Texas Winter 2013-2014

[ThunderSleetDreams]

:uarrow: PWC might be distracted at the moment by the news that Mack Brown is stepping down as coach of the University of Texas

Conversation overhead in the University of Alabama athletics office just moments ago:

"Mr. Saban, you have a phone call waiting."
"Who is it?"
"The caller says he's the lead meteorologist with the Portastorm Weather Center. He says if you want snow, you got snow!"
"Ok, tell him I'll be right there."

LOL, classic.... I wouldn't mind Saban leaving the SEC and going to Texas. I don't think it will happen though, and that's not an insult to Texas. I think age and Bama willing to match will probably keep him there, and yes, I read Orangebloods, Shuttlesworth and Burton, etc. etc.

[wxman57]

Euro indicating some quite cold air moving down the Plains on the 20th, but that's as far as the model goes (10 days).

I AM constantly using an electric blanket as I sit on the couch watching TV. Looks like I'll have to switch it over to a 220V outlet by Christmas Eve.

[Tireman4]

Euro indicating some quite cold air moving down the Plains on the 20th, but that's as far as the model goes (10 days).

I AM constantly using an electric blanket as I sit on the couch watching TV. Looks like I'll have to switch it over to a 220V outlet by Christmas Eve.

I have a high output propane heater for you.

[TeamPlayersBlue]

Ok quick meteorology lesson time. We have talked about how the warm water in the Gulf of Alaska is 'pumping up' this ridge, but dynamically how is this causing the ridge to form so often? Warmer air promotes rising air at the surface so wouldnt it be lower pressures there? Just an example of my though. Basically i want to know if its the chicken or the egg Thanks in advance.

You are generally correct for lower levels ie. warming can lead to lower surface pressures (think of monsoon lows). However, the low level warming causes the column to expand, and at upper levels a local height maximum is obtained (note this can be visualized as high pressure on a constant height surface, if you don't like isobaric surfaces), this height maximum leads to upper level divergence, and occasionally even an ULAC (mainly in very strong warm core systems such as tropical cyclone), and due to mass continuity the UL divergence leads to pressure falls at the surface. Rising air can also cool the column (adiabatically), but if sufficient water vapor is present (as is generally the case over warm water) this can be negated through latent heat release (this is truly the origin of the "pumping the ridge" term.

Excellent write up and thank you very much!

[Portastorm]

Interesting tweet and consideration for all of us, per Ryan Maue on Twitter:

Ryan Maue ‏@RyanMaue 3m

As December continues on -- climatology quickly gets colder as well. So negative anomalies today are worth more in 2-weeks on cold side.

[Rgv20]

Oh my 12zECMWF Ensemble Means 500mb Height Anomalies forecast for day 10....I request an emergency meeting with Portastorm and Ntxw!



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[orangeblood]

12Z Euro Ensembles echo what the GFS ensembles have been depicting, A Major Arctic Intrusion scheduled to enter the central Plains around end of next week.

Cold Anomalies, such as these, this far out usually mean business. Is also very fitting to start its trek across this State on the Winter Solstice.....

[Portastorm]

Trying to avoid hyperbole here, but those maps are just downright ugly. If that stuff verifies ... wow .... just wow!

[wxman57]

Trying to avoid hyperbole here, but those maps are just downright ugly. If that stuff verifies ... wow .... just wow!

Just as in 1983 and 1989, the cold is forecast to arrive just before Christmas when may people will be out of town. If such cold does hit, then many will return home to flooded homes from pipes bursting in the attic. Not good. And I'll be found frozen on the couch...

[ThunderSleetDreams]

We got a Pro Met on our Aggie board holding onto hope to the NAEFS mean of all 60 models. Of course, he is cut from the cloth of wxman57 and likes it HOT.

I posted a pic of our front yard in 1989 and said "think happy thoughts"

[weatherdude1108]

Wow! The Texas Winter 2013 thread has already reached page 100, and it is not even the Winter Solstice! Pretty cool!

[wxman57]

We got a Pro Met on our Aggie board holding onto hope to the NCEFS mean of all 60 models. Of course, he is cut from the cloth of wxman57 and likes it HOT.

I posted a pic of our front yard in 1989 and said "think happy thoughts"

I like it hot but I know when to surrender. Perhaps I'll head to Home Depot this weekend and get something to wrap my hose bibs in. All the insulation fell off in the past year. Might add some insulation over the top of the pipes in the attic, too.

