Aloha March!

Mornin'!  It's 38° this cloudy, windy, early morn.  Got an "iffy" start to the week and end of month as clouds abound.  In the morning darkness when I looked up into the sky all I can see are clouds on top of more clouds.  It's breezy (N-NW a 25-30mph) making the cumulus clouds look lighter in color and as though they're moving at a decent clip on the cloudy backdrop. Not sure if we'll see Ms Sun or not this morning.  Most forecasts are saying a 40-50% chance of rain before 10am.  Ms Sun will appear sometime this afternoon as temps rise into the mid-50s.  The Winds will be brisk and strong providing a bad hair day right up until this evening. Back down into the 40s tonight. Doesn't feel like a lamb to me but baa baa baa March! Time to celebrate that this month is checking out!!!
High tide: 9:08a.m.
Low tide:3:03p.m.
Ocean temp:40°
Sunset:7:22p.m.
FOOTNOTE: Just got into the office and as I boarded my vehicle it began to hail or rain freezing rain.  It continues as I type.  Get the hell out of here March.
ANOTHER FOOTNOTE: It's 2p.m. and the sun's shining brightly!

Sunday Washout

Mornin'!  It's 51° in Wildwood.  It's raining (what else is new?) lightly.  We had some major downpours over the last 24 hours.  Not too bad in the line of flooding although the backyard water was-a-rising.  It looks like another mostly rainy day (90% chance) of showers today.  We may seek peeks of sun later around mid-day but for the most part, it's looking like a cloudy/rainy one including tonight on the overnight (80% chance).  The winds are out of the S-SE at 15-20mph and will shift late this afternoon to the West and again tonight from the W-NW at 25-30mph.  Temps will be in the low-mid 50s.  Tonight...down into the upper 30s.  Tomorrow, Ms Sun's supposed to be heading back into town.  This entire weekend...I'd go with "washout" and "don't let the door hit you in the arse March." 
High tide:8:21a.m.
Low tide:2:17p.m.
Ocean temp:40°
Sunset:7:21p.m.

Weekend Washout

One of the Umbrella Men

Mornin'!  No early morning blog as it was a great day to sleep in a bit.  It's 51° and raining hard in Wildwood.  The snow's outta here.  I mean all gone.  So, now that the meltdown is over and we're saturated, and rain's in the forecast this entire weekend (I wish I could slide the roof open positioned just over all the house plants for a good watering).  It will continue to rain down (100% chance) all day and night and tomorrow.  I'm thinking "flooding".  So far so good though.  The streets have just normal puddles and rained filled curbs.  Tomorrow's the "New Moon" which is  when the moon is between the earth and the sun appearing dark and when the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the earth, the moon appears "full" to us, a bright, round disk.  Both create major tidal flooding.  Enough about moon and flooding.  Lets talk "winds".  It's be windy today (beginning from the E-SE at 15-20mph) and by early evening, it'll be "Dorothy Gale Windy" out of the S-SE at 25-40mph sustained with gusting.  Hang on tree roots!  Temps will hover around the mid-50s.  Tomorrow...much of the same...100% chance of rain.  And, Monday...40% chance of rain.  Indoor project time I guess.  My project this weekend will be sorting through the summer clothes for my Key West vacation in 27 days!  83 days until Summer (but I can feel a beach day way before that)!
High tide: Now and 7:57p.m.
Low tide: 1:29p.m.
Ocean temp: 40°
Sunset:7:20p.m.
1:00p.m. FOOTNOTE: was just out and about and Pacific Ave (around the 4400 block) is flooded.

Final Meltdown?

Mornin'!  It's 41° in drippy Wildwood.  When I went outside this early morn, the dripping everywhere was the most intense I've ever experienced.  I had to call my husband outside as we both were still listening to the island melting.  At first I thought a pipe broke in the darkness and water was cascading somewhere nearby. Nope...just a major meltdown.    Everything snow covered (shed roofs, outdoor shower roofs, gardens, trashcans etc) was dripping. Anyway...we'll be rid of any remnants of snow or ice in no time at this rate.  First, the temps are going up (mid-upper 50s) as Ms Sun should be showing up in about an hour.  At the moment there's a lot of cloud cover plus most forecasts say "mostly cloudy" today.  We'll probably not see a whole lot of Ms Sun today as she's checking out until Tuesday. A rain event is on its way for the weekend beginning later today (20% chance of Friday afternoon showers).  I'm hearing this is a big rain event with 3-4" due.  Add that to this weekend's New Moon and bet on it we're going to see some major tidal (street) flooding.  Ahhh...island living.  Tonight...40% of light rain as well as fog rolling in.  70-80% chance of rain all weekend just saying.
High tide: 6:38a.m. and 7:07p.m.
Low tide:12:40p.m.
Ocean temp:40°
Sunset:7:20p.m.

