ALERT NEWSLETTER – February 2025

Hi Everyone ,

So far 2025 has proven to be a year for the weather record books, as we have seen North Alabama and South Alabama greeted by winter storms.

I usually don’t like cold weather, as my DNA is not structured for it, and it exceeds my body’s design specifications. In fact, doing genealogical research I found that the stork was supposed to drop me off in warm French Polynesia, but, due to a shipping error I ended up in cold Alabama instead.

That said, I like snow. To me it’s a grand adventure. A wonder of nature to be appreciated, with the whole world being turned into a living snow globe. A thing of dreams and Hallmark Movie nightmares.

Now, I’m sure if I lived in Erie Pennsylvania, with 97 feet of lake effect snow, I would feel otherwise But, I’m not there, so I am hoping that Central Alabama gets a blizzard also.

I want a blizzard too!

And, since “Blizzard Spotter” agrees with my definition of “Storm Spotter”…

Let it snow!

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Tales Of Bread & Milk

(An updated Article Originally Published In The February 2017 Newsletter)

As I was beginning this article, a message popped up on Facebook from a friend named “Ivy” saying “I realize that the entire population of Oklahoma needs bread and milk tonight…..Please watch, when you come out of Walmart pushing your cart and racing to your car like Mario Andretti, for other cars in the lot. It’s only by the grace of God that you weren’t hit.”

Now, before I get into the gist of this article, I will go ahead and apologize. If I am “tinkering” with sensitive sacred subjects, I don’t mean to step on toes. And, though I actually do know it all, I really don’t intend to sound like one, as I probably will.

Good old Bread and Milk, you know the drill. Let the slightest whisper of the word “snow” be mentioned and the bakeries have to shift into high gear, the wheat fields have to accelerate their growth and Elsie, and her sisters have to put in overtime to meet the sudden demand as crowds of humanity descend upon the stores and the milk and bread shelves rapidly empty out. All for an event that will last 48 hours, before the excessive heat warnings kick in.

But, why does this occur? Or as CNN put it “Is there something about snowstorms that makes us want to eat French toast and sit on the toilet?”

In researching this article, I did an online survey on a nationwide emergency preparedness group and sought out comments from the regular public as well. I found the results interesting.

First of all, in spite what you constantly hear from Northern and Western “transplants”, this phenomenon is not “a southern thing” at all. I already knew this; for I saw the shelves clear out in Oklahoma City, when I was snowed in by an actual blizzard in 2010. Also, I knew they did this in Boston, based on photographs and news reports during a nor’easter the previous year.

Oklahoma City and Boston are not alone. “People always clear the shelves of milk, eggs and bread,” said Paul Shipman, of the American Red Cross’s Connecticut chapter in Hartford. Who added “Well, the milk doesn’t do well without refrigeration, eggs are useless if you can’t cook them, and the bread is not going to provide much nutrition on its own. You need non-perishable food, water and other necessities to be safe.”

“David” in New York said “They do the same thing here in NY! It’s crazy that whenever there’s a threat of snow in excess of a couple of inches, people panic and run out to the stores and empty the shelves of milk, bread, and water.”

He added “I truly believe that most people really like the controversy. I see these people’s faces and I see not panic, but a sense of excitement. I know it’s weird, but I really do believe that some people like whatever rush of excitement involved with the whole process.”

“Tina” commented “My husband and I always chuckle about this….and it’s true. People in NJ have always done this…they buy milk, bread and eggs.”

Some of the most entertaining comments came from overseas. “In America when it snows people stock up on milk, bread and toilet paper. In Britain its whiskey and cat litter” one Brit said.

“Ted” from Birmingham England says “Tea. I’m British and I would stock up on Tea. I wouldn’t want to face an oncoming storm/war/zombie holocaust without plenty of cups of Tea.”

“Les” from Melbourne said, “In Australia, it’s Tim-Tams (chocolate cookies), Foster’s Lager and Chiko Rolls (an Australian offshoot of Chinese spring rolls).”

