Total Lunar Eclipse Tonight

The first total lunar eclipse since August and the last until December 21, 2010 occurs this evening.  Timing makes this one special.  The partial eclipse begins when the moon rises over the eastern horizon at 5:46pm and lasts until 9:09pm.  In between, the total eclipse takes place from 7:01 to 7:51pm.  Holes in our cloud cover should open in time for us to get a good view of the dull brown or reddish glowing moon should.

Are you sneezing?

The reason you are sneezing, tree pollen.  The last two weeks of sunshine and mild weather along with the early February rain pushed various trees to bloom.  Medium and high amounts of tree pollen have been measured the last two weeks.  This week's rain should help relieve your sneeze.

Wind Direction

Q:  What does it mean when you say we have a "north wind at 5 - 10 mph"?  Is the wind blowing north or does it blow towards us from the north?

A:  Wind direction is stated using the area from where the wind originated.  A north wind begins north of the measuring station and blows south.   

MIKE NICCO
KGO-TV Morning Meteorologist

Fresh Water - II

Q:  What is the world's total water supply?

A:  The Department of the Interior estimates the total water supply of the world is 326 million trillion gallons (326,000,000,000,000,000,000 gallons).

Q:  How much water is used worldwide each day?

A:  The U.S. Geological Survey estimates about 400 billion gallons of water is used daily across the planet.

MIKE NICCO
KGO-TV Morning Meteorologist

Fresh Water

Q:  How much of the Earth's water is fresh water versus salt water?
A:  About 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water.  22.5 percent of this is fresh water.  The other 97.5 percent is fresh water.

Q:  What percentage of the world's fresh water is stored as glacial ice?
A:  Nearly 70 percent of our fresh water is frozen in the icecaps of Antarctica and Greenland.  One study I read said it would take nearly 60 years of the entire globe's rainfall to replace it.

Q:  How much of the Earth's fresh water is easily accessible?
A:  1 percent of the world's fresh water is accessible for direct human uses.  This fresh water is found in lakes, rivers, reservoirs and aqueducts.  Rain and snowfall renew this supply and make it available on a sustainable basis.

Wetter Than Average January

January was wetter than average for most of us with measurable rain received on 19 to 21 days with 11 in-a-row from the 21st to the 31st. Our greatest 24-hour rainfall totals came from the storm that struck us on the 3rd and 4th.

January Totals:

Santa Rosa: 12.10”

Napa: 8.51”

SFO: 7.61”

Oakland: 6.52”

Concord: 6.66”

Livermore: 5.28”

Hayward: 5.76”

San Jose: 5.81”

Mountain View: 5.70”

Watsonville: 4.49”

Monterey: 4.73”

Salinas: 5.99”

MIKE NICCO

KGO-TV Morning Meteorologist

Cool January for San Jose

When looking strictly at the average high temperature, this January was one of the coolest January's on record.  Our average high was 55.5 degrees.  The record coolest average high temperature for January is 55.1 degrees in 1986.  Our temperatures ranged from 64 degrees on the 26th to 33 degrees on the 1st. 

MIKE NICCO

KGO-TV Morning Meteorologist