Midnight Cold Rally With Barack Obama & Clinton, Orlando, FL

Chilly Weather, But Historic Obama Rally In Kissimmee, FL -

It Was Like A Concert, Painful On The Feet

By the end of the Rally, my legs were like jello. I’ve never stood for so long, and there was no sitting on the ground at all, being crammed in the 45-50, 000 heads that were only inches from each other as you can clearly see in some of the video picture captures in this post. It was like a Lollapalooza concert back in the mid 90’s waiting to see the Smashing Pumpkins and Beastie Boys, just without the pits smoke everywhere. The cheers were loud, and the powerful support for Obama was extremely strong. It was pretty cool to be apart of such a huge gathering late at night on this very historic presidential election season. Kersten and I are extremely pleased that we attended and got the chance to experience a powerful movement here in Florida.

Wrapped Up After Midnight and Insane Getting Out

This very impressive rally wrapped up by 12:am, and the heard of people slowly spilled out of the high security area into the general parking, and we dragged out painful feet and legs all the way back to the car, passing all the Obama t-shirt and button booths, and the significant line of media satellite trucks and press staged just off the main strip. We had plenty of time to rest once we reached the car, because there was almost a two hour wait to get out of the ballpark property on the main road and onto the Florida Turnpike to head back south. It was crazy! Now after 2am, we finally made it to the Turnpike and were heading home. Got back into Okeechobee about 3:30am and drove over to my moms to pick up J.J. to bring back home with us.

Today, Kersten and I are recovering, I’m on the floor blogging, and taking it easy, and she’s on the couch watching TV, and were both still happy about the whole experience, but a Barack Obama rally will kick you’re butt, no doubt. I’ve put together a small video segment on the right-sidebar window of last nights rally, but please forgive some of the bouncy video as Secret Service did not allow any tripods, and I had to hold the video camera well over my head and the sea of people surrounding me to get the shots during the entire event. Now, back to nursing my feet with my heating pad. Ha!  (ps video forthcoming)

Unseasonable Strong Cold Front For Late October North Florida

Tallahassee Could See Freezing Temps Overnight -

Possible freezing temperatures for North Florida overnight. Significant cold air advection into the deep south, will help spill cold temps are far south as Southern Florida tonight. The northern portions of the state will see near freezing weather, likely in more of the sheltered areas. Much of the Panhandle and North Florida could see freezing temperatures for a few hours, and freeze watches are now in affect for tomorrow morning. This is all thanks to a unseasonable strong cold front for late October, and the prime cold air and wind flow out of the North-northwest, pushing cold air directly down the spin of Florida. This is more like a December through March setup for a Florida cold snap.

Cold Temps Records Could Be Broken Along I-10

There will likely be several morning low temperature records broken, since most of the record temps for tomorrow are from weaker cold snaps in the past. Below are some locations and the records to be broken overnight published by the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, FL.

WEDNESDAY MORNING (OCTOBER 29TH)

• TALLAHASSEE……….31 SET IN 1987
• APALACHICOLA…….41 SET IN 1976
• PANAMA CITY 5N….36 SET IN 2001

ALL TIME RECORD LOWS FOR OCTOBER

• TALLAHASSEE………30 SET IN 1973…1989 AND 1993
• APALACHICOLA…… 33 SET IN 1993
• PANAMA CITY 5N (COOP SITE)….33 SET IN 1989

By Thursday, winds will shift easterly, and most of Northern Florida will return to more seasonable weather for the upcoming Halloween weekend. It sure will be interesting to see how low it gets tonight so early in the season.

Cool Enough For The First Fire of The Fall Season

Chilly This Morning Indeed For Me -

Big changes Monday morning, with much cooler weather to start off the new week. I got up and started to make some coffee, and I took a glance at the weather station temperature display on the wall, and whoa! It was 58F outside, with a light crisp breeze out of the north. My hopes for the endless summer here in South Florida were once again smacked down. Living here in Okeechobee County, were located about 35-40 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, so the nice resident warmer air off the Atlantic has little affect this far inland. This makes for a temperature gradient between those on the coast and here well inland sometimes by 10-15 degrees. A nice cool air advection spilled down the spin of Florida overnight, bringing the temps below 60F as far south as the northern Everglades. It sure was a big wake call for myself that Fall Florida style was here, and in which I’m someone who hates cool, cold and freezing weather. I’ve been in Okeechobee since 2002, and I still have not gotten use to the cooler interior weather here compared to living on the coast in West Palm Beach or Ft Lauderdale / Miami. I come from Southeast Florida where seasonal changes are for all for about 2 weeks.

