Northwest Florida

[Alex]

A place to talk about weather here in Northwest Florida.

==

Last night we had a squall line come through with a good 30 minutes of moderate to heavy rain. Even heard one rumble of thunder. Temperatures were the warmest they've been in a week and half too, with a high of 73 and 0.40 inches of rain.

I watched the radar as the line progressed east, noting that it disintegrated once passing through the Gulf and Calhoun County areas. Unfortunately it looks like no rain for Central Florida from this latest frontal passage.

Much cooler today with only 51 degrees at the moment. Forecast calls for mid 60s, but I doubt that is going to occur.

[ocala]

What city are in up there?

[Alex]

I'd say any from Tallahassee westward. The official Florida map puts Tallahassee in North Central Florida, but who really breaks down the state into that many quadrants? Otherwise you're talking about Crestview, Defuniak Springs, Panama City, Chipley, Pensacola, Ft. Walton Beach, Milton, Freeport, Quincy, etc. etc.

[virgo10]

I'd say any from Tallahassee westward. The official Florida map puts Tallahassee in North Central Florida, but who really breaks down the state into that many quadrants? Otherwise you're talking about Crestview, Defuniak Springs, Panama City, Chipley, Pensacola, Ft. Walton Beach, Milton, Freeport, Quincy, etc. etc.

I grew up in Quincy. The one in Massachusetts.

[Alex]

I grew up in Quincy. The one in Massachusetts.

Haha, I've thought of the one in Mass (I have a good family friend there), but you pronounce it differently up there! Quin-zee

[Alex]

Last night we were at 70 degrees (Hurlburt Field) while Tampa was at 54! Also the highs in the area of 77 and 78 matched Miami and Key West for highest in the state. Gotta love that southwesterly flow!

[ROLLTIDE]

you are under a slight risk now with 5% chance of twisters

[Alex]

Nothing tornadic, severe, or even thundery with the latest frontal system passage. Lots of rain, mainly the "steady soaking" kind. 1.32 inches of rain total from the system. Now its cloudy with temperatures on the decrease.

[Alex]

Statement as of 1:40 AM CST on December 10, 2008

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
Tornado Watch for portions of

a large part of Alabama
far western Florida Panhandle
parts of northwest Georgia
parts of southeast Mississippi
coastal waters

Effective this Wednesday morning from 140 am until 800 am CST.

Tornadoes... hail to 1.5 inches in diameter... thunderstorm wind
gusts to 70 mph... and dangerous lightning are possible in these
areas.

The Tornado Watch area is approximately along and 70 statute
miles east and west of a line from 20 miles south of Gulfport
Mississippi to 20 miles north northeast of Rome Georgia. For a
complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
update (wous64 kwns wou8).

Other watch information... this Tornado Watch replaces Tornado
Watch number 947. Watch number 947 will not be in effect after
140 am CST.

Discussion... strong shear and sufficient instability continues to
support supercells along and ahead of line of thunderstorms from nrn
al sswwd to sern MS. Potential will continue for tornadoes with any
supercell that develop both with and ahead of slow ewd moving squall
line.

Aviation... tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface
wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to
500. Mean storm motion vector 23040.

[ROLLTIDE]

bust !!!

[Alex]

The weak part of the line is over the coastal areas. Have only noted a couple of rumbles and one bright flash of lightning at the onset of the squall line...

===
Statement as of 8:49 AM CST on December 10, 2008

The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
northwestern Okaloosa County in northwest Florida...
northern Santa Rosa County in northwest Florida...
southwestern Covington County in south central Alabama...

* until 930 am CST

* at 844 am CST... the National Weather Service indicated a line of
severe thunderstorms capable of producing penny size hail... and
damaging winds over 60 mph. These storms were along a line
extending from Good Hope to Milton near Whiting Field... or along a
line extending from 16 miles north of Crestview to 20 miles north
of Navarre... moving east at 15 mph.

* Severe thunderstorms will be near...
Wing... Falco and Good Hope by 855 am CST...
Harold and Escambia Farms by 900 am CST...
Blackman by 910 am CST...
Cannon Town by 915 am CST...
Peaden by 925 am CST...
Galliver and Baker by 930 am CST...

In addition to large hail and damaging winds... continuous cloud to
ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors
immediately! Lightning is one of natures number one killers.
Remember... if you can hear thunder... you are close enough to be
struck by lightning.

Doppler radar has indicated some weak rotation within this storm.
While not immediately likely... a tornado may still develop. If a
tornado is spotted... act quickly and move to a place of safety on the
lowest floor of a sturdy building... preferably in an interior hallway
or a room such as a closet or bathroom.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 200 PM CST Wednesday
afternoon for southwestern Alabama and northwest Florida.

Lat... Lon 3105 8637 3061 8681 3066 8716 3100 8675
3100 8670 3104 8670 3110 8664
time... Mot... loc 1449z 254deg 18kt 3098 8665 3069 8697

[Alex]

Getting heavy downpours for sure now. Ponding all over the place. Storm so far has given us a good ten or so bright flashes of lightning and decent rumbles of thunder.