“Brad” in Liverpool explained British weather, which is not that very different from our own. “In the UK, our snowfalls don’t last long enough to bother stocking up. We get a day or two of widespread travel disruption, because we don’t have the infrastructure to deal with snow properly (understandable since we get maybe one moderate snowfall every 10 years), then it all melts. After we’ve scraped a few car wrecks off the roads and taken all the pensioners who died of hypothermia to the morgue, life gets back to normal quite quickly.

The likelihood of getting snowed in for long enough that you would run out of your normal stocks of food is practically zero here in the UK.”

“Cedric” from London chimed in “I think there are two comedy bits about this… something about stocking up on the most perishable items for when the power goes out, and something about a lot of people making French toast during disasters.”

As to the cat litter, in addition to using it on driveways, “Eric” from Worchester mentioned “after the water lines freeze, it also works well to fill a 5 gallon bucket with it halfway as a makeshift urinal. Which is important, especially if you’re riding out the storm in the pub.”

“Paul” in Manchester said “Meh, most suburban supermarkets in the UK will have an army of pensioners in the daytime clearing out the stocks of bread and milk. Their Blitz spirit tends to kick in at the slightest flurry of snow, as ‘rationing will undoubtedly occur’ if the snow goes above ankle height.”

So, we are far from alone in this tradition. But how did it start?

No one really knows when the bread and milk craze began. It is a modern phenomenon, as it takes a media rumor of the slightest possibility of a lonely snowflake to set the cascade in motion.

Some say that Pittsburgh is credited with starting the bread & milk frenzy during the onset of a blizzard on November 24, 1950. An article in a local newspaper referenced milk as “the one shortage that has hit all sections” and bread as being “doled out in some stores” because of a storm that ultimately brought almost 3 feet of snow.

Others give the credit to New Englanders. Per Accuweather: “It appears that New Englanders can take credit for the purchasing of milk and bread prior to the storm,” the site reported. “It was the monumental blizzard in 1978 that trapped many in homes for weeks that get at least some credit for the current tradition.”

But why does it occur at all?

Psychologist Judy Rosenberg of Los Angeles theorizes “Buying perishables is like saying, ‘the storm will be over soon, and I won’t be stuck in this situation for long.’” Whereas buying nonperishable items is admitting that you are probably doomed.

Psychotherapist Lisa Batemen from New York believes “The thought to get milk before a storm is followed by the action or compulsion to go out and stockpile it. In one way or another, we spend a lot of time and energy trying to feel in control, and buying things you might throw out still gives the person a sense of control in an uncontrollable situation.”

Both theories may be true, or it may be giving people too much credit for being cerebral.

Among my initial theories were:

1. Lack of training or knowledge in emergency preparedness.

As to this theory, some folk look at me like I’m crazy and roll their eyes as I harp “you can go to Sam’s and get a butane stove for $22 and 12 fuel cylinders from Amazon for $25. That’s warm food for an investment around $50 that you can use time & time again, for camping, cookouts, power outages, etc.” Just add some cans of stew, chili or dumplings or really anything you may want to cook, you can cook. You’re ready to rock and roll.”

I enjoy camping out; as a result, I have several options for cooking. I can use the grill, the butane stove mentioned, which requires no ventilation, “old school” liquid fuel Coleman stoves, propane Coleman stoves or backpacking stove, all of which would require a slightly opened window for ventilation.

“Yeah, but, who wants an open a window in a snowstorm?” “Dave” asked. “An Eskimo” I thought, since they always included a vent hole in the design of their igloos.

Some do see it my way, as “Len” from Ohio said “I learned from my grandmother to just put on a big pot of soup, or something that normally takes three days to eat anyway, when they say somethings coming. If we lose power, I’ll just fire up the grill.”

A “discussion” broke out with one lady, “Missy”, when some mentioned getting nutritious food, such as soup instead of the traditional B & M, and she said in a somewhat snarly exchange “but, what if I want French toast?”

“Do you usually eat French toast?” A guy named “Bill” asked.