First Fire of The Season, Chilling By The Fireplace

Nevertheless, this evening we are making the most of the cooler weather by having our first fire. Got the fireplace ready over the weekend, and tonight were all enjoying a warm fire while watching TV. JJ is relaxing by the fire in between games on the WII, and me telling him to stop blocking all the nice heat. (grin) The smell of the fresh burning wood really makes it feel like Fall, and that feeling of the Holidays just around the corner.

So, I’m trying to enjoy our likely short-live cooler weather for a change after the long hot summer months. It is kind of cozy in the house tonight….gee cozy? I’ve been watching to much home and garden shows. LOL!

Update! Here’s A Little Update This Tuesday Morning 10/28-

Well, if I was upset about Mondays morning lows, it’s a lot colder this morning. The Official low temperature for Okeechobee this morning is 48F. BRRR! I have had to now break in the heater for the first time this season. How about that!

• 600AM – TEMP 48.9F / WIND NNW7 MPH / DEW POINT 39.4/ 30.21 INCHES 

A Look At Our Lazy Sanibel Island Florida Week Vacation

Review of Our Sanibel Island Week Long Vacation -

I wanted to look back to a few weekend ago, when Kersten, JJ and myself went on our annual trip to Sanibel Island, FL. Normally I would of blogged about our trip while we where there, but this was during my big blog crash and moving from Yahoo Small Business hosting. So, what better time than now to share some of our trip scenes and details while I’m waiting for the Buffalo and Miami game to get started here at 1pm. We stayed at the same place, the Caribe Beach Resort, which is on the south facing shoreline of Sanibel. This was our 4^th year in a row staying there, and it’s gift from my aunt Dee Dee, who owns the time share week. It’s always a nice break and getaway at the end of the summer, relaxing in island style.

Lots of Fun At The Caribe Beach Resort, Sanibel Island, FL

The weather during our week stay was outstanding, and very summer-like, with temperatures near 90F each day, breezy evenings off the water. I bought JJ a kite, and we flew it several days when it was windy. It was a lot of fun, it’s been years since I flew a kite, and I was surprised how much fun and the amount of time we spent playing with that thing on the beach. We also did our normal beach shelling, sunset watching, and relaxing beach and poolside each day. On our last day we also took out the bikes and went trail riding over the interior of the island, where we came across some wildlife, including a Florida Panther and her cub. It was very cool! Evenings were also enjoyable with grilling under the canopy of palm tree’s only feet from the Gulf waters.

Chapel By The Sea – Captiva Island, FL, Is A Must Visit

Overall, another outstanding week off the coast of Southwest Florida. Sanibel is always nice, as it’s a more laid back island life, with no huge resorts and party nightlife. Very quiet, lush tropical tree’s and a lazy atmosphere. A great place to reset yourself from your everyday daily grind. There was also a historic place on Captiva Island that we visited, and was recommended by my Aunt Dee Dee. It’s called Chapel By The Sea, and is located on the northern end of Captiva Island. The entrance has a small cemetery, nested under a lush tropical vegetation canopy only feet from the waves of the Gulf of Mexico. Very peaceful indeed. The small church is several yards away as you walk through sandy palm tree covered pathways. It’s very quite and a must see if visiting Sanibel or Captiva islands. If interested, they have Sunday services at 11:00 am from mid-November through mid-April, per their website.

Another year come and gone visiting Sanibel, and we’ll always look forward to our next visit. Now, time for the upcoming election week, and then into the 2008 Holiday season.

