Pam Knox

  • On Friday NOAA announced that they will be switching to the 1991-2020 averages for the Atlantic tropical season. Previously, NOAA’s period-of-record was 1981-2010, for which the average number of named storms is 12, the average number of hurricanes is six, and the average of major hurricanes — packing winds of at least 111 miles per…

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  • The latest 7-day QPF map shows that with the main action of this weekend’s storm past most of the region, the rain will be focused on the Florida peninsula, leaving other parts fairly dry with less than 0.5 inches expected in most locations. Florida can use the rain due to increasing drought conditions, especially in…

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  • NOAA released their early April outlook for ENSO earlier this week. It shows that La Nina is barely hanging on and is expected to transition to neutral conditions over the next few months. What does this transition mean for the upcoming few months? While spring can be tough for predicting what will happen with ENSO…

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  • With the devastation to many Southeastern forests and woodlots from recent hurricanes, growers need to know how to prepare for the next storm. The UF/IFAS Extension is providing a series of three webinars on building a resilient system, preparing for the storm, and recovering from the storm that can help landowners get ready for the…

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  • With the new administration’s desire to increase research on climate change and its recognition that agriculture is a key player in how the US responds to changes in climate linked to global warming, it is not surprising that there has been a lot more in the news lately about agriculture and climate. Here are some…

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  • Today the hurricane forecasting group at Colorado State University released their first forecast of the 2021 Atlantic season. They are predicting another above-average year, with 17 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes expected. This is based on the waning La Nina and the expected neutral conditions this summer along with other climatological factors…

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  • First pictures of clouds on Mars

    I love clouds, and so was very excited to see this in the news today. The Mars rover, Curiosity, has taken its first pictures of Martian clouds! They look a lot like cirrus clouds on earth, but it is not clear if they have the same chemical composition that earth clouds do. You can read…

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