“Uh, um, well no” she replied. When “Bill” asked when the last time was that she had had French toast period, she couldn’t answer except to say, “but what if I did want some, hmmm?”

Reading this gave me my second reason, which is:

2. Fear of not having access to a resource, whether it is a resource normally used or not.

For example, “Marie” stated “I normally throw out half a gallon of milk a week, and here I go buying two gallons of milk for a two day storm, just because ‘there may be none’, when I know good and well that the stores will be open and restocked in three days anyway. And I don’t even like French toast.”

3. People tend to act like sheep. When they see a few people doing something, they follow suit, whether it’s driving in the wrong direction, following some senseless fad, or in this case “They are pillaging Publix, so we better go pillaging too, while there’s something left to pillage” and so the feeding frenzy grows.
4. Habit or tradition. “Granny always got bread and milk, so I do it to”.

“It’s tradition. You need to make French toast when it snows! Don’t forget to buy eggs too!” said “Marion” in Washington DC.”

“Everyone has a ‘French toast party’ whenever it snows. It really shouldn’t be that hard to figure out. DUH.” said “Shonda” – Bronx NY

Roughly half of those commenting were of the French Toast Army.

Other possible reasons revealed by my survey were as follows:

”Tom” said, “I was told by a friend she likes to bake on snow days and milk is important to baking/eating said baked goods”.

“Ralph” said “If the wife says, ‘go get a truckload of bread’, Dear Lord go and get it, otherwise you will hear about it until the day you die.”

Several said that if they stuck bowl after bowl of cereal in front of their kids they would have blessed peace and quiet.

“Phil” said “I’ve seen children that have full on meltdowns if they don’t have milk, so for that reason I can see stocking up. If I had to spend days snowed in a house with a child screaming their head off cause they didn’t have milk, I think I’d rather the storm take me.”

“Kay” theorized “Maybe it’s just a matter of compressed time. Let’s say Monday is the last possible shopping day because it’s going to snow Tuesday. So, everyone who normally would shop on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday come in on Monday since they know they can’t go later in the week. So, what looks like hoarding is actually the normal week’s grocery shopping, just bought during the Bread & Milk Riot.”

Then there was the lady “Sue” in Clanton who said “You Karens can laugh all you want, but my kids isn’t goin hungry”.

To which “Gordan” replied, “There’s grilling, using Coleman stoves, butane stoves, propane stoves, Sterno stoves, soooo many options. Hot chili, soups, stew, chicken and dumplings, steaks, potatoes, anything that can be cooked over a flame…hmmm…kind of like when you go camping….nutritious, delicious, Beneficious, which ought to be a word, a veritable smorgasbord of culinary delights at one’s fingertips…you can have a steaming plate of pan seared salmon served in with garlic butter. Perched atop mashed potatoes with a side of asparagus. A toothsome, tasty treat guaranteed to tantalize the tastebuds and tickle the tonsils. A Bonafide epicurean delight…but instead you choose….(sigh)…soggy sandwiches…😝”

The other half of those responding was the French Toast Nonbelievers or Emergency Prepared.

“Tim” said “Never understood this myself, don’t these people have bread and milk in their homes already? Do they not have children? My kids would live off milk and P&B sandwiches if I let them.”

“Joe” commented “Seriously though, who only keeps a few days food in their house? I don’t ‘stock up’ on food and I could probably go a good month or two being well fed on what’s in my cabinets”.

“Doug” said “A lot of people really just do not plan on Monday past Thursday. My childhood taught me to think more about what ifs. We lived on a small farm, and had a good summer’s crop of mason jars filled in the root cellar, we were better off than a lot of people.

“Mark” said “I remember Mom & Dad always had a well-stocked pantry. Homemade preserves, canned home grown tomatoes, frozen vegetables and such. I guess that has influenced my thinking. “Never let the pantry go bare” I remember Mom saying & I try to follow this.”

