Geography is a vital component of all of my fields of “expertise.” Be it economics, geopolitics, or climate and natural hazards, the arrangement of stuff on the surface of the earth has to be understood in depth, and some kind of common reference system used. The ultimate system is of course latitude and longitude – but most people don’t know that 32.0N 81.0W is roughly where Savannah, Georgia is. Interestingly, 32.0N 35.0E is roughly Tel Aviv, Israel, and 32.0N, 188.8E is just north of Shanghai, China.
So we use names of cities and towns. Bigger places usually work out OK, but what about Athens – do you mean the place where Western Civilization started (the one in Greece), or where Western Civilization goes to die (the one in Georgia)? Columbus Georgia, or Ohio? Beaufort, SC (properly pronounced “BeYu Furt”) or Beaufort, NC (that they inexplicably pronounce “Boh Fort” 😛 )? So place names can get confusing even if you’ve heard of the place.
Then there are less common place names. On the blog or social media I’ll get questions during severe weather events like “Will Canton get snow?” Now I’m not exactly sure where in the ‘verse Canton is, but I heard it has an impressive statue in the town square …
So as a way to humorously (hopefully) and subtly (probably not) make the point I don’t know where every hamlet or suburb is, once I referenced a forecast to Frogmore. Needless to say, locals rightly loved it, so I’ve continued to use it as the center of the local area of interest.
For those who don’t know (and I feel bad for you 😛 ), Frogmore is located about halfway between Savannah, GA, and Charleston, SC, and is roughly in the middle of where over 60% of the subscribers to the blog and social pages reside. It is home to the world famous Frogmore International Airport, known to some as Beaufort Executive Airport. It’s popular with local pilots and often used to practice landings, and home to many major local landmarks including the world renowned restaurant, The Foolish Frog.
In this worldview, the “Frogmore Metroplex” includes Beaufort (the properly pronounced one), Port Royal, Hilton Head Island, Edisto, Yemassee, Ridgeland, Hardeeville, with Savannah and Tybee Island as part of the Metroplex. Richmond Hill and Springfield are environs. A comprehensive scientific survey concluded that Statesboro is definitely not part of (or wanted in) the Metroplex. Charleston may be an honorary suburb, that remains an open question.
In conclusion, the question isn’t “where is Frogmore?”, it is “where am I relative to Frogmore?” Maybe this award winning map will help …
And here is a map of the area of responsibility of the Charleston NWS forecast office for reference as well … I usually refer to this area as the “Greater Frogmore Metroplex.”
Hopefully this clears things up 🙂 .
Another question that comes up is what is meant by “coastal” or “inland”.
Obviously the ocean has a big influence on weather and climate. That influence extends inland – but what that influence is, and how far inland, depends on the exact weather conditions. On average, “Coastal” is about 20 miles from the coast, “Inland” is beyond 40 miles. This map shows the general boundaries for “coastal vs. inland” …
The red lines are interstates. To the left (west) of the greenish line can be considered to be “inland” most of the time. To the right (east) of the orangish line may be considered “coastal” most of the time. In between is a transition zone with a lot more variability. Notice that the “inland” vs”coastal” line parallels I-95 through coastal Georgia and the Frogmore region proper. But further north it is no longer a good guide.
For a hurricane landfall, “coastal” extends a bit further inland – the core of a landfalling hurricane can be around 100 miles across. Some impacts of the ocean can also extend that far inland, such as onshore winds warming or cooling temperatures depending on the land/sea/air temperatures, make it rain more or less, again depending on the synoptic situation. And sometimes the weather patterns are such that the ocean is either not much of a factor, or is making things “worse” such as when the land/sea interface is inducing vorticity (rotation) and spawning weaker tornadoes.
It is because of the bend in the shoreline, and a few other factors like how thunderstorms propagate along frontal boundaries, that approaching thunderstorms seem to dissipate right as they approach the southern suburbs of Frogmore (Savannah). In short, although the “coastal” and “inland” tags are useful generalities in discussing the local weather, it’s complicated.
