The Early Morning Mist
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (118365)
Gainesville, Florida
July 19, 2017 1:13pm CST
This has been a summer of interesting weather. And from many of the posts and comments I've seen on myLot, it seems to be a phenomenon happening all over.
Here in Florida, we've been experiencing one of the rainiest summers I can remember. It hasn't just been the normal rain pattern either, but day-long and severe storms constantly hitting us every day.
Last night was unusual in that we had severe thunderstorms build up overnight and just hammer us with torrential rain and crazy thunder and lightning. It went on for most of the night. We've already been under flash flood warnings and flood watches before that, so last night just added to the misery.
But this morning was quite interesting. When I left for work there was an eerie thick fog that made it impossible to see more than 5 feet in front of you. It was like something out of a Stephen King horror story. Thick fog at this time of year is very unusual indeed for Florida, so it made my morning commute seem a bit surreal.
I'm beginning to wonder if we're ever going to return to our normal summertime weather patterns.
What's some of the crazy and unusual weather you have been experiencing this summer?
33 people like this
34 responses
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Jul 17
You're still in France? You must be having the time of your lives! When you headed home to Australia?
3 people like this
@JudyEv (325345)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Jul 17
@moffittjc We have another five weeks here I think with a quick flight to Vienna and back in the middle to see a friend. Then back to Ireland for a few weeks and home around the end of September. We've very spoilt.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jul 17
@JudyEv Living the good life! Nothing wrong with that!
1 person likes this
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
19 Jul 17
I wish it would rain every day all summer long. Lol. I hate this heat!
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Jul 17
Are you getting as bad of storms in Jax as we are in Gainesville? It's just been non-stop all summer long! In fact, it's storming really bad as I sit here on myLot.
And the big problem with all these storms is the humidity levels. Not only has it been super hot, it's been super humid as well.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111082)
• El Paso, Texas
23 Jul 17
Holy smoly, all this time I thought Florida always got lotsa rain, shows ya watt I know 
It's been unusually humid almost all month so far and we've been getting thunderstorms more often than usual and even got hail not too long ago, that was totally freakish.
The humidity has been between 30% to 85% depending on whether it's actually raining, would that be humid to you as well?
It's been unusually humid almost all month so far and we've been getting thunderstorms more often than usual and even got hail not too long ago, that was totally freakish.
The humidity has been between 30% to 85% depending on whether it's actually raining, would that be humid to you as well?1 person likes this
@rebelann (111082)
• El Paso, Texas
23 Jul 17
Whoa, 60" @moffittjc ? Damn that's a lot ..... we usually average 4" to 10" depending on whether or not we're in a drought
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
23 Jul 17
Florida generally does get a lot of rain, almost all of it in the summertime. We average about 60 inches per year, which may not sound like a lot, but it is considering how flat Florida is and how close to sea level we are. Flooding is common, just because there is nowhere for all that water to go, especially given the flatness of Florida. So, it all just sits there and builds up and floods. That's why Florida historically has mostly been swamp land.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
23 Jul 17
@rebelann Yeah, it's a lot of rain. It can sometimes be worse if we have a bad hurricane season, but we've been lucky for the last decade or so. Well, last year we had two near hits with hurricanes, but it was welcome rain since we were in a drought before that.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (457412)
• Switzerland
22 Jul 17
@moffittjc I also like the mysterious side of fog. In the big cities, where you can hear the noise of the traffic but see nothing can be pretty scary.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jul 17
I love fog too, it just gives a sense of mystery. I always wonder if some eerie creature is lurking out their in the thick fog. waiting unseen for unsuspecting passersby to get near. Yes, I have a weird imagination! haha
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jul 17
@LadyDuck When I was in New York City at the end of May, my daughter and I got up really early one morning and went to visit the new World Trade Center building. It was really foggy out that morning, and the skyscraper is so tall we were actually above all the fog! It was pretty amazing to look out over Manhattan and see the tips of a few of the tallest buildings peeking their heads above the fog. It was pretty surreal.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79592)
• United States
19 Jul 17
We've been having some of those crazy storms here in Pennsylvania and at times they can be very scary. It's just plain hot today and the sun is shining but those storms seem to pop up when least expected.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Jul 17
It's storming really bad here now. Just started at about 7:30pm. Looks like we're in for another long night of storms.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246334)
• United States
23 Jul 17
Yikes! That sounds just awful! I wonder if South Florida is experiencing the same weather??? The locals told me that it rains around 2:00 everyday in June.
Here, it has been sunny and glorious almost every single day, although we had a few hot and humid days. It doesn't bother me. I just hope Florida will be back to its sunny and warm weather this coming winter.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
23 Jul 17
Having grown up in south Florida, I became accustomed to the 2:00pm daily thunderstorms. There was a time in the past where you could actually set your watch to it, they were so consistent. And it used to be similar up here in north Florida, but it's not that way anymore. There is no consistency to our storms anymore. Where in the past you could count on afternoon storms, now you get them in the morning, the early afternoon, late afternoon, or even overnight. And they've become so much more severe than they used to be. I guess this is the new normal with global warming.