Happy Birthday Sis!

Sis with our Grandson

Mornin'!  It's 28 balmy degrees in Wildwood.  There's still plenty of snow out there maintaining our wintry and cold feel. A nice stiff breeze coming from the W-SW completes that morning chill.  My guess is "meltdown" as Ms Sun's checking in (6:51a.m.) and temps will hover around the low 40s most of today. The clouds will be in the mix as well making it a partly sunny day.   Breezes will pick up later this afternoon from the S-SW at 12-15mph and by this evening...S at 25-30mph.   Speaking of this evening...back into the 20s.  Looking kind of wet for the weekend.  I'm keeping a watch on that one.  It'll be a New Moon too this weekend and we all know what that means...tidal flooding.  85 days until Summer.  I'm just gonna keep saying it..."It's coming; it's coming!"  Happy Birthday shout out to my Sister!  Love you! If it wasn't for her, there would be no weather blog as she's the catalyst that got it all started...thanks for that!
High tide:6:12p.m.
Low tide:11:47a.m.
Ocean temp: 40°
Sunset:7:19p.m.

Winter's Last Hurrah (Hopefully)

Mornin'!  It's 30° in Wildwood.  The sky is clear and moonlit/starlit.  It's windy and cold.  In fact, we're back to the wintry, frozen tundra ambiance out there as the snowfall over performed (the local weatherman's words; not mine).  I'd say about 6-7" fell from this Nor'easter; hopefully the last snowfall we'll see for a long time (like 8 months or so).  There's a crunchy topping to the layered snow and anything cleared away is icy and beginning a bit of a meltdown.  I'm surprised to see our street plowed this early morning too.  But, we've got our work cut out for us as the dig out of the vehicles and making poopy paths for the pooch is happening by hubby as I type.  So for today's forecast...it'll be partly cloudy/partly sunny.  The temps will hover around the low-mid 30s but it's the winds that will be in the showcase.  Wifting (I mean wafting) from the NW we'll be feeling Gale Force Winds at 35-40mph all day into early evening making this hump day feel like a huge dose of Winter's blast.  Again, hopefully not again for a long time.  But, it is still March and March is a Lion.  I can almost feel the Lamb peeking around the corner.  The meltdown is suppose to start tomorrow as temps go back into the 40's but today...staying in the 30s with major chill factors.  Tonight...in the 20's.  Whew...let's go Spring!
High tide:5:09p.m.
Low tide:10:52a.m.
Ocean temp:40°
Sunset:7:18p.m.

Hazardous Weather Outlook?

Mornin'!  It's 35° under overcast skies.  There's a hint of a breeze which will turn into winds later.  Okay...we're under a "winter weather advisory" today beginning later this afternoon.  The weather outlook is a Nor'easter heading right for us, but fortunately it has its claws reaching for the New England states.  We'll feel its edge rubbing the coast as it roars on by later today.  All forecasts are predicting a 4pm start as winds will pick up (E-SE) at 17-25mph.  A couple forecasters talked of some major beach erosion with this one (something we don't need).  Depending on the air temperature it'll probably begin as rain as the temps today will be in the high 30s with the possibility of tapping the 40° mark.  Tonight though as the temps drop (mid-high 20s) the rain will turn to a Spring Mix (I couldn't bring myself to call it a "Wintry Mix") and eventually it'll begin snowing and probably snow through most of the night into Wednesday bringing along the possibility of 2-4".  Whew...that was hard to type.  It's getting SO old.  Anyway, everything will melt by Thursday with Ms Sun's warm rays and higher temps.  So, it's all about the "focus".  Either focus on what boots and scarf you'll be donning today or Thursday's blue-sky meltdown.  It's your choice. Oh...87 days until Summer if that helps.
High tide:4:01p.m.
Low tide:9:51a.m.
Ocean temp:39°
Sunset:7:17p.m.

Ol' Man Winter Has Checked in Today!