“Bart” added “People seem to have an unreasonable fear of starving, forgetting the times when they were so sick that even the thought of food made them want to hurl. If they, in a ‘sickly’ condition could go a few days without food and it didn’t kill them, why the thought that a couple of days without food, and them healthy, will kill them is beyond me. Now if kids or special needs persons are involved that would change the theory. I guess that’s where the ‘pre’ in ‘preparedness’ comes in.’”

Of course, the rush is not limited to bread or milk. Toilet paper and booze rank high among targets.

Toilet paper I can understand. If there is even the slightest chance you will run out of the Morning Paper, you would be wise to grab some. I fact if your survival plan centers on eating milk and Captain Crunch for five days straight, it would behoove you to have gracious plenty. You wouldn’t want to get caught with your pants down.

As to booze, I may step on a few toes here. Last year after a round of winter weather the coworkers were discussing their adventures. One lady came to me asking for pain meds as she was still very hung over. “I spent the whole time drunk” she said. Then she suddenly got very defensive and huffy “well there was nothing else to do.” She snarled. As if I had said even a single word.

Once there was a discussion on an emergency preparedness group & the question arose “who packs liquor in their emergency supplies. Some said they did, most citing medicinal or “bartering” reasons, and a few for “recreational reasons, to take the edge off”. Many said they packed none.

My response was “Not to beat anyone over the head with a tambourine, but, if there was ever a time I would want to be ‘about my wits’ and sharp minded it would be during an emergency, where you may have to react and react very fast. For me to do something that will compromise that ability seems a foolish move.”

Many make a “booze snow haul” with the express purpose of getting completely wasted and passing out, which I have never understood. For it leaves you totally vulnerable, totally defenseless and absolutely helpless. Anything could happen to you. A fire breaks out, and you are dead. Anyone can do whatever their cold hearts want to do to you, and you are completely helpless. But, to each his own I guess.

As I close, I found that there is a clear dividing line between the two camps. The subject of which
can trigger strong emotions, with one side feeling it is a ridiculous spectacle carried on by ill-informed, ill-prepared masses, who just help perpetuate stereotypes of ignorance, and the other side feeling that the naysayers are a dimwitted judgmental lot, making a big deal over nothing, and rather stupid for not understanding the “common sense of it all, that without power bread, milk, and sandwiches are the only things we can eat”. “It’s not that it’s not that hard to figure out, it’s not rocket science, after all.”

So, there you go, both sides drawing a line in the snow, waiting, waiting and waiting for enough snowflakes to arrive so they make a snowball to chunk at each other.

In the end the reasons for and against the Bread & Milk Rush are as varied as the population itself.

I remember the “Planters Theorem” – which states that “whether you are a walnut, a chestnut or a Brazil nut, it doesn’t matter. In the end were all just a bunch of mixed nuts anyway.”

Perhaps the most important question of all was that of “Ed” in Milwaukee – “Why is it that Walmart will have 25 checkout lines and only 2 open, with 500 people crowding trying to escape before the glaciers start moving in?” Why indeed.

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Birmingham NWS Spring 2025 Spotter Courses

The Birmingham NWS Office will be offering several online and in person Basic and Advanced Spotter Courses this Spring. These classes are FREE and allow individuals to complete these courses in the comfort of their own home or office as well as in a traditional format.

By attending any course, which runs about 2 hours, an individual or a group of individuals will become SKYWARN Spotters.

Unless you want to or need a refresher, you do not need to attend more than one Basic SKYWARN Course, as the material covered is the same; however, it is required that you attend at least one Basic SKYWARN Course before taking the Advanced SKYWARN Course. These courses are two-way, meaning you will be able to interact with the meteorologist leading the training. You will be muted while training is in-progress, but you may use the built-in chat feature to ask questions.

To attend the Online Spotter Class:

1. Via the schedule below, register by clicking the link
   corresponding to the class you’d like to attend.
2. Select the ‘join webinar’ button on the registration page or
   in your confirmation email and follow the prompts.
3. Enjoy the class and ask questions.

To avoid being hurried, give yourself at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the class to complete the above process.

