THE WEATHER PATTERN IS QUITE BENIGN BUT THAT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR... OTTO RACES E-NE WHILE ANOTHER DISTURBED AREA IN THE CARIBBEAN SHO

There's really not much to talk about since we are in a very benign weather pattern. A pattern like this is very typical for early to mid-October. There are several reasons for the quiet weather but it can be attributed to the decrease in tropical cyclone development, the less amplified jet stream configuration, drier air encompassing much of the North American continent, and the more stable atmosphere caused by the lower angle of the sun and the increasingly shorter daylight period. We are not yet at the time of year when the difference in air masses causes the intense extra-tropical storms. That will be happening soon, however. I would like to talk about the status of our precipitation totals for the year. ORF's 2010 total is actually at the normal annual average for an entire year... a little over 45 inches!. That means that if we see absolutely no precipitation for the remainder of the year (which is highly unlikely), 2010 would considered a normal year precipitation wise. What about the next few days? There's only a slight chance of a shower on Tuesday or Tuesday night. Temperatures are going to be very warm for this time of year, especially on Monday (Columbus Day). Temperatures will trend downward by mid-week. What about the tropics? Tropical Storm Otto is racing E-NE and will probably be considered extra-tropical soon. An area of disturbed weather in the Caribbean near Central America may become the next tropical storm. I'll have an update on Monday.