Florida Cold

[Thomas F. Giella]

Hi Dan,

As you know the mid and high cloudiness in association with the STJ saved 
the inland rural central and south central from a freeze. The coldest 
minimum temperature that I could find in the state was 28 degrees at 
Brooksville FAWN. At my station in nearby Nobleton I had 29 degrees.

Here in the Lakeland Highlands the wind blew lightly all night and my 
minimum temperature was only 40 degrees. Interestingly I put out a second 
temperature sensor at 5 feet above ground in the open five acre field to the 
west of my property. The sensor is approximately twenty feet to the west of 
and one foot lower in elevation than my main Davis VP2 weather station. The 
minimum temperature at sensor #2 registered a minimum temperature of 36 
degrees with heavy frost.

The big difference between the two sensors is that sensor #1 is close to but 
not under some oak trees.

Readings from nearby stations at lower elevations include 31 degrees at 
CW6582 NW Lakeland, 32 degrees at CW3842 Homeland, 33 degrees at WC4PEM-9
Polk City and 38 degrees at KQ4KX south Lakeland.

I see that you had 32 degrees in Valrico.

I just looked at the latest run of the GFS model and it predicts a 
significant rainfall event for the central peninsula on Sunday evening. It 
then forecasts the 850 mb temperature to be -2 deg. C on Tuesday December 
2nd. It also forecasts lingering moisture across the central peninsula and 
eastern GOM at the surface to 850 mb, with the 1000-500 m 540 dcm rain-snow 
line thickness at 0600 UTC on the 2nd.

If all were to verify which I give less than a 50-50 chance we could see 
some interesting weather next week besides a significant cold spell. BTW 
snow flurries did fall around Orlando on November 21-22, 2006.

Take Care,
Thomas F. Giella, KN4LF
Lakeland, FL, USA
kn4lf1 at arrl.net

CWOP #AR692/KN4LF
CoCoRaHs #FL-PK-18

Lakeland, FL Daily Climatological Weather Data Archive: 
http://www.kn4lf.com/kn4lf22.htm
Harmful Man Induced Climate Change (Global Warming) Refuted: 
http://www.kn4lf.com/globalwarminglie.htm