Saving Time = Saving Energy?

Fall back....Spring Forward...

It's ingrained in our consciousness almost as much as the A-B-Cs or our spelling reminder of "i before e." It is the changing of the clocks. Beginning in 2007, Daylight Saving Time was extended one month and begins for most of the United States at 2 a.m. on the First Sunday of November. The new start and stop dates were set in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

One of the biggest reasons we change our clocks to Daylight Saving Time (DST) is that it reportedly saves electricity.  In general, energy use and the demand for electricity for lighting our homes is directly connected to when we go to bed and when we get up.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) last until 2 a.m. on the Second Sunday in March.

Pollen Levels Increase with Dry Weather

Been sneezing lately? You are probably not sick; it is you allergies that are acting up. Specifically, weed and grass pollen is higher than it should be, for this time of year. Without rain, these levels will stay moderate, if not increase. The bad news is that there is no rain in sight.

When it comes to weed allergies, ragweed is the star. Its pollen is one of the most potent. Only a few ragweed pollen grains are needed to produce hay fever, which is bad news considering that one ragweed plant can produce one billion pollen grains in a season.

TYPE	RANGE	COUNT	UNIT
TREE POLLEN	LOW	10	Pollen/Cubic meter air
WEED POLLEN	MEDIUM	1,045	Pollen/Cubic meter air
GRASS POLLEN	MEDIUM	10	Pollen/Cubic meter air
MOLD SPORES	LOW	2,433	Mold Spores/Cubic meter air

Drought Conditions to Worsen

Headlines:

• Last measurable rainfall amount:September 29th: .040 inches
• Next chance of rain: October 29th
• Drought to become SEVERE
  
  

The First Coast will go a month without rain. This puts the area in a perilous situation. For the year, Jacksonville is nearly 15 inches below normal. The bad news is that we are entering our drier time of year. October only averages 5.11 inches of rain. The drought is measured by the Keetch Byram Drought Index. This index specifically measures the amount of moisture in the first couple of feet of the ground. Counties in red have limited moisture in the first couple of feet and, therefore, are experiencing severe drought conditions.

Conditions are likely to get worse over the next several weeks and months. For the rest of the month of October and into November, temperatures are supposed to remain at or slightly above average with below average precipitation. La Nina is to blame for the dry pattern. The only hope for precipitation might be a tropical cyclone towards the end of the month.

           Temperature Departure:                      Precipitation Departure:

Winter is likely to remain dry as the affects of La Nina continue to be felt across North America. The Ohio Valley is likely to be the benefactor of the current climate pattern. Warmth and dryness is likely to remain in place in parts of the Southeast and Florida. A pattern change from La Nina to El Nino is not likely until late 2011.

Otto, Paula, Q???

With both Otto and Paula gone we will be monitoring the Caribbean Sea for the next storm. One thing that is for sure is that it will not be named the "Q" storm; there has never been a storm beginning with the letter of Q. The letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z are not included because of the scarcity of names beginning with those letters, and the fact that some of the languages of the Atlantic Basin (French, English, & Spanish) do not include those letters. The next storm will be Richard.

2010 Remaining list of names:
Richard
Shary
Tomas
Virginie
Walter

Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists originated by the National Hurricane Center. They are now maintained and updated by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization. The original name lists featured only women's names. In 1979, men's names were introduced and they alternate with the women's names. Six lists are used in rotation. Thus, the 2010 list will be used again in 2016. The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity.

In the event that more than 21 named tropical cyclones occur in the Atlantic basin in a season, additional storms will take names from the Greek alphabet: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and so on. If a storm forms in the off-season, it will take the next name in the list based on the current calendar date. For example, if a tropical cyclone formed on December 28th, it would take the name from the previous season's list of names. If a storm formed in February, it would be named from the subsequent season's list of names.

Monitor Hurricane Paula's Movement

Monitor Hurricane Paula's Movement through the Eastern Gulf and Mexico and Florida Straits through the Cuban radar.

>Cuban Radar Link

Eating Well During a Storm

The power is out and even running water does not work. And you are hungry. Your local fast food joint suffers from the same conditions you are experiencing- no relief there. Your options are either to drive hundreds of miles, in life-threatening weather, to an open restaurant or simply eat something out of your own cupboard. Realistically, you only have one choice- to stay at home. The normal 5 day suggested hurricane survival kit does not have to be filled with ready-to-eat soups.Granted, soups are easy to make, but are filled with sodium, which increases a human's thirst.

Ideally, a human should eat from each of the six food groups. No doubt it is harder to do so under the severe circumstances, but it is possible.

• Rice, Pasta, Cereal, Bread Group: Bread and cereal are by far some of the easiest products to have stocked up in the pantry. Just remember the amount carbohydrates and sugar that come along with such products. Bread that contains wheat is more nutritious than average white bread. Cook rice and pastas ahead of time, before the power goes out, and store in air tight containers. These precooked products will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
  
• Fruit Group: Bananas, apples, grapes, oranges, etc. should all eaten before they rot. Many fruits can be found in cans such as pineapples, tangerines, and fruit salads. You just have to remember that you will be eating them at room temperature.
  
• Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Nuts Group: Canned beans and nuts are the best bet with this group. Canned tuna is always a good source of fish, just don't overdo it.
  
• Fats, Oils, Sweets Group: This is, by far, one of the easiest groups to accomplish while eating during a day. Fats, oils, and sugars are found literally every food. Do not worry about this group. 
  
• Milk, Yogurt, Cheese Group: You will have to improvise, if trying to complete this daily food group. Most vitamin C products, unfortunately, require refrigeration. Protein shakes are the best way to satisfy this group. There are now numerous brands on store shelves and surely one that satisfies your taste buds.
  
  
• Vegetable Group: Some vegetables, such as carrots and beans, maybe o.k. to eat after a limited time of non-refrigeration. Drinks like V8 satisfy the majority of required vegetables during the day. Your best bet with this category is to resort to cans.
  
  

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