Buresh Blog: Severe Weather Awareness Week... Disaster Defense Alliance... Avg. Date of Last Freeze

Jacksonville, FL — Feb. 7-11 is “Severe Weather Awareness Week”. Always good to be prepared! Info. * here *.

* Lightning

* Marine Hazards & Rip Currents

* Tornadoes

* Thunderstorms

* Hurricanes

* Wildfires

* Floods

SkyWarn spotter virtual programs/meetings/classes hosted by our Jax N.W.S.:

In the spirit of severe weather awareness, a group of meteorologists has developed an online organization designed to “help the public to become more disaster prepared & resilient.” From the founders:

We are pleased to announce the launch of a unique public-education initiative that may be of substantial value to your viewers. The Disaster Defense Alliance (DDA) is a new national nonprofit organization with a two-prong mission: first, provide a community for the public to join and learn how to be better prepared for, and resilient against, more frequent and severe natural disasters; second, support other disaster-related nonprofit organizations across the country.

The gem of the Alliance is the new Neighborhood Storm Watch program, allowing neighbors to help each other when weather and water hazards threaten. This can be an opportunity to share your useful resources (Apps, educational programs) with participating neighborhoods in your viewing area. It may be a great program for attracting new viewers.

Learn more about “Disaster Defense Alliance” * here * & specific programs * here *.

Though Dec. & early Jan. were warm with no local freezes, the winter weather pattern changed dramatically over the last 4 weeks or so including one of the coldest nights in the local area in about 8 years. The result has been brown grass & withering plants. The table below helps explain dormant vs. dead St. Augustine grass followed by the average date of the last freeze of the season. Realize the “avg. last date” means a freeze occurs 50% of the time before the date... 50% of the time after the date. In Duval Co., I always recommend waiting ‘til at least March 1 before doing any “serious” landscaping, planting &/or gardening... & ideally until St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th - especially inland.

Night skies into early March from “Sky & Telescope”:

Feb. 9 (evening): The Moon poses prettily between Aldebaran and the Pleiades in Taurus.

Feb. 13 (evening): The waxing gibbous Moon lines up with Castor and Pollux, the “twin” stars of Gemini.

Feb. 14 (evening): Sinking ever lower in the western twilight, Jupiter sets just 1 hour after the Sun.

Feb. 16 (dusk): The full Moon and Regulus, about 5° apart, rise in tandem in Leo.

Feb. 18-28 (evening): Find a dark viewing spot away from city lights, face west after sunset, and look for the soft glow of the zodiacal light, a faint, hazy pyramid of light stretching up through Taurus into Gemini and beyond.

Feb. 20 (night): The waning gibbous Moon, in Virgo, trails Spica by about 5½°.

Feb. 24 (morning): Early risers will see the just-past-last-quarter Moon some 3° left of the Scorpion’s heart, Antares. The duo climb higher in brightening twilight.

Feb. 27 (dawn): The waning crescent Moon, ruddy Mars, and brilliant Venus grace the southeastern horizon. Catch this sight before day breaks.

Mar. 2 (dawn): A quartet of planets graces the southeastern horizon. Venus and Mars are separated by less than 5° and guard the tighter duo of Mercury and Saturn, less than 1° apart.

Mar. 13: Daylight-Saving Time starts at 2 a.m. for most of the U.S. and Canada.

Moon Phases

New Moon, February 1, 12:46 a.m. EST

First Quarter, February 8, 8:50 a.m. EST

Full Moon, February 16, 11:56 a.m. EST

(Full Snow Moon)

Last Quarter, February 23, 5:32 p.m. EST

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