"The Weather Mayor"

 

 

This next week looks fairly dry with near normal temperatures. Mostly cloudy today with a high of 54 and a low of 37. Partly cloudy on Monday with a high of 56 and a low of 36. Partly cloudy on Tuesday with a high of 58 and a low of 38. Mostly cloudy Wednesday with a high of 56 and a low of 35, a slight chance of a shower. Models are disagreeing about our next weekend. One in particular is calling for much colder weather by Saturday. Updates later in the week.

Social media plays a more powerful role in the lives of all of us each day. Here is one example of how social media provided information to a local resident during the Sunday night storms. I will leave out the names and specific locations. A local Olive Branch resident was in her "safe" room while we were under the severe weather warnings. At this time she was away from the computer screen so she was not receiving the updates that I was providing on Facebook and at times on Twitter. Her daughter, who lives in northern Kentucky, was monitoring my updates and was keeping her mother informed by phone throughout the event. Hopefully, through the use of technology, my reports are keeping each of you better informed. Thanks for watching!!!  was not receiving the updates that I was providing on FaceBook and at times Twitter. Her daughter who lives in northern KY was monitoring my updates and was keeping her mother informed by phone throughout the event. Hopefully, through the use of technology, my reports are keeping each of you better informed. Thanks for watching!!

   

December 2011 Accuracy Report
Average temperature forecast within 2.19 degrees of actual
Average HIGH forecast within 1.70 degrees of actual
Average LOW forecast within 2.68 degrees of actual
Percent when forecast high/low was within two degrees of actual: 66%.  December rainfall total was 8.52 inches. The high temperature for December was 68 (Dec. 14) and the low was 26 (Dec. 11).

 

Climate Recap 2011

The high temperature for Olive Branch in 2011 was: 105 on Aug. 3.
The low temperature for Olive Branch in 2011 was:    14 on Jan. 12.
The MEAN temperature was 63.0 which was 0.5 degrees above normal.
We had 90 days when the high temperature exceeded 90 degrees and 46 days when the low was less than 32 degrees.
We had 64.22 inches of rain which was 9.57 above normal. The most rain fell on April 27 (5.37 inches).
We had 17 days when more than one inch of rain fell.
The highest wind speed recorded was 39 mph on April 25. The predominant wind direction was from the southwest.

For a complete overview of DeSoto County’s weather, visit www.weathermayor.blogspot.com.

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State Fire Marshal Recommends Decking the Halls the Fire Safety Way

(Jackson) -  As Mississippians display their holiday spirit through ornament-laden Christmas trees, brightly colored lights and decorations, Commissioner of Insurance and State Fire Marshal Mike Chaney recommends that everyone should deck their halls with fire safety in mind.

"This is the time of year people need to be most fire safety conscious, observing simple and common sense fire safety steps to keep you and your family safe this holiday season," Chaney said.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 240 home1 structure fires that began with Christmas trees in 2005-09. Holiday or other decorative lights with line voltage were involved in an average of 150 home structure fires per year and in one of every six (17 percent) of those types of fires, Christmas trees were the item first ignited.

"More than any other time of year, there are more electrical fires, more cooking fires, and more heating fires," Chaney said.

"The display of Christmas trees and heavy usage of decorative lights and other electrical appliances greatly adds to the risk of home fires."

When decorating for the holidays, the State Fire Marshal's Office offers these holiday decorating fire safety tips:

Fresh live trees should be placed in a stable stand that holds water -- remember to water the tree frequently. As a general rule, stands should provide one quart of water per inch of stem diameter.

  Shedding needles indicate a dry tree that acts as a fire hazard.

If you are using an artificial tree, verify that it is fire-retardant by checking its label.

  Trees should be placed away from direct sources of heat, especially those that produce sparks or open flames, such as a fireplace.

  Ensure that trees and other holiday decorations do not block an entry/exit way.

  Only non-combustible decorations should be used on trees, and light sets should be checked for any signs of damage or wear.  

  Only use UL approved lights. 

  Never use candles on a tree.

  Never run electrical cords through doorways or under carpets.

Do not overload electrical outlets.

Always unplug lights before leaving or going to bed.

  Make sure that homes have at least one operational smoke detector and fire extinguisher.

Businesses, university offices and work spaces should remove all trees and decorations prior to the closing of these areas for the holidays.

For more fire safety information and tips for the upcoming holiday season, visit the special "Holiday Fire Safety" web page on the Mississippi Insurance Department website at www.mid.state.ms.us. (Look for the link in the notifications tab) You can also find the Mississippi State Fire Marshal's Office on Facebook and follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/msfiresafe.