But that’s the general overview.
I prefer the term “greater frogmore metroplex”. It’s more inclusive. Thank you for considering my delicate feelings in this matter.
Love this post! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!!!💕
Very helpful. Thank you!
Thanks for the excellent overview – it was very informative. As a former dean of arts and sciences
I was opposed to geography being reduced from a major to a minor and then totally eliminated at the undergraduate level.
A damn shame!
Absolutely agree. It is such an essential perspective and it is a major deficit it isn’t emphasized in more fields, and does deserve being a major of its own as well as a specialized interdisciplinary in the graduate world (like economic geography).
My house is the culprit. Often, we have dramatically different weather in the front than in the back. I think it’s the interplay between the septic tank and the swimming pool fueled by the swamp out back. 7 miles from the Atlantic as the crow flies, mean elevation 12 feet, it has to be interference with ground based storm fueling.
Great information and thank you for the education.
I appreciate what you do!
Found this article fascinating, now I know. Thank you
I….am a proud subject of and I pledge my allegiance to the Republic of Frogmore. If ya got to ask where that is….I95 goes north and south, use it!!
I so enjoyed your synopsis of our beautiful area. Having also lived in NC, I agree on your perspective on how Beaufort is pronounced. 😉
Wonderful description of our area. I agree with the person who noted the weather was different in the front yard and the back yard. I used to live on Richardson Creek, Whitemarsh Island, Savannah, GA. Our front yard was on the Creekside (water FRONT). Our backyard faced Hwy 80. It rarely rained in the backyard when it rained in the front and side yards. Even when it rained on Hwy 80. It was like we lived in different areas. Our “yard” was 7.5 acres, the house was 4,000 sq. ft. and our dock was the length of the property line – 90 feet.
This is by far one of your best and funniest emails. My entire family originates in the Frogmore area, specifically Beaufort, Yemassee, Port Royal and Walterboro, although I have ended up in Brunswick GA. I also was shocked when I heard Beaufort pronounced incorrectly. Was there a bow fort there? I am definitely coastal Georgia, so I depend on your info to decide if I should worry or not, especially in hurricane season. I also recommend your blog to all my friends who run around like the proverbial chickens. Thank you so much! Now I am intrigued by the Foolish Frog, but at my age will probably not ever make it there, sadly.
I am always happy to see your reference to THE FROGMORE METROPLEX. I was raised in Beaufort, and I love Frogmore. My dad had a lumber supply there, and I used to work in the tomato packing sheds there in summer. My son, Jeff, who lives in Slovenia agrees that Frogmore is the center of the world and where people get along. He loves the place, and says where he lives in Slovenia has people a lot like those in Frogmore.
KEEP IT UP… Thanks Arnold
I am Herbie Tolar abiding across the river from you in Hardeeville. The Bowfort pronunciation comes from the Outer Banks vernacular of the “Hoi Toiders” (HighTiders). It is a combination of Queen’s English, Scottish and Irish dialects. Other examples: hood of a car is referred to as the bonnet, the trunk is the boot. We depend on your accurate weather forecasts and love your very understandable explanations of meteorological events.Particularly during Hurricane Season!
From one edumucator – FWIW re: geography: Back in the day when I did real history teaching, I always tried to sprinkle a little geography into lessons with the idea that you can’t appreciate a country or its people unless you understand a little of how they got to be who and where they are – kind of like a “follow the money” approach to geopolitics. I think geography, as a discipline, died when it became synonymous with “map skills” to most.
Stories are the most important part of learning; and the story is in the land (and the wind patterns and the water currents and the migrations… you get the point).
Oh, and … Go Dawgs!
Hats off to the Hero of Canton may you remain safe from the Reavers.
Poor old Daufuskie Island. Left out again.
Is that a Firefly reference?
Wonderful, but short live sci
Fi show. All the actors continued on to do other great shows.