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Re: (meteorobs) Re: Leonid weather prospects from Florida



For Thursday/Friday 16/17 Nov 2000, SW Florida is definitely the place to
be!  I really wish that I was there observing with Norm & Joan tonight (I
guess I still have much of that "Sunshine State blood" still in me)!! 
Here in Central Virginia we will likely have to wait for the night of
17/18 November to see a goodly amount of Leonids (we hope).  

With two young children (almost 4 year-old son and 7 week old baby girl),
I will likely observe from home, as we have fairly nice skies and good
horizons.  It will be interesting to see what Norm gets out of the
Leonids tonight.
May your skies be clear or clearing soon!
			In Astronomical Affinity - Felix A. Martinez

On Tue, 24 Oct 2000 17:09:32 -0400 (EDT) nmcleod@peganet.com writes:
> Joe and others,
> 
> November is indeed a better month for Florida in recent years for 
> clear
> skies, or at least for fewer wipeouts.  I would estimate nearly 2/3 
> of
> Leonid maxima have been at least partially clear here.
> 
> The Florida west coast is generally the more favorable side.  There 
> is
> usually a strong easterly flow coming off the Atlantic this time of 
> year
> with varying amounts of cloudiness.  The east coast gets the clouds 
> full
> strength.  Crossing a hundred miles of land to reach the west coast 
> helps
> the clouds to partially, and often completely, dissipate.  If a 
> large cloud
> patch is coming across, good north-south roads can be used to 
> quickly relocate.
> 
> On average I expect the Keys to be cloudier than here due to full 
> exposure
> to water.  There is no land mass down there to break up clouds.  But 
> a badly
> placed stationary front over the mainland could be escaped by going 
> to the Keys.
> 
> Cold fronts can either help or hinder.  Ideally I want to have a 
> front with
> enough support to push all the way to Cuba, if one has to come at 
> all.
> Stalling in the Florida Straits is not uncommon -- it's just far 
> enough away
> from here to probably be clear anyway.  Gulf storms this far south 
> are rare.
> The usual storm track runs along the north Gulf coast, then up the 
> U.S. East
> Coast.
> 
> If night winds are light or calm with clear skies and high dew 
> points,
> radiation fog becomes a major problem north of Fort Myers.  I am 
> near the
> general southern limit for fog -- it is rare south of Naples and 
> across the
> Everglades.  Closer to the Gulf might help some as night 
> temperatures stay
> warmer there.  Sea fog is a different matter, more likely in January 
> with
> very unstable moist air around.
> 
> The tropics have quieted down rapidly this year after a very busy 
> September.
> The Caribbean area has been mostly clear for a couple of weeks.  
> That will
> help reduce the chance of a problem coming up the back way.  With 
> neither El
> Nino nor La Nina around this season, I feel more confident that 
> weather will
> be more stable this fall.
> 
> For observing sites, one possibility would be flying into Miami
> International, then heading west into the Everglades.  There are a 
> number of
> spots along US 41, especially around small lakes or rockpits, where 
> some
> quick observing can be done.  The sky begins to get reasonable just 
> 30 miles
> out of Miami as the urban sprawl ends suddenly with few lights 
> further out.
> Face west to avoid the moon and also the Miami light dome.  The same
> principle would apply anywhere : be west of your problem city if 
> possible.
> 
> I hope to be at my usual Lehigh Acres site.  There are a number of 
> astro
> groups around Florida with their own good sites to visit.  I'm not 
> familiar
> with individual parks as I haven't had to use them.  The region 
> north of
> Tampa is rather wide-open and less populated, and there should be 
> many good
> spots to go along roads or just off to the side.  Several state 
> forests also
> have potential.
> 
> Norman
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Norman W. McLeod III
> Staff Advisor
> American Meteor Society
> 
> Fort Myers, Florida
> nmcleod@peganet.com
> 
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