Mornin'!  It's 26°.  You read that right.  We're back with wintry conditions.  The sky is clear and starlit however the winds are hitting the island with a blast of frigid air making a nice chill factor of 15°.  Ol' Man Winter is still hanging around Wildwood.  It'll be cold and blustery albeit sunny today.  Temps will be in the mid-upper 30s with those pesky winds (N-NW at 15-20mph) hanging around most of the day.  They'll quiet down tonight as clouds increase and we get back into the 20s.  I might as well put it out there...tomorrow there's an 80% chance of precipitation and depending on the temperature we could see snow showers along with the rain. Just saying.  I read in one of the forecasts...we could get a couple inches of the white stuff.  So what? 
High tide: 2:53p.m.
Low tide:8:41a.m.
Ocean temp:39°
Sunset:7:16p.m.

Sunday Mixed Bag

Mornin'!  It's 40° under partially clear skies.  The sky is beautiful as Ms Sun's painting her sunrise on the canvas this morning while crossing the horizon as I type.  We've got an array of colors in the morning sky.  It'll be partly sunny today with temps going into the mid-upper 40s while early afternoon clouds take over the canvas and bring showers (60% chance).   The clouds will also be bringing a cold front as winds will be out of the N-NW at 15-20mph while temps will be
dropping back into the 30s.  There's even talk of snow showers this evening clinging on to that cold front.  Feeling more like a half of Spring time and half of Winter today.  Guess March's Lion is still in that pounce position ready at any time.
High tide:1:49p.m.
Low tide:7:27a.m.
Ocean temp:39°
Sunset:7:15p.m.

Blustery Saturday

Mornin'!  It's 42° this dark, quiet early morn.  The sky is clear and starlit.  The sea fragrance is in the air again.  Breezes are light.  It'll almost be a repeat of yesterday's Spring-like weather.  Temps will be higher in the low-mid 60s but with clouds and hefty breezes part of the picture, probably making it feel cooler than yesterday.  Winds will be out of the S-SW at 20-35mph (+gusting) initially and shift later from the W-NW at 18-25mph.  Tonight as temps drop back down into the 30's, the clouds will begin to thicken as Sunday will be mostly cloudy with temps getting no higher than the mid-40s.  I'm not even going to mention Tuesday/Wednesday of this week.  Today should be fairly decent albeit breezy this first Saturday of Spring (it's still March with those redundant, persistant winds).  Nice day for the boardwalk as it's slowly coming alive.   High Tide: 12:47p.m.; Low Tide:6:27p.m.; Ocean temp: 39°; Sunset: 7:14p.m

First Friday of Spring!

Mornin'!  It's 35° in Wildwood.  The air has a strong aroma of the sea this early, still dark morn.  Love that.  It's clear and quiet as Ms Sun's-a-coming in about an hour.  She'll be shining intently all day today as temps rise into the 50s (60s tomorrow).  Any snow out there (some plowed mounds still sit on corners) should be screaming much like the Wicked Witch of the West as we'll probably be done with them after today.  A very ideal Spring day down the Shore as temps will be somewhat mild, breezes will wift (I mean waft) over the island out of the W-NW at 15-20mph and tomorrow will be even warmer.  It's coming!
High tide:11:51a.m.
Low tide:5:37p.m.
Ocean temp:39°
Sunset:7:12p.m.

Spring is in the air!

Mornin' and Happy Spring!  Well that is, at 12:57 this afternoon it's officially Spring.  It's currently 43° under cloudy skies.  We had some rain last night and alas...other than the corner snow mounds, the white stuff is outta here!  It'll be a nice one as temps will tap the 50s while Ms Sun does everything in her power to shine down.  The clouds will be in the way as it'll be a partly sunny/partly cloudy day.  No precipitation on the menu.  Winds will be out of the W-NW at 15-20mph with some gusting.  Looking good for the start of the Spring season...tomorrow and Saturday's forecast look even nicer!  Enjoy!

High tide:11:03a.m.
Low tide:4:58p.m.
Ocean temp:38°
Sunset:7:12p.m.

This is It...One More Day Of Winter!

Mornin'!  It's 38° in Wildwood.  It's dry (except for all the leftover snow), quiet (breezes are light out of the NW at 5-7mph), starlit and moonlit (remants of that full moon).  Clouds will drift in via the breezes that will kick up later from the E-SE at 15-20mph.  It'll be a mostly cloudy day with some peeks of sun as temps get into the major meltdown range of mid-upper 40s.  Rain's checking in later and by tonight there's an 80% chance of developing showers.  Fog's supposed to develop tonight too.  Beginning tomorrow (1st day of Spring), I'm happy to report that it'll be returning as warmth with Sun and 50+ temps providing what we need to heal from Winter's roughness.
High tide:10:21a.m.
Low tide:4:23p.m
Ocean temp:38°
Sunset: 7:11p.m.
Spring: 1 day!
Summer: 93 days