Vero Beach and The Rest of Central Florida Much Cooler Today

Fall Is Defiantly In The Air In Vero Beach, FL -

Sunday is giving way to clear blue skies, with northerly winds filtering in much cooler and a dryer atmosphere for the second half of the weekend. After several days of overcast skies and rains ahead of the front, it’s outstanding late this morning with a feel of a Florida-like fall. Even being a little cool this morning, the beaches are packed here at midday under the full warm sun. Temperatures will be very pleasant today, ranging from the upper 70’s F to maybe 80F. What will be the most noticeable, is the less humid weather and much drier moisture levels have moved in overnight on the northerly wind flow. The latest visible satellite loops show that the clearing line with the front has reached the southern end of Lake Okeechobee and runs from about Stuart, FL on the east coast, to just south of Ft Myers on the southwest coast. The remainder of the state is fully cleared from the front and enjoying beautiful weather today.

Kissimmee Theme Parks Packed and Will Be Chilly Tonight

Today’s weather is what you wait for all year if heading to the theme parks like the Magic Kingdom, Bush Gardens, or Universal Studios. Lower humidity’s, clear skies, and cooler evenings for the fireworks shows after dinner. Being a Florida resident and only a hour away from the parks, when weather like this moves in, it’s time to pack up and hit the parks. No one likes standing in long hot lines in close proximity to other people when it’s 95F outside under a direct overhead blistering hot sun. That’s why Fall and Spring are the prime Florida resident times of the year to visiting the central Florida parks.

Tonight, it’s actually going to get a tad chilly over all of Central Florida. The I-10 corridor will rang in the lower 60’s by dinner time, and fall further into the mid and upper 50’s by early morning. A little sweater wouldn’t be a bad idea for later this evening.

Cold Front Brings Storms And Cooler Fall-Like To South Florida

Storms Moved Through South Florida On Saturday -

Showers and thunderstorms were widespread from about Lake Okeechobee southward into the Everglades, and metro Southeast Florida counties. Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade, saw the most showers and isolated storms as seen in this beautiful shelf cloud picture off the coast of Palm Beach. The storms that did develop today stayed well below any severe levels as the forcing and heating were not the best for severe weather. Lightning, moderate rains, and some gusty outflow winds were the most common with Saturday storms as the tracked northeast ahead of the strong cold front moving down the state. Only one special marine warning was issued for strong straight-line winds.

Storms To Be Replaced With Much Cooler Weather

Early this morning and recorded overnight, much cooler temperatures were already settling into North and Central Florida behind the front. Temperatures ranging early this morning from the upper 40’s F in the Panhandle and Northern Florida region, to the mid and upper 50’s F in Central Florida interior counties. The cold front was just beginning to clear through Lake Okeechobee and head into South Florida this morning. Much cooler and drier weather will soon be filtering in on breezy northerly winds later today, helping to bring in some of coolest Fall-like weather so far this season.

Tonight, it will really feel a lot more like fall, as clear skies will give way to upper 50’s around the lake and interior locations, to the lower 60’sF along the coast. Chilly northerly winds will make it feel a little cooler overnight. The next several days should be nice, with a taste of fall in the air.

Northern Residents Snow Birds Head South For Okeechobee

Colder Weather Send The Snow Birds South -

Okeechobee Fall Weather Brings Northern Residents

Late October and November begin the change of seasons here in Southern Florida, as the wet season ends, and the hurricane season closes at the end of November. Fall weather in Okeechobee can be outstanding, with cooler evenings, pleasant afternoons, lower humidity’s, and mild temperatures. Perfect for bike riding, bass fishing out on the lake, and just relaxing while northern residents family and friends freeze up north. Right now the first decent cold front of the season is pushing into the area and will clear through Okeechobee late Sunday. Much cooler weather will arrive just in time for the early snow birds and for local residents looking for the cooler change from the blistering hot summer months.

The first few cool fronts opens the door for the influx of visitors from up north, including the migrating birds. Welcome to our northern folks!

Heavy Rains Fall Ahead of First Florida Cold Front

Heavy Rains Invade South Florida Ahead of Front -

Temperature Changes Coming Behind First Cold Front

As noted before, this is the first strong cold front to push into South Florida since last spring, and will bring some of the first cool weather of Fall 2008 to the South Florida region Sunday night through Wednesday. Humidity levels too will be much lower, making it feel more like fall and more enjoyable in the evenings if out having dinner along the coast. Some of the forecast models forecast possibly some upper 50’s F in some interior locations in and around the lake. It will be interesting to see how much drying behind the front takes place, which will add a little fire weather threat on Monday and Tuesday. Nevertheless, the first sneak peak to a South Florida style fall is in store over the next several days.

