Buresh Blog: NOAA spring forecast...Oak pollen!...Retired hurricane names...UNF & the solar eclipse

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Spring is in the air & NOAA has issued their outlook into June. For Jacksonville/NE Fl./SE Ga. avg. high temps. warm from the mid 70s now to the mid 80s by mid May to 90+ by mid June. April & May can be dry & is considered the peak of the wildfire season. June usually begins the so-called wet season. One note of caution: Our equatorial Pacific is transitioning from an El Nino (warmer water) to a possible La Nina (cool water). Such a transition sometimes results in a drier late spring/early summer for Jacksonville.

Oak pollen continues to explode! Dr. Seymour with Edward Waters University reports the oak pollen by March 19th was at its highest level in the 4 years he’s been collecting data. First Alert meteorologist Corey Simma talked with Dr. Seymour about the process of counting pollen along with Dr. Radabaugh, science specialist:

Each March, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) convenes & takes a look back at the past hurricane season deciding on whether or not any names will be ‘retired’ which is usually based on the historic significance (infamy) of individual storms. For the first time since 2014, *no* Atlantic hurricane names will be retired from the 2023 list so each name will come around again in 6 years or in 2029. On the Pacific side... “Dora” will be retired which - to some extent - helped fan devastating wildfires in Hawaii (”Dora” is also retired from the Atlantic list - 1964 & the last direct hurricane hit for Jacksonville)... & “Otis” has been retired which was a mighty Cat. 5 hit on Acapulco.

The WMO decided - beginning in 2021 - that the Greek alphabet will be no longer used & instead there will be a supplemental list of names if the first list is exhausted (has only happened three times - 2005, 2020 & 2021). The naming of tropical cyclones began on a consistent basis in 1953. More on the history of naming tropical cyclones * here *.

The countdown continues to the “Great North American Eclipse”!

I did another (3rd) story with UNF students & their professor working diligently to launch a high altitude balloon during totality in Arkansas. Below the story is a very cool/informative link to an interactive map we’ve posted on our Action News Jax eclipse page that allows you to see info. on the eclipse from across the U.S. ...cloud climatology for each location on April 8th ... and current conditions.

Go * here * to access the map below (just toggle down the page):