Snowpacked Tuesday

Same blog shot as 3/14 and 3/15

Mornin'! It's 35° in Wildwood.  It's cloudy and overcast with not much in the line of breezes (quiet and cold).  We're snow-packed as we got about 10" with some nice snow drifts.  In fact, I'm one house from the corner and my current view of that corner is a 4-5' snow mound from yesterday's snowplow.  Appears Wildwood will be seeing white for awhile but the meltdown should commence today as temps get into the low 40s as the sun partly shines today.  We're supposed to see more clouds than anything today, but I'll take any meltdown mother nature serves up.  Those pesky March winds will add some bluster as they'll be out of the E-NE at 20-25mph w/gusts...whatever.  2 days until Spring but even better...38 days until Key West!
High tide:9:45a.m.
Low tide:3:35p.m.
Ocean temp:39°
Sunset:7:10p.m.

Happy Snowy St. Paddy's Day!

Mornin'!  Happy St. Paddy's Day!  All Wildwood schools are closed!  It's 28° as NE winds are howling and snow is falling and filling up the island.  Won't get much warmer today as the thermometer's going to hover around 29°-30°.  There's a "Winter Storm Warning" in effect as it began snowing around 7p.m. last night and continues with white out conditions as I type.  The winds are not only making it feel like 16° but they're creating big drifts everywhere including up against the front door making it almost impossible to push it open to check things out.  The windows are completely covered and it's difficult to see outside.  We're encased in white!  It's actually hard to judge how many inches are out there.  Some spots look like 4" where other spots with drifts look like at least double that.  Our vehicle is not identifiable...it's just a big white dome looking totally buried.  Oh you Ol' Man Winter...jonesin' for that one last hoorah before Thursday (1st day of Spring).  The snow is supposed to continue until mid-afternoon (100% chance) and taper off by noon or so as clouds will hang out the rest of this St. Paddy's Day.  Winds will continue to howl (NE 25-30mph +gusting) until tonight when they'll finally simmer down to 10-15mph as temps head back into the 20s.  Tomorrow...Ms. Sun's going to partially return as temps may tap the 40s thank goodness. 
High tide: 9:10a.m. (still feeling Full Moon effects...watch for flooding)
Low tide:3:14p.m.
Ocean temp:38°
Sunset:7:06p.m.
FOOTNOTE: It's 3p.m. and it's still snowing at a good clip.  BRING IT ON!!!

Full "Worm" Moon - March Snow Storm

Mornin'!  It's 37° in Wildwood.  The sky is partially clear as the sun's trying it's best to shine amongst these Sunday morning clouds.  It'll be a partly cloudy/partly sunny Sunday as some serious cloud cover filters in later this afternoon.  Gonna be a cold one as temps may or may not hit the 40° mark. Shall we talk winds?  March winds?  Not too bad at the moment...off the ocean at 10-15mph and by this evening they'll shift from the NE at 20-30mph +gusting bringing along some moisture (wintry mix initally).  100% chance of precipitation by late tonight as a March Snowstorm is heading right for the island. It'll get down into the 20s as this storm begins around bedtime.  It'll snow all night and into the morning (4-6-8" forecasted).  It's a Full Moon (more at the bottom of the blog) today so whatever moisture we get, the tides will be affected and be more predominate filling the beaches, bays, marshes and streets with sea water.  I'd go with Snow boots rather than Wellies this time though.  Guess we should enjoy this dumping of the white as it very well could be the last snowfall until next Winter!!!  We can only hope!  4 days until Spring!
High tide:8:35a.m.
Low tide:2:38p.m
Ocean temp:39°
Sunset:7:07p.m.
March Moon Names: Full Worm Moon -As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter. (farmersalmanac.com)

Ides of March

Same shot as Yesterday's blog

Mornin'!  Not sure what the hell was going on at 6:30 this Saturday (a sleep-in) morning, but the sirens were wailing and woke us and looks like a few neighbors as well as everyone's homes were lit up in the early morning darkness. Just didn't seem right as nothing's flooding and I didn't smell smoke.   It's 47° in overcast, cloudy Wildwood.  Breezes are swift and brisk out of the W-SW at 25-30mph.  A wee bit chilly on the island this Ides of March.  It's supposed to get nicer today as Ms Sun's on her way (not for sunrise though) as these stiff, March winds will diminish by this afternoon coming from the West at 15-20mph as temps climb into the mid-high 50s.  Should be a mostly sunny Saturday.  For tonight's St.Paddy's celebrations...much clearer and moonlit (Full Moon is tomorrow) as winds simmer down even more from the NW at 8-10mph.  Tomorrow...cooler into the 40s and some sun again will be checked in.   I might as well take the opportunity to say more snow is in the forecast as it should start Sunday night into Monday and we just might get anywhere from 4-6" of the white stuff.  I'm only typing what I've seen on forecasts and it pains me.  Hopefully just like most of all the winter storms this year, Wildwood will miss the snow bullet and we'll just get a Spring mix (and I'm not talking salads here).  One forecaster said whatever accumulations we get, it'll melt quickly due to the strength and warmth of the March sun. That makes me feel much better.  I'm sure Julius Ceasar was feeling good this weekend too. Just kidding.
High tide:7:59a.m.
Low tide:2:00p.m.
Ocean temp:39°
Sunset:7:06p.m.
Moonrise:6:20p.m.

