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| Spring 2007 | Issue #6 |
In
this issue...  Know the Danger
of Rip Currents by Andrew Shashy
Tornado
Q&A
by Melissa Hurlbut
NOAA
Weather Radio
Information by Scott Carroll |
Features...
Welcome
Back by
Scott Carroll December
'06-February '07 Weather Climate
Corner by Angie Enyedi
& Jason Hess What's
New on the Website? by
Scott Carroll |
| Welcome
Back by Scott Carroll Senior Forecaster/Webmaster Welcome
back to our newsletter! It's been a while since an up-to-date version
of Seabreeze has been available. There have been many changes at your
local National Weather Service Office, and we hope to keep you informed
of these changes with seasonal updates of Seabreeze.
Contact Information Website/Webletter ... scott.carroll@noaa.gov NOAA Weather Radio ... michael.mcallister@noaa.gov Warnings/Outreach ... al.sandrik@noaa.gov Climate ... angela.enyedi@noaa.gov Other Comments ... steve.letro@noaa.gov Tornado Q&A by Melissa Hurlbut Forecaster In
the past few months, many of us have been affected by the recent severe
weather outbreaks, particularly south and west of our County Warning
Area (CWA). Our condolences go out to the individuals and
families who have lost a loved one, were injured, or had their homes
destroyed in the recent storms. The following is a small
list of frequently asked questions. Many of these can be
found on the
Storm Prediction Center’s website at http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/.
Q: What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning? A: A tornado watch mean that conditions are favorable for tornado formation. A watch is usually issued a few hours before there is much thunderstorm development, and can even be issued while there are still clear skies over you. A tornado warning means that a tornado has either been spotted, or a National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist has concluded that environmental and radar data indicates that a tornado is probable. When a tornado warning is issued for your area, you need to get to a safe location immediately. Q: What is a safe location to be during a tornado or a severe thunderstorm? A: Often the deadliest parts of the storm are lightning and the debris blown by strong winds. The safest place to be is in an interior room of a building away from windows on the lowest floor possible. Crouch down to make yourself as small of a target as possible, and cover your head. Cars and mobile homes are not safe places to be during a tornado because they are easily tossed around and destroyed. Underpasses are unsafe as well. If you are caught in a car or a mobile home, try to get to a sturdy shelter as quickly as possible. If driving away from the tornado or finding shelter are not possible, the last option is to abandon the car or mobile home and find a low-lying area as far away from traffic as possible. At this point, you need to lie as low to the ground as you can to avoid being struck by flying debris. Q: Where can I receive official watches and warnings? A: The best way to receive NWS watches and warnings is through NOAA Weather Radio, which is a small device that can be purchased at most electronics stores. To view frequently asked questions pertaining to NOAA Weather Radio, please visit http://www.weather.gov/nwr/faq.htm or visit the NWS Jacksonville NOAA Weather Radio page at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/noaaradio.shtml. Local watches and warnings can also be obtained online at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/severe.shtml, or on many area television and radio stations. Q: Do tornadoes occur often in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida? A: Records from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) from 1950 through 2006 indicate that our CWA averages approximately 10 tornadoes per year. Our most devastating event was during the “Storm of the Century” on March 12, 1993, in which severe weather including deadly tornadoes caused 25 fatalities and $1.6 billion dollars worth of damage in northeast Florida. We have had 5 tornadoes rated as F3 (“severe”) or higher, meaning winds greater than 158 mph. From 1950 through 2006, there have been a total of 31 deaths and 260 injuries in our CWA, and a total of over $1.7 billion dollars damage from tornadoes alone. If you are curious about tornadoes, we encourage you to explore the following websites: http://www.spc.noaa.gov http://www.tornadoproject.com http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/sd/ Climate Corner by Angie Enyedi Forecaster/Climate Focal Point & Jason Hess Senior Forecaster Record Low Temperatures in the Easter Basket A strong blast of Canadian air brought record-breaking low temperatures to the Jacksonville forecast area on Easter morning, April 8, 2007. At the Jacksonville International Airport, not only was the record low shattered, but we also experienced the latest freeze event on record since 1851. In Alma, the record low for the date was broken, the latest freeze on record occurred, and the record low for the month was also set.
Climate Outlook April through June The official outlook through the end of the spring calls for a greater likelihood of temperatures being above normal and a greater likelihood of below normal rainfall. At the end of March, the Jacksonville forecast area needed 6 to 9 inches of rainfall to recover from long-term drought conditions. As of April 11, 2007, our area was 4 to 8 inches below normal precipitation for the year. There is concern that prolonged drought conditions and above normal temperatures will create an above normal fire danger through the remainder of the spring. NOAA Weather Radio Information by Scott Carroll Senior Forecaster/Webmaster The National Weather Service in Jacksonville is responsible for the programming on 9 NOAA Weather Radio transmitters in northeast Florida and southeast Georgia. The following is a list of these transmitters:
For more information about the Jacksonville NOAA Weather Radio program, visit our weather radio page at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/noaaradio.shtml. Nationwide information about the NOAA Weather Radio program can be found at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/.
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December
'06 - February '07 Weather compiled by Pete Keegan Hydro-Meteorological Technicians, Bob Kerns Hydro-Meteorological Technician, Melissa Hurlbut Forecaster, & Mike McAllister Observation Program Leader
Know the Danger of Rip Currents by Andrew Shashy Senior Forecaster/Marine Focal Point Rip currents are channels of water flowing away from the beach that are unfortunately responsible for drowning at least 100 people nationwide each year based on statistics from the United State Lifeguard Association (USLA). These currents can occur on any beach and are typically between 20 and 100 feet wide with speeds of up to 5 mph, which are faster than what an Olympic swimmer can swim. The currents usually extend beyond the breaking zone of waves and can be spotted by a difference in water color, a break in the incoming wave pattern, or a channel of churning, choppy water. See photo below.  In general, the larger the incoming wave, the stronger and higher frequency of rip current activity. How one responds if caught in a rip current can make the difference between life and death. Some of the safety precautions swimmers should know at the beach:
 Each year, the NWS, USLA, and the NOAA Sea Grant have a week-long awareness campaign about rip currents. This year, it will be from June 3-9, 2007. The NWS in Jacksonville, like several other coastal NWS offices, also issues surf zone forecasts that give an outlook about the rip current risk. The three-tiered rip current risk qualifiers are as follows: Low Risk: Wind and/or wave conditions are not expected to support the development of rip currents. However, rip currents can sometimes occur, especially in the vicinity of piers, jetties, and structures in the surf zone. Moderate Risk: Wind and/or wave conditions support stronger or more frequent rip currents. Only experienced surf swimmers should enter the water. High Risk: Wind and/or wave conditions support dangerous rip currents. Rip currents are life-threatening to anyone entering the surf. Additional information about rip currents and the NWS Jacksonville surf zone forecast can be found at the following internet links: http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/index.shtml http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/text.php?sid=JAX&pil=SRF What's New on the Website? by Scott Carroll Senior Forecaster/Webmaster There have been several new additions to the webpage during the past few months. Among these additions...
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