==
Statement as of 9:40 AM CST on December 10, 2008

The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
Escambia County in northwest Florida...
this includes the city of Pensacola...
Okaloosa County in northwest Florida...
this includes the cities of... Fort Walton Beach... Destin...
Crestview...
Santa Rosa County in northwest Florida...
this includes the city of Navarre...
southeastern Conecuh County in south central Alabama...
Covington County in south central Alabama...
this includes the city of Andalusia...
eastern Escambia County in south central Alabama...
this includes the city of Brewton...
southeastern Baldwin County in southwest Alabama...

* until 1230 PM CST

* at 926 am CST... National Weather Service Doppler radar continues
to indicate heavy rain from training thunderstorms over the warned
area.

Reports of flooding from the public continue over the warned area.

* Locations in the warning include but are not limited to
Pensacola... Bagdad... Harold... Baker... Red Oak and Opp.

Additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches are possible in the
warned area mainly along a line from Gulf Breeze to Allentown to
Opp.

A Flash Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring.
If you are in the warning area move to higher ground immediately.
Residents living along streams and creeks should take immediate
precautions to protect life and property. Do not attempt to cross
swiftly flowing waters or waters of unknown depth by foot or by
automobile.

Lat... Lon 3023 8783 3027 8782 3029 8776 3033 8780
3067 8771 3149 8683 3145 8619 3100 8620
3098 8638 3049 8640 3046 8643 3049 8645
3042 8657 3043 8647 3042 8647 3040 8650
3040 8674

[ocala]

Damn nice line going through now. Looks impressive.

[Alex]

A few clips of this mornings thunderstorms:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASnztOSmHZg

1.43 inches of rain recorded at Hurlburt Field thus far today. Another batch of rain is currently west of Mobile.

[Alex]

More lightning just now and a brief bout of rain. Storms are forming in the Gulf and moving northward. A second batch of rain remains in Louisiana and Mississippi, so it appears we'll have more action later on tonight.

[Alex]

With the warmth this week, has been lots of morning fog that sometimes persists almost til lunchtime. Additionally the forecast of low to mid 70s all week has not panned out but one of the previous 3 days, the only day where the sun shone. Dense Fog Advisorys are common up here during the winter, but usually the fog is outta here by mid-morning.





Statement as of 6:04 AM CST on December 18, 2008

... Dense fog advisory remains in effect until noon CST today...

A persistent southerly wind flow off the Gulf had produced
widespread dense fog over southeast Mississippi... southwest Alabama
and the western Florida Panhandle. The dense fog will continue
through noon... with visibilities restricted to less than one quarter
of a mile over much of the region.

A dense fog advisory means visibilities will frequently be
reduced to less than one quarter mile. If driving... slow down...
use your headlights... and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.

[Alex]

Majorly soupy today with persistent fog throughout the morning. While heading east, some peaks of sun shone near Destin, but it was overall foggy until reaching Seaside. East of there, bright blue skies!



By 4pm, we got back into the Niceville area and the fog was in full force, and consistent through to Cinco Bayou. Tomorrow and Saturday looks to continue the dreary weather...

[Alex]

Fortunately this mornings fog burned off more quickly than the stagnant deck from yesterday. The sun is out, but now mid-level clouds are filling the sky.

Some views from earlier:


Interstate 10 over the Blackwater River


Interstate 10 over the Escambia Bay

[Alex]

Despite a tornado watch being issued about 30 minutes before the front passed through, our narrow line produced just a few wind gusts at the onset, and a brief period of heavy rain. No thunder, no lightning, an overall disappointment for a frontal passage that is knocking us down 15 degrees. Only 0.18 inches of rain reported.

FWIW the storms that passed through last week were a bit better, a few flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder. About a good 30 minutes of moderate rain.

Grass around here is showing color already too...

[Alex]

Cold weather is well entrenched over the upper Gulf Coast. Some of the coldest weather is forecast for tomorrow night, with lows dipping to around 19 expected.



Statement as of 12:10 PM CST on January 15, 2009

... Hard freeze warning in effect from 11 PM Friday to 9 am CST
Saturday...

The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a hard freeze
warning... which is in effect from 11 PM Friday to 9 am CST
Saturday. The hard freeze watch is no longer in effect.

By Friday night... the center of an Arctic high pressure system will
settle south to the Gulf Coast. This will result in lighter
winds... but much colder temperatures over the inland areas. In
fact... communities along and just south of Interstate 10 such as
Grand Bay... Theodore... Loxley... Robertsdale... Belforest... and areas
just north of Niceville may see temperatures drop into the upper
teens by early Saturday morning. Along the coast... lighter winds in
cold weather patterns usually result in conditions being a little
warmer along the immediate coast... and forecasters are expecting
overnight lows on the barrier island and beaches to be a little
warmer... dropping into the middle and upper 20s early Saturday
morning.