The current schedule is as follows:

Online:

Basic Class Thursday, February 27 6:30 – 830PM Class Registration Link:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5612889656875108192

Basic Class Thursday, March 6 6:30 – 8:30 PM Class Registration Link:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6525512895232151899

Basic Class Tuesday, March 11 1:00 – 3:00 PM Class Registration Link:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5602553148063006303

Basic Class Tuesday, March 18 6:00 – 8:30 PM Class Registration Link:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5978459680925235293

Advanced Class Thursday, March 27 6:30 – 8:30 PM Class Registration Link:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4091759300312812117

In Person:

Basic Class – Etowah County Tuesday, February 11 6:00 – 8:00 PM Downtown Civic Center
623 Broad Street
Gadsden, AL
Parking Entrance in Rear

Basic Class – Clay County Sunday, February 23 2 :00 – 4:00 PM County Line Fire
Department
1640 County Line Road
Wadley, AL 36276

Send questions, comments, or inquires to gerald.satterwhite@noaa.gov

These classes will help you provide the NWS the vital “ground truth” information they need to verify radar indications, target their attention and help you relay reports in a clear manner to the NWS, either directly via 205-664-3010 and pressing 2, online at https://www.weather.gov/bmx/submitstormreport

or via chat or amateur radio. This knowledge helps Skywarn Net Control stations filter reports, by giving them knowledge of what reporting stations are trying to describe. This way they can tell if the report is a valid report, an invalid report by an overly excited operator or a valid, but poorly described report, which without this knowledge would be mistakenly dismissed.

For further information on these classes visit: http://www.weather.gov/bmx/skywarn

A PDF of the September 20, 2018 Basic presentation may be found at:
https://www.weather.gov/media/bmx/skywarn/BasicSpotterGSAT.pdf

A PDF of the April 4, 2019 Advanced presentation may be found at:
https://www.weather.gov/media/bmx/skywarn/Gerald_Satterwhite_Advanced_WEBPAGE.pdf

The NWS in Norman, OK have numerous YouTube videos worth exploring at:
https://www.youtube.com/user/NWSNorman/playlists

Other useful resources:

ABC33/40 Basic Storm Spotter Training
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_MzKUTfUKA
ABC 33/40 Storm Spotter Extreme Part 1 – April 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOE69nsaKWE

ABC 33/40 Storm Spotter Extreme Part 2 – April 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8hT7gCCQB0

ABC 33/40 Storm Spotter Extreme Part 3 – April 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKHsAxNzqEM

For information on online training visit:
https://www.meted.ucar.edu/training_course.php?id=23

Note this online course IS NOT intended to replace the courses offered by the NWS offices. The local meteorologists will know factors and variations in the area’s microclimate that may need to be considered in assessing the observed phenomena. Consider this online course as supplemental information.

Also, Severe Weather Awareness Week is February 3 – 7. For more details go to: https://www.weather.gov/bmx/outreach_swaw

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Mark’s Almanac

February, or Februarius, as the Romans called it, is named after the Latin term februum, which means “purification”. Ancient Rome celebrated the Februa purification ritual on February 15, which was Full Moon on the old lunar based Latin calendar.

February was not originally included in the Roman calendar, which began in March, but was added, along with January by Numa Pompilius around 713 BC, and until 450 BC was considered the last month of the year.

February was originally 29 days long, but one day was taken and added to August, so that Emperor Augustus’s month would be equal to Julius Caesar’s month of July. Now only Leap Year, which will next occur in 2024, has 29 days.

Ground Hog Day is on February 2 & believers will watch that flea bitten danged old Yankee Punxsutawney Phil and True Southern Gentleman Birmingham Bill, to see if they see their shadows. If so, prepare for six more weeks of winter.

How did we come up with Groundhog Day anyway?

