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  NEWSLETTER
JUNE 2011  

CONTENTS 


May Climate Summary for Florida  

 

Find Us on Facebook  

 

State Climatologist Briefs Commissioner of Agriculture  

 

Environmental Minute  

 

In the Press 

   

Upcoming Events 

 

 Example Data Request 

 

About Us 

   

 

LINKS


 Our Website 

 

Join Our Mailing List 

  

Find us on Facebook 


AFFILIATES

 

Florida Climate Institute

  

Southeast Climate Consortium

 

AgroClimate

 

Southeast Regional Climate Center

  

National Climatic Data Center

 

Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies

 

Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network 

 


Dear Florida Climate Center Friends,
We'd like to present you with the June 2011 edition of our newsletter. In this newsletter, you'll find our monthly climate summary, special events that our staff will be at and attended, and an example of a data request made to the office. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]

 

Thanks,

The Staff of the Florida Climate Center

Zierden PhotoO'Brien PhotoGriffin PhotoLeftwich Photo
David Zierden
State Climatologist
James O'Brien
Professor Emeritus
Melissa Griffin
Asst. State Climatologist
Preston Leftwich
Research Assistant
ClimateSummaryMay Climate Summary for Florida

The Florida Climate Center's May 2011 Florida Climate Summary is now available.  The summary provides an analysis of temperature and precipitation trends across the state, along with data on hazardous weather, drought, the impacts of the weather and any records tied or broken for the month. During April, average temperatures were well above normal while rainfall totals were below normal in most areas. Past summaries are archived here.

 

May average temperatures and departures from normal (� F) for selected cities.
Temperature Table 
May precipitation totals and departures from normal (inches) for selected cities.
Precipitation Table 
A graphical depiction of the monthly rainfall departure from normal (inches) for May (courtesy of NOAA, NWS).
Rainfall graphic 

Article01Find Us on Facebook!  

You can now 'like' the Florida Climate Center on Facebook! By joining our Facebook page, the latest Florida Climate Center news items will automatically show up in your "news feed" when you first login to Facebook. To join, click the link below, then click the "like" button on our Facebook page.

 

Find us on Facebook   

Article03State Climatologist Briefs Commissioner of Agriculture

On May 17, State Climatologist David Zierden, along with members of the Southeast Climate Consortium (SECC) and the Florida Climate Institute (FCI), met with the new Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam H. Putnam.  The group briefed the Commissioner on the activities of these multi-disciplinary institutes and how they can assist the state in managing risks related to climate change and variability in Florida.

Article02Environmental Minute   

88.9 FM logo

Last month, WFSU started running a new radio program called "Environmental Minute." The program is sponsored by The Florida Climate Institute, The Florida State University College of Arts and Sciences, and the FSU Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science. During each "minute," an expert from FSU answers a question relating to environmental issues. The segment airs on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:04am on 88.9 WFSU-FM. You can listen online at http://www.wfsu.org/environmental/ and on the Environmental Minute Facebook page.  

Article04In the Press  

 

5/24/11: Rainy season unlikely to return anytime soon (Daytona Beach News-Journal; with COAPS scientist David Zierden)  

 

5/24/11: Fla. building codes key in limiting tornado damage (Ocala Star-Banner; with COAPS scientist James O'Brien)

 

5/26/11: Florida's climate is a deterrent to killer tornadoes, but state ranks third in the number of storms (Palm Beach Post; with COAPS scientist James O'Brien)

 

6/1/11: Florida State keeps an eye on hurricane season (FSU Headlines Radio; with COAPS scientist Tim LaRow)

 

6/5/11: Recipe for a perfect storm: La Ni�a - just what is it? (Citrus County Chronicle; with COAPS scientist James O'Brien)

EventsUpcoming Events

 

June 23-26, 2011: AESS's 2011 Annual Meeting and Conference: Confronting Complexity (Burlington, VT)

 

July 18-20, 2011: AMS 19th Annual Conference on Applied Climatology and AMS Conference on Climate Adaptation (Asheville, NC)

 

July 20-22, 2011: 36th Annual Meeting of the American Association of State Climatologists (Asheville, NC)

ServiceExampleExample Data Request 

Each month, we highlight here recent examples of some of the many public services provided by the Florida Climate Center:

Home for sale sign

Each year, numerous people decide to look at the option of making Florida their new home. While things like schools, taxes, and jobs are factors taken into consideration, occasionally a home buyer also wonders about what type of weather they might encounter making such a move.  In May, three separate private citizens who were looking to buy property in the state contacted the Florida Climate Center for historical climate information:

 

One person was interested in learning more about relative humidity and how it affects the summertime temperatures.  The Florida Climate Center was able to provide information about typical humidity values during the summer months, how heat indices are dependent on humidity and air temperature, and how heat affects the body. 

 

Another person was interested in learning about the potential severe weather impacts of moving into the Tampa Bay area. Information on hurricanes, tornadoes/waterspouts, and severe thunderstorms were provided to the citizen.

 

The last prospective homeowner was interested in learning about monthly temperatures and precipitation for the two areas he in which was looking to purchase a house: Ocala and West Palm Beach.  By providing the long-term averages of monthly temperatures and precipitation, along with some data on temperature and precipitation extremes, the Florida Climate Center was able to help the citizen make a more informed decision.

AboutUsAbout Us 

The Florida Climate Center is part of a three-tiered system of national, regional, and state climate offices, including NOAA's National Climatic Data Center and the Southeast Regional Climate Center. The Florida State Climatologist and other staff at the Florida Climate Center provide the following information and services to the people of Florida:

 

� Climate Data:

Historical weather observations for weather stations throughout the state of Florida. We are able to provide data for most stations from 1948-present.

 

� Climate Information:

Long-term historical averages for various stations, climate divisions, and the entire state.

 

� Extreme Event Records:

Information and analyses on extreme events such as freezes, droughts, floods and hurricanes.

 

� Special Analysis:

With their vast knowledge of El Ni�o, La Ni�a and climate variability, the State Climatologist and staff can offer expert insight into Florida's climate trends.

 

� Outreach:

Activities, presentations, and workshops that inform and educate the people of Florida about current and emerging climate issues. We also coordinate volunteers for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS).

 

More About Us 

http://coaps.fsu.edu/climate_center

[email protected]      (850) 644-3417