Frost advisory issued from Interstate 95 westward tonight

First off my prayers go out to those impacted by one of the earth's worst earthquakes and tsunami to ever hit. This earthquake may have actually been a 9.0 which would place it in the top 5 biggest ever on our planet and certainly Japan's worst ever. The images and video are mind-boggling and very sad. It reminds you of what really matters in life and how fragile it really is. Now the blog question of the day is...can a tsunami hit Florida? Absolutely! In fact Mayport is one of two Florida communities officially enrolled in the TsunamiReady program. NOAA has a tsunami alert system in place to keep the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico safe. While most of your big tsunamis occur in the Pacific and Indian Oceans where the plates are more active we could have a smaller tsunami created by an earthquake in the Caribbean Islands. But most of this energy usually propagates well to the north of the Sunshine State. Our chance of a bigger more devastating tsunami may depend on a big volcanic collapse in the Canary Islands off Africa. But chances of this happening are very small. The moral of the story is to never say never.

A frost advisory is in effect for our viewing area from Interstate 95 westward tonight from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Clear skies, light wind, and high pressure will bring ideal radiational cooling conditions. Lows in Jacksonville could actually tie the record of 33 set back in 1998. Areas along the river will be in the middle 30s while the beaches will be near 40.

The good news is if your garden is adequately mulched this is what is called a light frost and most of your plants should survive. This type of frost can bring some light leaf damage but the plant is able to heal itself. The extra sensitive plants still will need to be brought in or a tarp needs to be used. It also will not hurt to water the plants this evening. This will help keep them warmer as the soil releases moisture into the air.

The good news is by Saturday afternoon it will feel like spring again with temperatures rising quickly into the middle 60s by noon on our way to a high temperature in the lower 70s! There will be a nice light wind for the Gate River Run with plenty of sunshine. Remember to turn your clocks forward an hour Saturday night before bed and change your smoke detector batteries.