It is said by one theory that the first day of Spring is about six weeks after Groundhog Day, on March 20 or 21. 1000 years ago when the world used the Julian calendar, Spring Equinox fell on March 16, which is exactly six weeks after February 2. So, if the groundhog saw his shadow on Groundhog Day there would be six more weeks of winter. But, if he didn’t, there would be only 42 more days of winter left instead. Get the calculator out and you will find that 42 days equals six weeks, so Groundhog Day may have started out as a practical joke.

The modern 21 Century version blurs this into saying that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and fails to see its shadow, winter will soon end. If not, it will return into its burrow, and the winter will continue for 6 more weeks.

It is believed that the Germans in Pennsylvania brought Groundhog Day with them.

Morgantown, Pennsylvania storekeeper James Morris’ diary entry for Feb. 4, 1841 states “Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.”

So, how accurate is the little goomer?

Well, Groundhog Day believers claim a 75% to 90% accuracy rate. The National Climatic Data Center, on the other hand, says it’s more like 39%.

But you know how Heathens can be.

If the NCDC is right, maybe they can still use the critter anyway, by flipping the theory around, so if he predicts warmth, you go with winter & vice versa.

I think this is called “Inverse Forecasting”. Or it should be anyway.

In the Southern Hemisphere February is the equivalent of August. But, for us, February is a cold month with more snow falling in February than in any other month.

Statistically speaking, there is a 70% chance of snow flurries, and a 57% chance of snow up to one inch. There is a 13% chance of over one inch, and a 3% chance of 4 inches or more.

There is hope on the horizon though, as the worst of winter weather is usually over by February 15.

North Atlantic Tropical activity is at a minimum. From 1851 to 2024 there has been only one Tropical Storm to occur, 70 MPH Tropical Storm #1, which affected Florida on February 2 & 3, 1952.

Days grow longer as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon rapidly increases from 39.5 degrees at the beginning of the month to 48.6 degrees at the end. Daylight increases from 10 hours 35 minutes on February 1 to 11 hours 26 minutes on February 28.

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

February 1 Sunrise 6:44 AM Sunset 5:18 PM
February 14 Sunrise 6:33 AM Sunset 5:31 PM
February 28 Sunrise 6:17 AM Sunset 5:43 PM

Looking skyward, the Sun, magnitude -26.8 is in Capricornus.

Mercury, magnitude -0.7, in Sagittarius, The Archer, is lost in the glow of the Sun for most of the month.

Mercury at will pass behind the Sun, or be in “Superior Conjunction “ on February 9

He will become visible starting February 26, when he will become visible at 5:56 PM CST,
8° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting at 6:40 PM CST

Venus, magnitude –4.7, in Piscis, The Fish, is the brilliant “Evening Star” shining in the West.

At the first of the month, she becomes visible at around 5:34 PM CST, 38° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 3 hours and 31 minutes after the Sun at 8:49 PM CST.

The Moon will pass 2.7° North of Venus on February 1.

By the 15th she will become visible at around 5:46 PM CST, 35° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 3 hours and 9 minutes after the Sun at 8:40 PM CST.

Venus will reach her closets distance from the Sun, or “Perihelion” on February 19, when she will be 66,785,029 miles from the Sun.

By months end, she will become visible at around 5:58 PM CST, 36° above the western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. She will then sink towards the horizon, setting 3 hours and 27 minutes after the Sun at 8:09 PM CST.

Earth and her Moon, magnitude -4.0, as viewed from the Sun, is in Leo, The Lion.

Mars, with his moons Phobos and Deimos, magnitude +1.3, in Gemini, The Twins,

At the beginning of the month, he will become accessible around 5:34 PM CST, when he reaches an altitude of 27° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades into darkness. He will then reach its highest point in the sky at 10:26 PM CST, 82° above the southern horizon. He will become inaccessible at around 4:58 AM CST when he sinks below 7° above the north-western horizon.

The Moon will pass very close to Mars, 0.8° South on February 9.

By midmonth, he will become accessible around 5:34 PM CST, when he reaches an altitude of 43° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades into darkness. He will then reach its highest point in the sky at 9:22 PM CST, 82° above the southern horizon. He will become inaccessible at around 3:51 AM CST when he sinks below 7° above the north-western horizon.