TGIF!

Mornin'!  It's 27° in Wildwood.  Jeez...can't stand writing those low winter numbers...so over it.  But, March is March.  It's clear and quiet out there.  Yep, "quiet"...you read that right.  The winds have subsided for now (W-NW 3-6mph). Only for now.  It'll be sunny today with temps in the mid-40s.  Winds will be commencing later this morning/early afternoon from the S-SW at 12-16mph and by tonight 25-30mph (45mph gusts).  Speaking of tonight, clouds will filter in as it'll become overcast as temps will drop only a few degrees staying in the 40s.  So far, the weekend's looking eh...okay...Saturday being the warmer (upper 50s) of the two days but no precipitation until Sunday night.
High tide:7:29a.m.
Low tide:1:21p.m
Ocean temp:39°
Sunset:7:05p.m.

Winds of Trash

Mornin'!  It's 26° in Wildwood.  The sky is overcast and cloudy.  The winds are freight train roaring over the island at 35-40mph out of the NW (chill factor...5° by the way). The street is littered everywhere with someone's recycle trash.  It's amazing how thoughtless and careless people are regarding the intense sound of the thunderous, howling winds while their homes tremble ever so slightly then decide to put their recycle cans at the curb.  That's right...think it through now...who cares what flies into the Harbor?  Stupid jerks.  It really ticks me off.  And, I just backspaced what I originally wrote thanks to my husband.  He wouldn't let me use the profanity that was flying from my fingertips.  Okay...I'll just put today's weather out there as I try and cool off this early morn.  March is rearing it's very ugly face today.  It'll be blustery, cold and wintry all day.  Forecasts are saying partly sunny/partly cloudy with high winds checked in all day right into tonight. Temps...high of 30° but don't forget to include the ol' chill factor today.  Tonight...back into the 20s with winds quieting down just a tad...20-30mph.
High tide:6:36a.m. and 7:05p.m.
Low tide:12:39p.m.
Ocean temp:38°
Sunset:7:04p.m.
Full Moon: Sunday 3/16
Spring:Just about a week away 3/20

Who's Tripping Down the Streets of the City?

Mornin'!  It's 43° in Wildwood.  It's still dark with clear, starlit skies overhead.  The sun won't be up in awhile (7:15a.m.).  We'll probably see it too as the clouds won't filter in until later today. It should stay mostly sunny but by this afternoon, conditions will begin changing as winds will pick up (wind advisory posted for later) bringing clouds and rain (70% chance) around dinner time and continue through the overnight (80% chance).  No winds or breezes at this early hour but they'll begin smiling at everybody they see beginning this afternoon out of the South first at 20-30mph w/gusting and by this evening from the W-SW at 25-35mph.  Temps will be in the low 50s all day and back into the 40s tonight.  Tomorrow's winds are what the focus is on...very high winds (up to 35-40mph sustained) coming out of the NW with temps tapping 30° unloading that ol' chill factor.  Looks like Old Man Winter will be checking in for tomorrow.  I appreciate that he's only stopping by once this week. 
High tide:6:21p.m.
Low tide:11:57a.m.
Ocean temp:39°
Sunset:7:03p.m.

Spring in the Air!

Mornin'!  It's 47° in Wildwood.  The dark morning sky is clear and starlit.  No breezes at the moment as it's still and very quiet except for the faint sound of the ocean's roar.  The sun's due up at 7:15a.m.  It'll be a nice one as Wildwood will have yet another preview of Spring today.  Temps will be in the low 60's as the warm sun will shine throughout most of the day (some clouds in the mix as well).  Breezes will be out of the W-SW at 5-10mph.  Tonight...some more clouds filtering in as temps drop back into the mid-40s.  We'll be dodging another storm bullet as upstate New York and New England will be getting blasted with a huge snow storm beginning tonight and continuing tomorrow into Thursday.  Smile if you here at the Jersey shore.  If you can think of any outdoor activities today, this would be the day to get out there and do it!  9 days until Spring.  5 days until the next Full Moon.
High tide:5:28p.m.
Low tide:11:11a.m.
Ocean temp:38°
Sunset:7:03p.m.

