga. standards - this year. Pretty colorful & long-lasting with just right weather conditions. The first pic below is from Greg Chapman, Green Cove Springs.

Dreaming of a white Christmas? Of course, there’s only been one white Christmas of record for Jacksonville - 30 years ago in 1989 (Dec. 23-24).

The NOAA U.S. map below shows where you have better odds:

Speaking of snow.... check out the interesting map below showing the 24-hour snowfall records for each U.S. state. Florida’s record of 4″ was in the Panhandle - Milton in early March (6th), 1954.....

Looking for the perfect gift for the “weather nerd” in your family? Try the link * here * - a cloud chart!

The St. Johns Water Management District would like you to conserve water this winter when lawns & landscaping generally need less water - more * here *.

And... finally.... our Dec. & early Jan. skies courtesy Sky & Telescope Magazine:

Dec. 10–11 (dusk): Venus and Saturn are less than 2° apart not far above the southwestern horizon.

Dec. 14 (evening): The Geminid meteor shower peaks. However, light from the waning gibbous Moon will interfere. Expect up to one meteor every few minutes from a dark site in the hours after midnight.

Dec. 17 (morning): The Moon, one day shy of last quarter, is 3° to 4° from Regulus, the brightest star in Leo.

Dec. 21: The solstice occurs at 11:19 p.m. EST (8:19 p.m. PST). Winter begins in the Northern Hemisphere.

Dec. 26: A close-to-apogee Moon passes directly in front of the Sun giving rise to an annular eclipse visible from parts of the Middle East, India, and Indonesia. None of this event is visible from North America.

Dec. 28 (evening): A thin crescent Moon is spectacularly close to Venus, about 2° below the planet’s brilliant beacon.

Jan. 3 (all night): The short-lived Quadrantid meteor shower peaks for North America around 3 a.m. EST. The first-quarter Moon sets by 1:30 a.m. local time, so the best viewing opportunities that start about 2 a.m.

Jan. 5: Earth passes through perihelion, its closest point to the Sun for the year (just 3% closer than at aphelion in July).

Jan. 7 (dusk): The waxing gibbous Moon is between the horns of Taurus, the Bull, only 3° to the left of Aldebaran.

Jan. 10: A penumbral lunar eclipse is visible across most of Europe, Africa, and Asia; not visible in North America.

Moon Phases

First Quarter: December 4, 1:58 a.m. EST

Full Moon: December 12, 12:12 a.m. EST (Full Cold Moon)

Last Quarter: December 18, 11:57 p.m. EST

New Moon: December 26, 12:13 a.m. EST (annular solar eclipse visible from Eastern Hemisphere)

© 2019 Cox Media Group