We had severe thunderstorms hit here at 4:00am this morning, and it's been raining every since (more than 8 hours now). That is extremely unusual, considering we have no tropical systems affecting us right now.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jul 17
@DianneN We finally had a break in the rain yesterday afternoon, and I got to see a beautiful sunset! The first one in over two months! It was a good ending to a pretty crappy Monday!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246334)
• United States
23 Jul 17
@moffittjc Global warming, of course! Our spring and summer have been so dry. I'm hoping for rain without thunder. It frightens poor Doodles. That is an awful amount of rain for Florida without a tropical storm. Take care and enjoy your week. Hope the rain stops!
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
29 Jul 17
We have had hot days and cool nights. One morning it was foggy enough to have to drive slower. You had a few morons that refuse to turn their headlights on during the day and that is a bit scary.
Today I hoped for nice weather. It has been overcast all day. There is a bit of sun shining through now. Supposed to be great weather tomorrow.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
12 Aug 17
@moffittjc we have had foggy weather but nothing like that!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Aug 17
We had some seriously heavy overnight rain the other night, and in the morning when I went to work, the fog was as thick as a blanket. I couldn't see 5 feet in front of me. That's the second time this summer that it has been like this. Once a summer is very unusual, but to have it happen twice now is just crazy!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Aug 17
@ElusiveButterfly For about 5 minutes, I was so excited to learn that we would have sunny conditions all weekend. Then, I stepped outside into the hot and muggy conditions, and high-tailed it right back into the comfort of a/c in my house! It's been so long since we've had sunny days, that I forgot how hot it gets when the sun is shining! So, our options are: rainy, hot and muggy; or sunny, hot and muggy! I wish Fall would hurry up and get here! lol
1 person likes this
@velvet53 (22528)
• Palisade, Colorado
30 Jul 17
@moffittjc Well I guess that is a good thing. I was thinking about finding a job until the accident happened.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Jul 17
@velvet53 Without a job, do you have income coming in to support yourself, or pay your medical bills?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Jul 17
I've been working crazy hours at work, so it's limited my time on this site. But I'm doing well, and all these days of working have kept me out of trouble! haha
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
20 Jul 17
We have been having a very hot summer here in Northern California, but occasionally we'll have a day or two where it's rainy and cool and doesn't feel like summer at all.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
20 Jul 17
@moffittjc Unfortunately that's how it is here most the time too. It's sad when 99 degrees seems "cool" compared to 112 degrees!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jul 17
@Srbageldog I was in Austin, Texas a few years ago during the summer, and the temperature was 105. But there was no humidity, so it really didn't feel that bad. Here in Florida, where we can sometimes experience 90% humidity or higher, even 85 degrees feels like it's 120 out!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jul 17
It's too bad that when you have those nice cool days that the weather can't just stay like that all the time. If we get a cool down here in Florida during the summer, it means our temps are at 95 degrees instead of 98 degrees! lol
1 person likes this
@bluesa (15023)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
23 Jul 17
@moffittjc , we're supposed to be experiencing winter at the moment and we have had very mild days, it is our dry season but usually much icier. I hope you get some lovely sunny days soon.
1 person likes this
@bluesa (15023)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
25 Jul 17
@moffittjc in my suburb outside of Johannesburg, we've already had temps of 48.2F and 59F . This winter has been too mild with 68F to 75.2F temps.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
27 Jul 17
@bluesa I know global warming and climate change has been making everybody's weather crazy, but what are typical or normal winter weather temperatures for you?
How far outside of Johannesburg do you live?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jul 17
How cold does it get in South Africa?
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
20 Jul 17
That it's not already 110 degrees @moffittjc .
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jul 17
C'mon Nanette, 110's not bad at all! Quit your complaining! LOL 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
26 Jul 17
@nanette64 Nah, you're not a pure ding-a-ling! Maybe a little ding-a-ling mixed in your blood, but not purebred! hahaha
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
24 Jul 17
@moffittjc Oh well, you know me; pure ding-a-ling.
1 person likes this
@just4him (305549)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
19 Jul 17
It's one of our rainiest summers ever I think. I don't ever remember it raining as much as it has this summer. I had to do some heavy praying to have a nice day today, and it was perfect. However, the trade-off is severe storms for the next four days.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Jul 17
As I type this, we are having a massive monsoon going on outside. These heavy storms have been crazy and it doesn't seem like there is any end in sight. I feel bad for anyone who lives near rivers, because we are having massive flooding issues.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jul 17
@just4him I'm wondering...with global warming and climate change happening right before our eyes, will we ever return to normal weather patterns, or will it just keep getting crazier every year?