By the end of the month, he will become accessible around 6:04 PM CST, 58° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 8:25 PM CST, 82° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 2:49 AM CST, when he sinks below 9° above the north-western horizon.

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude +9.1, is in Capricornus, The Sea Goat.

Jupiter, and his 95 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring, magnitude -2.6, is in Taurus, The Bull,
is an early evening object and dominates the evening night sky.

At the beginning of the month, he will become visible around 5:34 PM CST, 60° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 7:34 PM CST, 78° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 1:53 AM CST, when he sinks below 7° above the western horizon.

By midmonth he becomes accessible around 5:46 PM CST, 72° above the south-eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 6:44 PM CST, 78° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 1:03 AM CST, when he sinks below 7° above the western horizon.

By the end of the month, he will become accessible around 5:58 PM CST, 78° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness and will continue to be observable until around 1:57 AM, when he sinks below 7° above the horizon.

Saturn, magnitude +1.1, and his 146 moons and extensive debris ring system, is in Aquarius, The Water Bearer.

At the first of the month, he becomes visible at around 5:54 PM CST, 23° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 40 minutes after the Sun at 7:58 PM CST.

By midmonth he will become visible around 6:06 PM CST, 13° above your south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 1 hours and 43 minutes after the Sun at 7:13 PM CST.

At months end he becomes visible around 5:53 PM CST, 24° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the horizon, setting 2 hours and 44 minutes after the Sun at 8:01 PM CST.

He will disappear from the evening skies as he moves into the glow of the Sun on February16th.

Uranus, magnitude +5.7, and his 27 moons and ring, in Aries, The Ram, is an early evening object, receding into the evening twilight.

He becomes visible around 6:19 PM CST, at his highest altitude 74° above the southern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will continue to be observable until around 11:23 PM CST AM, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

By midmonth he will become visible around 6:30 PM CST, at an altitude of 69° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades into darkness. He will continue to be observable until around 12:22 AM CST, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

At month’s end he becomes visible around 6:41 PM CST, at an altitude of 57° above the western horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 11:28 PM CST, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

Neptune, magnitude +7.8, and his 14 moons and ring, in Pisces, The Fish, is sinking low towards the south-western horizon.

At the first of the month, he becomes accessible via binoculars and telescopes at 6:19 PM CST, at an altitude of 29° above the south-western horizon as dusk fades into darkness. He will fade from view, setting 3 hours and 30 minutes after the Sun at 8:48 PM.

He will become lost in the glow of the Sun on February 10.

Dwarf Planet Pluto, the largest Dwarf Planet, with his five moons shines at a dim 14.5 in Capricornus, The Sea Goat.

Dwarf Planet 136108 Haumea, her ring and moons Hiʻiaka and Namaka, shines at a faint magnitude of 17.4 in Bootes, The Herdsman.

Dwarf Planet 136472 Makemake with his moon S/2015 (136472) 1, nicknamed MK1 by the discovery team, shines faintly at magnitude +17.2 in Coma Berenices.

Dwarf Planet 136199 Eris, the second largest Dwarf Planet, and her moon Dysnomia, originally referred to as Xena and Gabrielle, is barely visible in the most powerful telescopes at magnitude +18.7 in Cetus the Sea Monster.

At least six additional bodies with the preliminary criteria for identifying dwarf planets, and though not “officially” declared as such, are generally called dwarf planets by astronomers as well.

90482 Orcus, and his moon Vanth shines at magnitude 19.1 in Ophiuchus, The Serpent Bearer.
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50000 Quaoar, and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 in Pisces, The Fish.
90377 Sedna, the coldest, and at one time, the most distant known place in the Solar System, glows faintly at magnitude +20.8 in Taurus, The Bull.

225088 Gonggong, the third largest Dwarf Planet, originally nicknamed Snow White by the discovery team, and his moon Xiangli glows dimly at +21.5 magnitude in Pisces, The Fish.

