Cool, Dry settles over Florida

A cool, dry air mass has settled over Florida. This is our first significantly cool weather since last Spring. The cool hasn't stopped the onslaught of massive swarms of biting flies and mosquitoes (not pictured here). On an errand to collect some bales of hay this afternoon I was attacked, repeatedly by the vicious bugs.

The Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundiflora) are blooming. These shots capture some grass seeds caught in the petals of some of the flowers in extreme close-up.



These plants are native to Mexico and Central America but do well as long as our weather stays warm. Their cousins -- the sunflower trees (Tithonia diversifolia) -- are just starting to bud.



Tithonia spp. are in the Aster family, and not native to Florida.



The recent heavy rains in South Florida did not make it this far north. NOAA's predictions were proven completely incorrect. The central peninsula received only a sprinkle of precipitation, barely enough to wet the spider webs (officially .10" or 2.5 mm).

There is no rain in the foreseeable future forecast for Florida.



There are 8 common spider types in Florida (see Common Florida Spiders). Sometimes it feels like they are everywhere. They do like to come inside and they are especially fond of the soffits of houses. A little moisture in the air and their webs are revealed.



Only 5 species of venomous spiders occur in Florida and they are relatively hard to find (see Poisonous Spiders of Florida).



Weak La Niña conditions continue

Our chances for significant rain decrease with each passing day. In addition to the fact that we've entered the dry season, La Niña continues in the equatorial Pacific, where sea surface temperatures remain 0.5°C to 1.0°C below average, qualifying this as a weak La Niña event. During the coming winter, La Niña is likely to bring drought in the South, especially to Texas.

Above average temperatures can also be expected in the South. The Pacific Northwest can expect cooler than average temperatures, as well as the potential for another record-breaking winter of snowpack across the western United States. La Niña also tends to bring wetter than average conditions to the Ohio Valley.



What rain we have received has encouraged the grasses to grow. Below: Some Hairawn Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is quite visible in the afternoon sun. As these grass seeds die they will blow around and pile up like tumbleweeds.



For more photos go to PHILLIP'S NATURAL WORLD II

and PHILLIP'S NATURAL WORLD III