Cloudy Monday?

Mornin'!  It's 37° in Wildwood.  The sky is dark and clear and starlit.  Breezes are very light.  It's cold but doesn't feel too wintry if you know what I mean.  It's still and quiet.  Sun's due to pass the horizon in about an hour at 7:18a.m.   Like yesterday, I've checked 4 forecasts for today's weather and all said the same...mostly cloudy.  My hubby's saying, "Nope, it's gonna be sunny" as the "TV" meteorologists are saying "sunny".  So after yesterday with that mostly cloudy forecast and it actually being a clear, mild, sunny, blue-sky day...I'm skeptical.  But, here's what all the forecasts I've checked this morning said:
Mostly cloudy today with temps in the low-mid 50s, breezes out of the SW at 15-20mph and 0% chance of precipitation.  Tonight back into the high 30's and still partially overcast with light winds.
Tomorrow...now were talking "clear, sunny" conditions.  By the way, Wednesday and Thursday of this week...wet.  Rain or the white stuff remains to be seen but my bets are on "rain".
High tide: 4:30p.m.
Low tide:10:20a.m.
Ocean temp:38°
Sunset:7:01p.m.

Late Sunset!!!

Mornin'!  It's 43° in Wildwood.  It's overcast and wet outside.  The island's having an overnight continuation of light spritzes due to those clouds that are hanging out.  Feels chilly and raw and damp out there.  Breezes are light out of the NE at 5-8mph.  It'll be mostly cloudy with a 70% chance of light showers off and on today up until late afternoon when we may see peeks of sun.  Temps won't get much higher (45°) as winds will shift and pick up later from the NW at 17-22mph.  Tonight...mostly cloudy back into the 20s.  Tomorrow and Tuesday are the days that will be Spring-like...sunny in the high 50's. We did have a touch of that yesterday, but today looks like a home-made soup / under an afghan kinda day.  Hope you turned your clocks forward last night before turning in or there's a good chance you could be running late!
High tide:3:32p.m.
Low tide:9:23a.m.
Ocean temp:38°
Sunset: 7:00p.m.
FOOTNOTE:  It's 1 o'clock in the afternoon (feels earlier) and the sun has been shining brightly in Wildwood since around 10a.m. this morning.  Blue skies abound with a lovely breeze and warm sun.  A glorious day with just a touch of Spring!  Screw the weather forecasters!

Clocks Turned Ahead Tonight!

Mornin'!  It's 36° in chilly Wildwood.  It's cold out there.  It's cloudy with a little cold breeze wifting (I mean wafting) over the still somewhat snow covered island.  There's just tidbits of the white stuff here and there but enough to resonate coldness from the ground up.  Yesterday was just awful with that remaining snow, intense wet winds and freezing temps.  Glad that's over.  It's supposed to turn into a really nice day as these clouds will eventually make way for a sunny one.  It rose a half hour ago but is completely obscured by clouds at the moment.  Today's forecast is sun with temps rising into the 50s as the March winds (W-NW) continue to wift (I mean waft) over us at 15-25mph.  It's a nice blend of weather to clear the island of those snow tidbits too!!! Tonight...clear and back into the 30s.  Oh...tonight...turn the clocks ahead an hour as daylight savings time is about to begin!!!  12 days until Spring!
High tide:2:37p.m.
Low tide:8:19a.m.
Ocean temp:37°
Sunset:5:59p.m.

Happy Birthday Ray!

Mornin'!  It's 36° under cloudy, overcast skies in Wildwood.  March Winds are relatively light (4-6mph - easterly) compared to what they'll be again today (25-30mph E-NE).  There's a 50% chance of occasional rain showers today.  Temps will be just about tapping 40°.  Tonight...winds diminish as by the overnight the rains will clear out as well.  Our local guy says we may get skirted and not get any rain whatsoever today.  After doing my morning weather research, my gut tells me a raw, windy, damp day is up that includes a bad hair day.  No so for tomorrow as Spring will be in the 50° sunny day as we turn our clocks ahead before heading to bed tomorrow night.  13 days until Spring!
And a Happy Birthday to you Ray!