[Ntxw]

Dang Portastorm, you've been busy drawing these maps without our consultation! Between Saban and the weather you've been hard at work! Emergency meeting behind closed doors sha'll commence RGV20. Orangeblood will be coming in with those McFarland charts rolled under his arms!

I see our resident heat miser is preparing for the end of times

[cctxhurricanewatcher]

Trying to avoid hyperbole here, but those maps are just downright ugly. If that stuff verifies ... wow .... just wow!

I hear the truck full of Grey Goose is loading up and headed your way. Here is the photo evidence.

[cctxhurricanewatcher]

We got a Pro Met on our Aggie board holding onto hope to the NCEFS mean of all 60 models. Of course, he is cut from the cloth of wxman57 and likes it HOT.

I posted a pic of our front yard in 1989 and said "think happy thoughts"

I like it hot but I know when to surrender. Perhaps I'll head to Home Depot this weekend and get something to wrap my hose bibs in. All the insulation fell off in the past year. Might add some insulation over the top of the pipes in the attic, too.

Might want to buy some to wrap yourself in....

[ThunderSleetDreams]

We got a Pro Met on our Aggie board holding onto hope to the NCEFS mean of all 60 models. Of course, he is cut from the cloth of wxman57 and likes it HOT.

I posted a pic of our front yard in 1989 and said "think happy thoughts"

I like it hot but I know when to surrender. Perhaps I'll head to Home Depot this weekend and get something to wrap my hose bibs in. All the insulation fell off in the past year. Might add some insulation over the top of the pipes in the attic, too.

Is that a white flag I see?

[iorange55]

Dang Portastorm, you've been busy drawing these maps without our consultation! Between Saban and the weather you've been hard at work! Emergency meeting behind closed doors sha'll commence RGV20. Orangeblood will be coming in with those McFarland charts rolled under his arms!

I see our resident heat miser is preparing for the end of times

I have a friend who loves the heat more than wxman57 (hard to believe I know) but I informed him that more cold was coming and I am 99% sure I saw a tear roll down his cold cheek.

[dhweather]

Well, if it's gonna be THAT cold, it BETTER snow. I don't want any stinking ice, I want SNOW.

[srainhoutx]

We got a Pro Met on our Aggie board holding onto hope to the NCEFS mean of all 60 models. Of course, he is cut from the cloth of wxman57 and likes it HOT.

I posted a pic of our front yard in 1989 and said "think happy thoughts"

I like it hot but I know when to surrender. Perhaps I'll head to Home Depot this weekend and get something to wrap my hose bibs in. All the insulation fell off in the past year. Might add some insulation over the top of the pipes in the attic, too.

That is our plan this weekend while it is 'warm'. I do not want to see a repeat of 83 or 89 and those not old enough to remember, the fire hydrants across SE Texas froze solid.That greatly hindered fire fighting operations and we literally had to stand by and conserve what water we had onboard our pumping apparatus to life saving operations. Property damage was extremely widespread and low water pressure from bursting water mains only added to the problems during those events.

[Portastorm]

We got a Pro Met on our Aggie board holding onto hope to the NCEFS mean of all 60 models. Of course, he is cut from the cloth of wxman57 and likes it HOT.

I posted a pic of our front yard in 1989 and said "think happy thoughts"

I like it hot but I know when to surrender. Perhaps I'll head to Home Depot this weekend and get something to wrap my hose bibs in. All the insulation fell off in the past year. Might add some insulation over the top of the pipes in the attic, too.

That is our plan this weekend while it is 'warm'. I do not want to see a repeat of 83 or 89 and those not old enough to remember, the fire hydrants across SE Texas froze solid.That greatly hindered fire fighting operations and we literally had to stand by and conserve what water we had onboard our pumping apparatus to life saving operations. Property damage was extremely widespread and low water pressure from bursting water mains only added to the problems during those events.

Yeah, all weather geek excitement aside ... most of us really don't want 83 or 89 cold coming our way. If you weren't here then or were too young to remember, it was a miserable experience. It created widespread issues for health and safety and it really wasn't much fun once you got past the "damn, it's really cold" thoughts.

If we see a few more days of consistent operational/ensemble guidance showing this ... it will be a good idea for members here to warn friends and family, like we did for Icemageddon 2013. Preparations will need to be done to protect property.