May 2007 Archive
County: Baker
City: Macclenny
State: Florida
Station Name: Baker County 2
Station # :BC02
Lat:30.247N Long:82.120W
Temperature:
Average monthly: 66.8 Departure from normal: -1.4
Average maximum: 80.8 Highest: 93.3 (34.1) on 4/8
Average minimum: 52.9 Lowest: 32.4 (0.2) on 4/14
Records:
None
Number of days with:
Maximum of 105 or above: 0
Maximum of 90 or above: 5
Maximum of 65 or below: 0
Maximum of 32 or below: 0
Minimum of 50 or below: 2
Minimum of 32 or below: 0
Minimum of 0 or below: 0
Precipitation (liquid or melted):
Monthly total: 1.57" Monthly norm: 3.49"
Departure from normal: -1.92
Year to Date: 10.41" (72%) (Norm Year to date: (18.08") Departure from normal: -7.67
Most in 24 hours: 1.52"
Days with 0.01" or more: 3
Days with 0.10" or more: 1
Days with 1.00" or more: 1
Wind:
Highest gust: 26 (23 kt) on 5/10 5/14 5/23 5/29
Highest 1-min Avg: 16 (14 kt) on 5/23
Avg Wind Spd: 2.7 (2.3 kt)
Dew Pt:
Highest: 72.4 (22.4) on 5/31
Lowest: 33.2 (0.7) on 5/7
Relative Humidity:
Highest: 100% on 5/22 5/26-27
Lowest: 22% on 5/7
Days of Lowest Rh% <=35%: 8/31 (26%)
Barometric Pressure:
Highest: 30.313"/hg (1026.5 mb) on 5/24
Lowest: 29.815"/hg (1009.6 mb) on 5/9
The drought of 2006-07 continues into its 15th month/w May being cooler and drier
than normal. It was -1.5º below normal for the avg. temp and -1.92" deficit for the month
and -7.67" deficit for the year. 97% of the rainfall (1.52") occurred on the 16th.
The US Drought Monitor started as D3 - Severe Drought and maintained it through the end
of May. The high went past 90ºF in the first 5 days before cooling off by a cold front
on the 6th and re-inforced by Subtropical Storm Andrea on the 8th and 9th providing cool,
breezy and very dry conditions as it remained offshore and enhanced the fires in SE GA/NE FL.
The only significant rain for the entire month fell on the 16-17th as a cold front passed.
For the rest of the month a presistant area of high pressure dominated the SE and FL with
breezy warm temps. & no rain. From the 20th to the 31st, 12 straight days, NE-E'ly winds
with peak wind gusts 20+ mph where observed.
"A LARGE WILDFIRE THAT BEGAN IN APRIL SOUTH OF WAYCROSS GEORGIA SPREAD SOUTH
INTO FLORIDA. BY THE END OF MAY WILDFIRES HAD BURNED OVER 500,000 ACRES OF
LAND ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND NORTHEAST FLORIDA. SWEAT FARM ROAD FIRE...
BUGABOO SWAMP FIRE...ROUNDABOUT SWAMP FIRE...WERE JUST SOME OF THE FIRES
NOTED IN THE AREA. RELATIVELY FEW STRUCTURES WERE DESTROYED...BUT HUNDREDS
OF PEOPLE HAD TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES. ROADS ACROSS THE REGION...INCLUDING
INTERSTATES 10 AND 75...WERE CLOSED AT VARIOUS TIMES DUE TO SMOKE AND LIMITED
VISIBILITY. DEPENDING ON WINDS...SMOKE FROM THE FIRES WAS BLOWN NORTH TO NORTH
CAROLINA...EAST INTO THE ATLANTIC...WEST TO ALABAMA...AND SOUTH TO CENTRAL AND
SOUTH FLORIDA...AS WELL AS THE GULF OF MEXICO." (NWS Jacksonville
MAY 2007 CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY)
The lowest visiblity due to the fires was 1/2 mi observed @ Cecil Field Airport on the 2nd &
1/4 mi in smoke/fog on 4th. The lowest cloud deck due to smoke was VV002 (Vertical Visiblity [Undefined Ceiling/Horizon]
@ 200' obscuring the sky) on 5/2 & VV001 (Vertical Visiblity [Undefined Ceiling/Horizon]
@ 100' obscuring the sky) due to smoke/fog on 5/4 both observed
@ Cecil Field Airport. My father reported to me that on the 9th, visiblity was less
than a mile with heavy smoke & ash on 5/9 in Macclenny.
**AVGS BASED ON 74 YEARS OF CLIMATE DATA FROM Glen St Mary 1W,FL [1931-2005] (5 mi NW of me)**
***SNOW AVGS BASED ON 48 YEARS OF CLIMATE DATE FROM Cecil Field {NAS} [1947-1995] (18 mi E of me)***