Typical March Day

Mornin'!  It's 28° in Wildwood. Wind chill...14°.   It's breezy...actually the March winds are out there and they go right through you.  The sky is clear and starlit.  The sun's due up in about a half hour but the clouds are closing in fast and furious and we'll definitely not see a sunrise this cold winter morn.  When I went outside to check the conditions, I looked over my head and saw stars and a quarter moon shining while looking east I saw a line of dark, ominous clouds at the horizon.  By the time I fixed my cup of java, sat down and fired up the ol' computer, those horizon clouds look like they're on my street and about to be right overhead (6 blocks off the ocean).  With that said, it'll be cloudy one today as they've arrived.  Only one out of 4 forecasts I checked say "peeks of sun" today. And, all said no precipitation.  I'm going with a "cloudy" day.  It's also going to be a bad hair day as the winds are wifting (I mean wafting) in at 15-25mph from the N-NE and will shift from the NE and again by this afternoon from the E-NE.  It's all the same to me.  Temps...low-mid 30s.  Just bundle up.  Tomorrow looks wet...just rain...not to panic.  It'll probably get rid of the snow that's still laying around the island.  We had a huge meltdown yesterday, but there's still white stuff in our sights. Saturday looks like a lovely Spring Day.  I know we're supposed to live in the moment, but Saturday's too tempting to not dream about having a day off at the Shore while it's 50° and sunny. 
High tide:11:52a.m.
Low tide:5:27p.m.
Ocean temp:36°
Sunset:5:56p.m.

Ash Wednesday Meltdown

Mornin'!  It's 28° in Wildwood.  It's overcast with breezes nothing to write home about.  The island's still encased in ice and snow.  It's the kind that you hear the vehicles noisily crunching down the street as you sit quietly typing a blog.  Most streets are beginning to clear as yesterday afternoon's sun and salt air began the meltdown.  Anything in the shade was out of luck.  The Shore meltdown is much quicker than the mainland due to that salt.  It'll be mostly cloudy with peeks of sun later in the afternoon as temps rise into the mid-upper 30s and possibly tapping the 40s.  No precipitation forecasted.  Breezes will be light all day out of the N-NE at 5-8mph.   Tonight...clear and back into the 20s.  The Local Guy says back to cold tomorrow before we begin a nice warm up for the weekend and next week.  Thank god.  And, here's a nice thought...this Sunday's sunset will be 7pm due to daylight savings time!  It truly is coming!
High tide:10:59a.m.
Low tide:4:41p.m.
Ocean temp:36°
Sunset:5:55p.m.

Fasnacht Day! Shrove Tuesday! Fat Tuesday!

Mornin'!  It's 13° in balmy Wildwood.  Jeez...it's soooo cold as winter continues on and on.  The island's blanketed in white again.  We received about 3-4" in all that hype of Titan coming to deliver 12" to the coast.  This time the snow is over a ½" of hardened ice which we got 1st. Today though...the sky looks mostly clear this early morn and it depends on which way you glance as the ocean side (east) is beginning to brighten and looks clear while the North sky appears to have some cloud cover.  It seems to be clear directly above but clouds will filter in and make this donut day a mostly cloudy one as most forecasts I've checked report "cloudy" for today.  Temps will get into the high 20s/low 30s as winds will be quiet from the North at 5-8mph.  By later this afternoon, they'll shift from the NE at 3-5mph as this quiet is not typical for March.  Not sure how much warmth from the sun we'll see today or how much meltdown we'll get...remains to be seen. Kitchens are warm though as donuts are being made all over the world!  Just over 2 weeks until Spring! Four days till we turn the clocks ahead and gain an extra hour of daylight!
High tide:10:08a.m.; Low tide:3:58p.m.; Ocean temp: 37°; Sunset: 5:55p.m.

The Endless Winter

February 2010 Storm - The one that took us down

Mornin'!  It's 28° in Wildwood.  Titan's here!  The "icy" part of Titan that is.  It's been prepping the island with a nice coating of ice for a couple hours now as snow is up next.  Wildwood's under a Winter Storm Warning / Hazardous Weather Postings as the freezing rain/hail is pelting and blanketing everything in it's sight.  That's including my home and windows and it's loud and scary sounding.  The blustery winds are out of the North at 25-35mph as it'll stay windy until "Tightening" stops.  WWs in the direct line of fire and we're being told that it'll eventually turn to snow and wallop us with 8-10 (maybe 12+) inches of the white stuff beginning a little later this morning and continue through early evening.  Temps will drop into the teens as well.  Titan's a big sucker and it's packing a huge punch.  I wonder if come October I'll be able to title one of my blogs "The Endless Summer"?  I just love March! Not.
High tide:9:18a.m.
Low tide:3:15p.m.
Ocean temp:38°
Sunset:5:54p.m.

