Southern Winter Storm

The latest El Nino storm plows across the South this evening, in the current radar composite image above. This storm is dumping snow across the Deep South. I wish I could see the snow on the ground in Southern Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle. I've seen it snow there before but never did I see it accumulate as it is doing today. The blue, white, and pink on the map is snow.

I saw big fluffy snowflakes in Pensacola in March 1993 with the 'Storm of the Century'. . . but it didn't stick. This snow will reportedly be 'measurable,' which means there will be accumulation.



While we're south of the snow, it remains cold in Central Florida today. Currently 45 F. (7 C.) with light rain.

Some of the fauna is suffering. Above I hold an anole lizard (Anolis sagrei or Anolis carolinensis) who appears desiccated in the cold this morning. It was 27 F. (-3 C.) for several hours this morning. I put him in the sun and he came back to life. Below, another anole barely moves as I try and get him into the sun.



Below: The Air Yams or Air Potatoes (Dioscera bulbifera) have suffered this winter. Almost all are now on the ground. About half of them froze solid and are now rotting. I've collected what I can find of the good fruit for friends in the north who will want to plant them in the spring. This may be one good thing about our cold winter; the killing off of damaging exotic species like the Air Potato.



Tomorrow is supposed to be our coldest rain of the year. I haven't figured how I'm going to get out and about. My foot is bandaged from minor surgery today and I'm not supposed to get it wet. The cold rain might be an excuse to do nothing. . . for a change.