2014 UZ224 nicknamed “DeeDee” for “Distant Dwarf” is 8.5 billion miles from the Sun, at magnitude +23.0 in Eridanus, The River.

120347 Salacia, and her moon Actaea glows at magnitude 20.7 in Gemini, The Twins. Salacia is considered a “borderline” Dwarf Planet. Some astronomers saying she “most certainly is a Dwarf Planet”, while others disagreeing based on her size, saying she is too small to have compressed into a fully solid body, to have been resurfaced, or to have collapsed into “hydrostatic equilibrium”, that is to assume spherical shape like a planet.

This dark world lies beyond the orbit of Neptune, orbiting 4,164,420,166 miles from the Sun.

Currently the most distant observable known object in the Solar System, an asteroid unofficially called Asteroid 2018 AG37, and nicknamed FarFarOut, glows at a barely detectable +25.5 magnitude in Lynx.

FarFarOut is currently 12,223,127,627 miles or in Light Time, 18 hours, 13 minutes and 36 seconds from Earth.

The most distant man-made object, Voyager 1, still operating after 47 years, 4 month and 19 days is 15,528,958,872 miles, or in Light Time, 23 hours, 9 minutes 22 Seconds from Earth as of 10:58 AM, January 24, 2025, sailing 38,027 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.
Voyager – Mission Status (nasa.gov) & Voyager 1 | TheSkyLive

There are 1,436,041 known asteroids and 3,992 comets as of January 24, 2025 per NASA/JPL Solar Dynamics Website JPL Solar System Dynamics (nasa.gov).

Near Earth Object, asteroid 99942 Apophis, is expected to pass within 19,794 miles of the Earth on April 13, 2029.

Apophis, magnitude 20.3, in Capricornus, The Sea Goat, is 162,289,117 miles or 1539 days from the Earth as of 11:11 AM, January 24, 2025.

5,819 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of January 9, 2025, per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/.

The Moon will be at Perigee or its closest approach to Earth on February 1, when she will be 228,327 miles from Earth.

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur January 5 at 2:03 AM CST or 08:03 UTC.

During a Quarter Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

Full Moon will occur February 12 at 7:55 AM CST or 13:55 UTC. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. February’s Full Moon is “Full Snow Moon” in Native American folklore as the heaviest snows usually fall at this time of year. Since the harsh weather made hunting difficult, some tribes called it “Full Hunger Moon”.

During a Full Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -12.7.

The Moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on February 17, when she will be 251,582 miles from Earth.

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur February 20, at 11:34 AM CST or 15:34 UTC.

During a Quarter Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

New Moon occurs February 28 at 6:46 PM CST or 00:46 UTC March 1. The Moon will on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

On February 28 six planets will be in a planetary alignment in the evening sky just after sunset.

Remembering that stars twinkle, but, planets do not, see how many you can spot.

Reddish Mars will be highest in the sky, high above the southern horizon.

Bright Jupiter sits a little lower, shining like a beacon.

Then there will be Uranus, which though theoretically, can be seen with the naked eye under perfectly dark, clear skies, given our light polluted skies, you will need a pair of binoculars.

Closer to the western horizon, brilliant Venus will easily be seen.

Just above the western horizon, is Neptune, the faintest planet. You’ll need a pair of powerful binoculars or a telescope to see it.

Mercury will lie close to the horizon, faint in the afterglow of sunset.

Saturn is hidden just below the horizon.

Look at your feet and you will see the Earth also, though that is cheating.

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BirmingHAMfest will be held Friday February 28 and Saturday March 1 at the Trussville Civic Center.

Doors open at 4:00 p.m. on Friday and close at 7:00 p.m. The hamfest will reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and close at 4:00 p.m. with the grand prize drawing.

BARC :: BirmingHAMfest :: March 15-16, 2024

This month’s ALERT meeting will be at 7 PM, February 11 at the NWS Forecast Office at the Shelby County Airport.

Mark Wells
ALERT Newsletter