Tighten up...Titan's coming!

Mornin'!  It's 39° in sunny Wildwood.  No breezes to write about and it's appearing to be a lovely Sunday morning at the shore.  Looks are deceiving as there's a Winter Storm Warning in effect until tomorrow night.  You'll begin hearing the roar of March's Lion around dinner time tonight.  Hope you got your milk and bread...if not, it'll be a mostly nice day...partly sunny, high of 50° and light breezes out of the W-SW at 5-8mph...so you still have a decent day to get some groceries in (that is if there's any milk or bread left on the shelf). Ok...so around dinner time tonight the shift begins as this massive storm that's barreling across the county hits our coast. They say it's not a Nor'easter but this monster has a name... "Titan".  Go figure!  So, Titan will have entered our region (along with my sphincter) early evening with clouds rolling in as the sky becomes overcast and breezes kick up from the N-NE at 20-25mph.  Temps will drop into the low-20s while at the same time there's a 100% chance of precipitation.  It'll start with a wintry mix which may have an accumulation of 1-3" (we're talking ice/sleet in this initial mix).  Then on the overnight...100% chance of precipitation continues as Titan explodes over the coast providing us with 6-10" of the white stuff.  I seriously don't think we're going miss the bullet this time by simply having another rain event.  Titan's heading right for Wildwood, NJ. The storm will be head off the coast by Monday night.  We're still in the New Moon "high tide" watch too so I'm sure we'll see Titan Tidal Flooding!  Ouch.  Be careful out there.
High tide:8:29a.m. and 8:54p.m.
Low tide:2:30p.m.
Ocean temp:39°
Sunset:5:52p.m.
Here's the exact copy of today's Nat'l Weather Service Report: 
WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 PM EST MONDAY... * LOCATIONS...MARYLANDS EASTERN SHORE...THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF DELAWARE AS WELL AS SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. * HAZARD TYPES...MAINLY SNOW WITH SOME SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE AT THE BEGINNING LATE THIS EVENING. * ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 7 TO 11 INCHES...ALONG WITH AROUND A TRACE OF ICE. * TIMING...RAIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON CHANGES TO SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN FOR A TIME LATE THIS EVENING BEFORE CHANGING TO ALL SNOW BY 3 AM MONDAY. THE SNOW WILL BE MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES MONDAY AND THEN END LATE IN THE DAY. * WINDS...NORTH 5 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH. * VISIBILITIES...ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES MONDAY. * TEMPERATURES...PLUNGING TO NEAR 20 BY DAYBREAK MONDAY. * IMPACTS...THE SNOW AND SLEET WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. MONDAY MORNING`S COMMUTE WILL BE PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT. * FOLLOWING THE STORM...NEAR RECORD COLD IS POSSIBLE LATE MONDAY NIGHT AS TEMPERATURES DROP TO BETWEEN 5 AND 10 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

March has begun its march in

It's Coming!  It's Coming!

Mornin'!  It's 21° in Wildwood.  It's clear and bright and quiet and Ms. Sun's crossing the horizon as I type.  It'll be a deceivingly mild start to the month of March and weekend.  I've said it before and I'll say it again...March is my least favorite of all 12 months.  In fact, I dread it; despise it; hate it.  Funny, my Zodiac sign is a Lion and March rolls in like one every year and I feel like I'm ready to pounce.  It was never like that until I moved to the Shore.  March is brutal down the shore.  It's Winter with a twist... the "winds" and that's even though "Spring" is in March... on the 20th. Those brutal March winds are about to present themselves so strap in.  Not today though.  Here's today's...  First up...New Moon so watch for tidal flooding.  It'll be mostly sunny with breezes out of the S-SW at 8-10mph as temps tap the 40° mark.  Same but even a bit warmer tomorrow.  Dropping down into the 30s tonight under mostly clear skies.  The fun doesn't begin until tomorrow night...a huge westerly storm is approaching and should reach us by then.  Every forecast for the local shore weather is saying a mostly rain event with a possibility of a couple inches of the white stuff on the backside and even more of a possibility of an ice storm for us.  I'll have more to report tomorrow, but for now...we may miss the "snow" bullet again unlike the Harrisburg/Philly/Washington,DC areas...could get up to 12".  Don't know about you, but I hear a Lion roaring in the distance.
High tide:7:40a.m.
Low tide:1:43p.m.
Ocean temp:38°
Sunset:5:51p.m.