* 3,475,000 square miles is the size of the Sahara Desert in Africa. It is the world’s largest desert. We mention this because, ironically, the Sahara plays a part in our hurricane season. Low pressure areas form in the intense heat and move westward. They slide off the west coast of Africa into the Atlantic. From there, they will either fizzle of show promise of growing into a tropical system. Big desert dust storms can send an enormous amount of airborne dust westward across the Atlantic and that can put a damper on tropical development.
* 64,186,000 square miles is how much area the Pacific Ocean covers. Oceans also play a major part in world weather and climate. The Pacific is, by far, the world’s largest body of water.
* 46 percent of the world’s water area is taken up by the Pacific.
* 93 degrees is the mean (average) annual temperature at Dalol, Denakil Depression, Ethiopia making it the hottest place on earth. Remember, year-round daily highs and lows are averaged into that 93. (Translation: very, very hot!)
* 4 November is when Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends. That is later than usual. The government keeps chipping away at standard time.
* 6,593 feet is the elevation of Mount LeConte in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We mention that because we get a daily report from atop the mountain. It can get very, very cold in winter and they get a lot of snow. However, LeConte is not the highest mountain in the area. Not far away, Mt. Guyot extends to 6.621 feet.
* 6,643 feet is the elevation of Clingman’s Dome and that is the highest point in Tennessee.
* 12 at Doyleville, Colo., was the coldest in the Lower 48 today. 3 was the coldest in Alaska at Deadhorse. You don’t have to go very far north of Deadhorse to be in the Arctic Ocean.
* 52 inches is how much rain Oklahoma City has received so far in 2007. That is an EXCESS of 22.53 Inches. (Amazing) Sure wish they would share because…..
* 16.21 inches is the total so far this year at Anniston Airport. That East Alabama city, a beautiful place, is now close to 26 inches below normal.
* 52 percent of Alabama is now under an Exceptional Drought designation. That is the worst category. The drought has worsened because a week ago it 48.7 percent. The Exceptional Drought Area within Alabama has almost doubled in the last three months.
* 75 percent of the pasture and range land in Alabama was in poor or very poor condition according to the U.S Department of Agriculture, Alabama Field Office, Montgomery based on data issued this afternoon.
* 90 percent of Alabama has very short or short top soil moisture as of today. That has worsened because it was 87 percent a week ago.
* 2007 was expected to be the biggest and best in several years for the production of pecans. This despite the fact that the Easter weekend freeze hit the pecan trees in North Alabama and they lost their entire crop.
* 0 is how many times I have seen a hockey game in person. Not anxious to change that number.
* 0 is how many college or professional basketball games I have seen in person. I love college basketball.
* 3 is how many frosted, brown sugar pop tarts I have had this year. I am proud of myself.
* 0 is how many times I have been outside the Lower 48 states in my lifetime.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Assume there was no Pacific Ocean–just solid land all the way across. How would this affect the weather/climate of:
1. California
2. Alabama
