Joe’s Disco Weather Central Time Capsule

 

            Hi everybody and welcome! I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving holiday. I had to work the first part of the day but I was able to enjoy the afternoon and evening with the family. With Thanksgiving falling almost a week later then last year, there is a lot to do in a much shorter time then we usually have between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The holiday shopping season is also much shorter leaving retailers less time to sell their wares.

            This past week, I have started to see the first signs of Christmas lights and decorations around my neighborhood. The vibrant colors and spirit of the Holidays is here. Soon many of us will be shopping for either live Christmas trees or will be putting up artificial trees. A lot of us want something very simple and easy to put up. There are several options you have at your disposal. You can get a small fiber optic tree that is  in either one or two pieces and they are very easy to decorate. If you prefer a live tree, you can use a Norfolk Island pine as a Christmas tree. They are available at most retailers and come in several sizes. Some even come already decorated and ready to go.

            The Norfolk Island pine does require a well-lit area of your home if you are going to keep it indoors for an extended period of time. These trees have distinctly flat branches and short soft needles. These trees thrive in humid environments which makes them right at home in Florida. The soil conditions for this tree should be on the moist side. A sure sign the tree is not getting enough moisture is when you start to see a lot of dead lower branches. The Norfolk pine does not regenerate its lost limbs or needles so it is important to stay on a steady watering schedule. If the tree is over watered, you will begin to see areas of bright yellow needles that fall off easily. To avoid this condition, be sure the plant is not standing in water. If you purchase a tree with foil wrap on it, be sure to slit the foil so water can drain from the pot. It is not recommended that the trees be pruned as the plant can loose its symmetrical shape.

            Now, on to the Time capsule…

 

            Here are some National past weather events…

·        December 6, 1886 -- A great snowstorm hit the southern Appalachain Mountains. The three day storm produced 25 inches at Rome Ga. , 33 inches at Asheville N.C., and 42 inches in the mountains. Montgomery Ala. received a record eleven inches of snow. Columbia S.C. received one to two inches of sleet. (4th-6th)

·        December 7, 1740 -- In early December two weeks of mild and rainy weather culminated in the worst flood in fifty years in the Lower Connecticut River Valley. The Merrimack River swelled to its highest level, and in Maine the raging waters swept away mills, carried off bridges, and ruined highways.

·        December 7, 1935 -- Severe flooding hit parts of the Houston Texas area. Eight persons were killed as one hundred city blocks were inundated. Satsuma reported 16.49 inches of rain. The Buffalo and White Oak Bayous crested on the 9th.

·        December 7, 1987 -- Heavy rain fell across eastern Puerto Rico, with 19.41 inches reported at Las Piedras. Flooding caused five million dollars damage. Another in a series of storms hit the northwestern U.S., with wind gusts above 100 mph reported at Cape Blanco Ore.. While snow and gusty winds accompanied a cold front crossing the Rockies, strong westerly winds, gusting to 93 mph at Boulder Colo., helped temperatures in western Kansas reach the 60s for the sixth day in a row. Freezing drizzle in northeastern slowed traffic to 5 mph on some roads in Morrow County.

·        December 8, 1892 -- A tremendous ice fall occurred at Gay Hill Texas. Ice averaged four to six inches in diameter.

·        December 8, 1988 -- Santa Ana winds buffeted southern California, with gusts to 92 mph reported at Laguna Peak. The high winds unroofed buildings, and downed trees and power lines, igniting five major fires, and numerous smaller ones. Damage was estimated at 15 to 20 million dollars.

·        December 8, 1989 -- A winter storm spread snow and freezing rain across much of the Atlantic Coast Region, from Georgia to New Jersey. Snowfall totals ranged up to seven inches, at Stanton Va. and Tobacco Md.. Up to six inches of snow blanketed the mountains of northern Georgia. More than one hundred auto accidents were reported in Gwinnett County Ga.

·        December 9, 1786 -- A second great snowstorm in just five days brought another 15 inches of snow to Morristown N.J., on top of the eight inches which fell on the 7th and 8th, and the 18 inches which fell on the 4th and 5th. The total snowfall for the week was thus 41 inches. New Haven Conn. received 17 inches of new snow in the storm. Up to four four feet of snow covered the ground in eastern Massachusetts following the storms. (9th-10th)

·        December 10, 1946 -- The temperature at New York City soared to 70 degrees.

·        December 10, 1988 -- Squalls produced heavy snow in the Lower Great Lakes Region. Totals in northeastern Ohio ranged up to 14 inches at Harpersfield, and totals in western New York State ranged up to 14 inches at Sodus. In the snowbelt of Upper Michigan, the Ontonogon area reported two feet of snow in two days.

·        December 11, 1932 -- Very cold weather prevailed along the West Coast. San Francisco received 0.8 inch of snow, and at the airport the temperature dipped to 20 degrees. At Sacramento Calif., the mercury dipped to 17 degrees to establish an all-time record low for that location. Morning lows were below freezing from the 9th to the 15th at Sacramento, and the high on the 11th was just 34 degrees. The cold wave dealt severe damage to truck crops and orange groves in the Sacramento Valley.