1 person likes this
@just4him (305549)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
20 Jul 17
@moffittjc That's not good. It would be nice to see the weather return to a normal pattern.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Jul 17
We've had heavy rain every single day. We've already set the record for the most rain in June ever in recorded history, and now they're saying our July could break records as well. It's an understatement to say that it's been raining a lot here.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Jul 17
@RubyHawk It's good that we're having all this rain, as we really needed to refill our aquifers, lakes and water storage areas. We need to learn to manage our water resources better or else we're gong to be in big trouble if we have extended drought periods.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
30 Jul 17
@moffittjc We've had lots of rain but the last few years were so dry water has been short. Maybe we have enough water in reserve by now. We've had more rain than usual I believe although I haven't looked at records.
1 person likes this
@Rigel401 (55)
• Canada
20 Jul 17
I'm in Alberta, Canada so we got some haze/smoke from the BC fires travelling over here. It only happened for one day here in Edmonton but it was pretty weird. At first I thought, "Is someone barbecuing?" But it was way too much haze for that! Other than that, the on and off cool days then back to hot has been weird. It was so nice and cool yesterday and now it's hot, hot hot. Man why can't it stay cool?
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jul 17
I'm with you! Why can't it stay cool? I sure wish we were at the start of the next ice age! Lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jul 17
@Rigel401 I agree with every word you said, and I couldn't have said it better myself. Which makes me wonder why I'm still living here in Florida! Maybe I should move north to Canada! Think I could survive the winter there?
1 person likes this
@Rigel401 (55)
• Canada
21 Jul 17
@moffittjc Yeah exactly! I know most people love the heat, but I can't stand it. Who likes feeling sticky and gross and so hot you can't move? I certainly don't!
@vandana7 (98731)
• India
20 Jul 17
@moffittjc .. Some lid of paint container ..at least that is what it looked like.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Jul 17
Wow, that's crazy! Did you figure out what it was and where it came from?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jul 17
@vandana7 Wow, and you have no idea where it came from? Did somebody throw it at your window on purpose, or do you think it happened by accident?
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
26 Jul 17
The last two days have been rainy and in the 50s, felt like November. today we are expected to get to the high 70s so getting back to normal.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
29 Jul 17
@moffittjc We are getting extra rain as well but we need it.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Jul 17
I think our weather is trying to get back to normal, and it's getting close, but we are still getting way more rain than usual.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Jul 17
@BelleStarr I think we are way beyond "extra" rain, as we've had so much rain I'm starting to think I need to start building an ark, but on the positive side, it's filling up our lakes and acquires, which have been decimated over the past decade or so by over pumping of ground water. I'm really hoping that all this rain causes the flow rates of all our first magnitude springs to increase back to their original levels.
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9036)
• United States
7 Aug 17
I am fine with not returning to normal, normally our summer in GA is nearly unbearable, but this summer, it has been very nice several cooler days, and several cooler nights. We currently do not have A/C so our cooling system is simply an attic fan. If the nights are cool, like they have been, we can cool off over night and close it up during the day. Works great pus keeps the electric bill down as well.
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9036)
• United States
16 Aug 17
@moffittjc yuk is right, I have not spent much time there but have heard it can get pretty rough in the summer. Love bet your winters are wonderful though.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Aug 17
@mom210 If by winter you mean 85 degrees instead of 95 degrees, then yes, our winters are wonderful! I, however, am a lover of the cold, so the fact that Florida doesn't get a true winter really makes me sad. Give me snow damn it! haha
Oh, and another thing about our wonderful winters....38 million people from up north flock to our state, clog all our roads, restaurants and stores, get sunburned on our beaches, and then complain the whole time about how much better it is up north!
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Aug 17
I wish it would get cool enough in Florida overnight in the summer to turn off the a/c and open the windows! Our problem is that the humidity is so high that it becomes almost unbearable no matter what the temperature is. Even when it gets down into the low 70s at night, it's still miserable with that humidity. Nobody likes to sweat all night! Yuk!
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10745)
• Canada
26 Jul 17
I definitely see changes in the weather pattern here. We used to have really hot summers now we just hope for a weeks worth of really hot days.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Jul 17
Shouldn't it be going the other way? Should you be having more and more really hot summer days thanks go global warming?
1 person likes this
@jillybean1222 (6408)
•
29 Jul 17
I suppose I should be glad we didn't plan a vacation in florida this year then :-) our summer has had a lot of rain as well.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Jul 17
I think central and south Florida haven't been as bad as where I live in north Florida. I'm pretty sure our coastline areas and beaches have been nice and sunny!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Jul 17
@jillybean1222 That's a beautiful, somewhat unspoiled area of Florida. Still pristine in many areas there. They call it the "forgotten coast." Hopefully, it stays that way. The rest of Florida's coastline has been seriously overdeveloped.
@jillybean1222 (6408)
•
30 Jul 17
@moffittjc we usually visit north florida, Destin, Seaside, Grayton Beach, etc.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (66921)
• United States
19 Jul 17
Few cold days here which is unusual for summer.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Jul 17
Please send some of that cool weather to Florida!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Jul 17
@Courtlynn Well, if you can't send us cooler weather, please send happy thoughts instead! haha
1 person likes this
