Warmer, sunny and Fresh Fruit Ice Cream Sodas

Good Morning Augusta

It was foggy early this morning, becoming partly cloudy this afternoon. High will reach 73ºF. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight we’ll have some clouds with a low of 51ºF. Winds will be light and variable.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

Humidity is 99%, the dew point is 51ºF and outside it’s 51.2ºF.

The wind direction is West between 0.0 MPH and 0.4 MPH, with a heat index of 51ºF.

The Barometric pressure is 29.93 and rising with a weather graphic indicating sun.

The UV rating is 1 out of 16, Sunrise is 5:03 a.m. Sunset is 8:08 P.M. Moon rise is 3:57 a.m., Moon set is 5:26 p.m., and the moon phase is waning crescent being 8% illuminated.

The RAW METAR reading from Augusta’s airport this morning is:

METAR KAUG 231053Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC004 09/08 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP13

Visibility is 10.0 miles / 16.1 Kilometers with overcast to 400 ft / 121 m. 

We received 0.30 inches of rain over the past 24 hours.

Space Weather for this morning is:

Today’s Solar flux is 76, the solar wind speed is 516 Kilometers per second and the chance of a solar storm is 1%.

To continue with hot weather treats for you in prep for the inevitable hot and muggy summer weather, I highly recommend the following.

FRESH FRUIT ICE CREAM SODAS

·         3 cups fresh fruit (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, peeled/chopped peaches, nectarines, mangoes, or apricots

·         ¾ cup sugar

·         4-5 Tblsp. lemon juice

·         Vanilla ice cream

·         Club soda or lemon-lime soda

To make fruit syrups:

1.      In a blender or food processor, combine desired fruit, sugar, and lemon juice.   Blend or process until smooth.  Strain through fine-mesh sieve.  Chill syrup, covered, for 4 hours or up to 3 days.

·         For each soda: Add ¼ cup chilled fruit syrup and half a scoop of ice cream to a tall glass.  Blend with spoon.  Fill glass three-quarters full with soda.  Add two scoops of ice cream.  Serve immediately.