·        December 11, 1988 -- Arctic cold invaded the central and eastern U.S. Sault Ste Marie Md. reported a record low of 14 degrees below zero, and International Falls Minn. was the cold spot in the nation with a low of 25 degrees below zero. Temperatures remained below zero all day over parts of eastern Upper Michigan and northern New England.

·        December 12, 1960 -- The first of three Middle Atlantic snowstorms produced a foot of snow at Baltimore Md.. A pre-winter blizzard struck the northeastern U.S. producing wind gusts as high as 51 mph, along with 16 inches of snow at Nantucket Mass, and 20 inches at Newark N.J.

·        December 12, 1969 -- The worst tornado of record for western Washington State tracked south of Seattle, traveling five miles, from Des Moines to Kent. The tornado, 50 to 200 yards in width, began as a waterspout over Puget Sound. One person was injured and the tornado caused half a million dollars damage.

·        December 12, 1989 -- A winter storm produced snow from northern Mississippi to the Middle Atlantic Coast with 10.5 inches reported at Powhatan Va. Heavy snow whitened the Black Hills of South Dakota, with 36 inches reported at Deer Mountain. Thirteen cities in the north central U.S., from Minnesota to Texas, reported record low temperatures for the date, including Duluth Minn. and Yankton S.D. with morning lows of 22 degrees below

Here are some local past weather events….

           

·        December 6, l969 -- early afternoon -- Franklin Co., Apalachicola -- Thunderstorm Winds up to 40 mph sank boats and damaged wharf.

·        December 7, 1992 -- Monroe Co., Key West -- A waterspout was sighted south of the Boca Chica Naval Air Station.

·        December 7, 1996  -- Hillsborough, Riverview --A short-lived but strong (F2) tornado touched down just east of I-75 near Riverview, tracking across the Cowley Cove Mobile Home Complex where it completely destroyed 3 mobile homes and damaged 6 others. One human fatality, a fifty year-old male, (and three dogs) occurred when the occupants unanchored mobile home was lifted up by tornadic winds and tossed nearly 100' from it's foundation into a neighbor's yard wher it disintegrated on impact. At least 5-parked cars were damaged by the tornado along with several sheds and outbuildings. Of note: a parked undrivable vehicle that was in the direct path of the tornado had most of it's contents sucked from the hatchback storage compartment, including a removed 100 lb transmission. Inspection of the vehicle found that the hatchback skin was buckled, bowed and pushed outward from the inside of the vehicle by the transmission casing that eventually smashed upward and out through the rear hatchback window.

·        December 8, l987 -- Dade Co., Miami -- Strong thunderstorm winds downed trees in a citrus grove.

·        December 9, l978 - - Bay Co., Mexico Beach -- A waterspout/tornado came ashore and damaged several mobile homes in the beach area.

·        December l0, l894 -- Holmes Co., Westville -- Tornado destroyed several homes, killing one person, and injuring several people seriously.

·        December 10, 1967 -- panhandle -- Tornado Outbreak. -- A tornado struck Ft. Walton Beach and Ocean City in Okaloosa Co. destroying thirty-five homes and nine businesses. A three-year-old girl was killed and about 40 persons were treated at local hospitals. Twenty-three businesses, and 290 homes were damaged to varying degrees. In Walton Co. a tornado destroyed l home and damaged several others. There was heavy damage to timber in the area. 0700 - A small tornado struck Washington Co. between Caryville and Bonifay and traveled northeast into Holmes Co. Two homes were destroyed. Other damage consisted mainly of uprooted trees, damaged farm buildings, and downed power lines. 0805 - A tornado touched down briefly in the Capehart Housing area at Tyndall AFB and again across the Bay in Parker and Callaway. One fatality occurred at Tyndall AFB, as did most of the severe damage. Thirty-four people were treated at the hospital. 39 homes at Tyndall were destroyed. Thirty suffered lesser damage.  -- In Calhoun Co., a tornado destroyed four farmhouses and several barns in the rural area between Blountstown and Altha.

·        December 11, l988 -- Pinellas Co., Treasure Island -- A tornado damaged the roofs of l5 homes with seven receiving major damage. In St. Petersburg high wind damaged the windows of two houses and flipped over a boat in a backyard.

·        December 12-13, -- statewide -- Severe Freeze with low temperatures of 20 degrees reported in Tallahassee, 16 at Gainesville, 22 at Orlando, 20 at Ocala and 21 at Avon Park.

·        December 12-13, 1957 - statewide - Severe Freeze with low temperatures of 20 degrees reported in Tallahassee, 16 at Gainesville, 24 at Orlando, 22 at Bartow and 24 at Avon Park.

·        December 12, l969 -- Bradford Co., Starke -- A 42 yr. old lineman was injured by lightning while working in a rainstorm.

That’s all for this weeks Time Capsule. I hope you enjoyed it. I love to hear from you! Please e-mail me your ideas and suggestions to JOESDISCOWEATHER@AOL.COM. As always, for the latest in severe weather updates and now winter weather updates from your hometown go to JOESDISCOWEATHERCENTRAL.COM! You can also join me for a free cup of coffee and a free copy of The Hometown News at the Stuart K Mart garden center every Saturday morning!