clouds, warming temperatures and chocolate raspberry cake. Happy Valentine's Day!

Good Morning Augusta

This morning we have clouds, becoming partly cloudy this afternoon. High will be around 40°F. Winds SW at 5

Tonight we’ll have mostly clear skies and a low of 23°F. Winds will remain light and variable.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

Humidity is 58%, the Dew Point is 14°F and the outdoor temp is 27.5°F.

The wind direction is   West Southwest between 0.2 MPH and 2.5 MPH, generating a wind chill of 27.3°F.

The Relative pressure is 29.85, the Absolute pressure is 29.65 and falling with a weather graphic indicating rain/snow.

The UV rating is 0 out of 16, Sunrise is 6:440 a.m. Sunset is 5:06 p.m., Moonrise is 6:01 a.m., Moonset is 4:02 a.m. and the Moon Phase is waning crescent being 2% illuminated.

The RAW METAR readings from Augusta’s airport are:

METAR KAUG 141153Z AUTO 21006KT 10SM OVC110 M04/M08 A3027 RMK AO2 SLP255 T10391083 11039 21050 58028

Visibility is 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers with Overcast to 11,000 ft / 3,352 m.

We didn’t receive any rain or snow here over the past 24 hours.

Space Weather for today is:

Today’s Solar flux is 78, the solar wind speed is 301  Kilometers per second and the chance of a solar storm is west

5%.

Happy Valentine’s Day to one and all.  May the love between you and yours last forever.  Have some chocolate raspberry cake today.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CAKE

Serves:  8, or two lovers for 4 days.

1 ½ cups flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa

¾ cup Splenda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ cup chopped slivered almonds

½ cup plain fat-free yogurt

1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise

¾ cup water

2 tsp almond extract

6 tbsp raspberry spreadable fruit

1 cup Cool Whip Free

1 ½ cups fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9

-by-9-inch cake pan with butter-flavored

cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine

flour, cocoa, Splenda, baking powder, and

baking soda.  Stir in 2 tbsp almonds.  In a

small bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise,

water and 1 tsp almond extract.  Add

yogurt mixture to flour mixture.  Mix

gently to combine.  Spread batter into

prepared cake pan.  Bake for 30 minutes

or until a toothpick inserted in center

comes out clean.  Place cake pan on a wire

rack and allow to cool completely.  In a

large bowl, stir spreadable fruit with a

spoon until soft.  Stir in Cool Whip Free

and remaining 1 tsp almond extract. 

 Reserve 8 raspberries.  Gently fold

remaining raspberries into whipped

topping mixture.  Frost cooled cake with

raspberry mixture.  Sprinkle remaining 2

tbsps almonds over top.  Evenly garnish

with reserved raspberries.  Cut into 8

servings.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Exchanges:  1 ½ starch/carbohydrate; 1

fruit; ½ fat

Calories:  186; fat:  2 gm; protein:  5 gm;

carbohydrate:  37 gm; sodium:  321 mg;

calcium:  85 mg; fiber:  3 gm