So, are you looking forward to the cooler weather of Fall?

Finalized The Weatherzine Forums, Join The Discussion

The Weather Forums Are Alive -

I finally got the Weatherzine Forums up and active on the server. Took a little time to install, configure and customize the core background forums software, and theme files to match the main Weatherzine site layout. It looks good I think, and it’s loading great on all browsers at different speeds. A lot of patients is required when working with databases when it’s new to you. I had some issues and hiccups, but got around most of them fairly fast after some Goggling for answers. I wanted to make sure I had the forums up and ready for readers and visitors, because the first week of November, in about a week, I have two scheduled press reports being done on the new site here in Florida for the grand opening launch. One is local TV and the is Central Florida print media.

Weather Forums Remain Popular – Weatherzine Joins In

People love forums, so it’s ready for users to interact with other now, including the user submitted content option as well. I broke the regions of Florida up into three sections of the Forums. There is also a dedicated section for Tropical Weather and hurricanes, and severe weather. Then there is a Tiki Bar category for anything goes talk, as long as it’s clean. A great place to just chatter away and get to meet other Florida weather enthusiasts, Skywarn spotters, and just storm geeks. I hope for it to grow with users over the winter months, so come spring and summer 2009, it will be busy with activity in time for storm season and hurricane season 2009.

Looking For Moderators / Join The Forums Today

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking for about 3 moderators for the forums, because I won’t always be available to moderate things on the boards, as I’ll be busy with maintaining the main site, my daily video shoots, and travel. So, if you think you might be interested, please send me a email. So, go ahead and create a user account in the new forums and begin chatting away. Please help spread the word to other Florida residents and weather fans of the new Weatherzine website and forums. All your help is greatly appreciated, and thanks in advanced.  – JOIN THE WEATHERZINE FORUMS TODAY

- Jeff Gammons

Wind Advisory Issued For South Florida, Dangerous Beach Surf

Wind Advisory Issued For South Florida -

Strong winds now affecting much of South Florida early this afternoon, especially along the coastal sections of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. The National Weather Service forecast office in Miami, issued a Wind Advisory for all of southeast Florida, and is in effect until 8:00pm local tonight. Strong developing pressure gradient between high pressure over the western Atlantic Ocean and developing low pressure in the Gulf of Mexico, are helping to squeeze play the winds across South and central Florida this afternoon. The easterly winds have been gusting between 25-30mph along area beaches, and some higher gust are expected. The winds should remain elevated through the remainder of the day, and will subside after sunset, but will likely still remain breezy at the coast overnight. This advisory does not include area Lake Okeechobee waters.

Rough Beach Conditions For Florida East Coast

Windy and choppy surf conditions are the norm today at local South Florida beaches as seen above. The strong winds expected over the next several days, will mostly be a problem for beach goers, boaters, and high profile vehicles on I-95 and the Florida Turnpike, especially over causeway bridges. Surfers are the only ones that are enjoying the stronger winds, as the waves are running 3-5 feet at area beaches. Below are some of the most recent surface wind reports in the last hour at a few South Florida locations.

• - West Palm Beach: Wind east @ 18mph / gusting to 24mph
• - Ft Lauderdale: Wind east @ 14mph /gusting to 26mph
• - Opa Locka: Wind east @ 22mph / gusting to 30mph
• - Lake Worth Beach: Wind east @ 18mph / gusting to 25mph
• - Fowey Rocks: Wind east @ 32mph / gusting to 35mph
• - Miami: Wind east @ 23mph / gusting to 28mph

Strong Pressure Gradient Affecting More Than South Florida

Actually, the strong wind pressure pattern is affecting much of the Florida east coast from Miami northward to Jacksonville. There is actually Gale advisories for northeast Florida this afternoon for expected much stronger winds. St Augustine, FL in the last hour was reporting winds of 27mph /gusting to 30mph. The Treasure Coast beaches are also reporting sustain winds in the mid 20’s with gusts near 30mph. So, no matter what Florida east coast beach you might visit today, dangerous swimming conditions are in place, so be careful out there.

At the coast today? Share your beach and windy sands stories of the day.

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