SE TX/SW LA weather: Much cooler and WET after Tuesday

[jasons2k]

Storms approaching Houston - lightning here...:


Shot at 2008-04-25

[vbhoutex]

Plenty of rumbling going on here in W. Houston, but nary a drop of rain or any wind yet. Cells continue to move into the area with another line out to the West behind it. A few of these still show potential hail. Don't know if they will hold till they get here, but for the short time I have been watching they don't seem to be weakening.

edit: Yes they are weakening except for one cell to our SW which seems to be holding its own or growing and heading SE towards the coastal areas.

[jasons2k]

We're getting a decent shower here now - who would've thought???


Shot at 2008-04-26

[jasons2k]

Looks like it is clearing off to our SW. We should get sun this afternoon which may pop more storms later.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

Nice cluster along the SE coast of Texas

[KatDaddy]

The Meso-High has created interesting wind direction across the Upper TX Coast. I had gusty SW winds earlier which have now switched to the N. The wind directions have been jumping from SE, SW, NW, N, and NE.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Here is the latest from the SPC regarding tomorrow's severe threat...

...SOUTH/SOUTHEAST TX...
MAINLY ELEVATED/POST-FRONTAL STORMS ARE LIKELY TO BE ONGOING ACROSS
NORTH/CENTRAL TX INTO THE ARKLATEX REGION EARLY SUNDAY...WITH SOME
HAIL RISK POSSIBLE EARLY IN THE PERIOD. OTHERWISE...AS THE SYNOPTIC
COLD FRONT ADVANCES SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS TX DURING THE DAY...SURFACE
BASED STORM DEVELOPMENT APPEARS LIKELY ALONG THE FRONT ACROSS
SOUTHEAST/SOUTH TX. THE PRE-FRONTAL AIRMASS WILL BE CHARACTERIZED BY
STRONG HEATING WITH 65-70 F SURFACE DEWPOINTS. 12Z NAM/GFS FORECAST
SOUNDINGS ARE SUGGESTIVE OF AROUND 2000 J/KG MLCAPE IN THE WARM
SECTOR. WEAK LOW LEVEL WINDS WILL LIMIT HODOGRAPH SIZE...BUT
MID-UPPER LEVEL FLOW SHOULD BE STRONG ENOUGH TO AID IN STORM
ORGANIZATION. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY
RISKS. THE SEVERE THREAT IS LIKELY TO WANE ACROSS SOUTH/SOUTHEAST TX
BY LATE AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT CLEARS THE COAST.

[southerngale]

Although there have been scattered showers, the rain has missed me so far. It's cloudy out, with a comfortable temperature of 74F. NWS recently issued a Special Weather Statement regarding tropical funnel clouds.


SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
121 PM CDT SAT APR 26 2008

LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-262300-
VERNON-RAPIDES-AVOYELLES-BEAUREGARD-ALLEN-EVANGELINE-ST. LANDRY-
CALCASIEU-JEFFERSON DAVIS-ACADIA-LAFAYETTE-UPPER ST. MARTIN-
CAMERON-VERMILION-IBERIA-ST. MARY-LOWER ST. MARTIN-TYLER-JASPER-
NEWTON-HARDIN-JEFFERSON-ORANGE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LEESVILLE...ALEXANDRIA...MARKSVILLE...
DERIDDER...OAKDALE...VILLE PLATTE...OPELOUSAS...LAKE CHARLES...
JENNINGS...CROWLEY...LAFAYETTE...ST. MARTINVILLE...CAMERON...
ABBEVILLE...NEW IBERIA...MORGAN CITY...WOODVILLE...JASPER...
NEWTON...LUMBERTON...BEAUMONT/PORT ARTHUR...ORANGE
121 PM CDT SAT APR 26 2008

...TROPICAL FUNNEL CLOUDS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON...

HIGH PRESSURE RESIDING TO OUR EAST CONTINUES TO KEEP A SOUTHERLY
FLOW IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA...PROVIDING FOR A MOIST UNSTABLE
TROPICAL AIRMASS. MEANWHILE...THE LOW-LEVEL VERTICAL WIND PROFILE
OVER THE AREA IS LIGHT AND VARIABLE. THESE CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TROPICAL FUNNEL CLOUDS...
ESPECIALLY WHERE RAIN-COOLED BOUNDARIES...KNOWN AS OUTFLOW
BOUNDARIES...COLLIDE.

THESE TROPICAL FUNNEL CLOUDS ARE USUALLY SHORT-LIVED AND DO NOT
REACH THE GROUND. IF THE FUNNEL CLOUD BECOMES MORE SEVERE AND
REACHES THE GROUND...MINOR DAMAGE MAY OCCUR...AND A TORNADO
WARNING WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED.

AT 110 PM...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RECEIVED A REPORT OF A
FUNNEL CLOUD ALONG HIGHWAY 171 NEAR RAGLEY.

STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND UPDATES ON THIS WEATHER
SITUATION.


Whoops... had this post ready to go a few hours ago, but got up and never submitted it.
It's now sunny and 78F.

[Ptarmigan]

Quite an impressive storm. Lot of thunder of lightning. Also, heavy rain.

[JenBayles]

Does anyone have a "Jeff Update" for today's event? Two hours ago it looked like the bulk of the rain would go north of Houston, but the radar is changing. Bring it on - I mowed yesterday!

[jasons2k]

No updates today from Jeff - I would watch out for the next MCD from the SPC which should lay things out.

Basically, it's going to rain later today. Scattered-numerous thunderstorms with isolated severe weather.

[jasons2k]

I think I just realized I need a faster intenet connection.

Anyway, here is a radar shot:


Shot at 2008-04-27

[southerngale]

There's been scattered rain in the area the past few days, but still not a drop here. We haven't gotten any rain since last Friday (the 18th) when we got quite a bit.

It's 76F and the sun comes and goes... feels nice outside. A bunch of kids in the neighborhood are outside playing football.

[JenBayles]

Unbelievable. The Bear Creek Dome has done it again. The rain fizzled in West Harris County, split up with half going north and half going south of us. I'm off to turn on the blasted sprinklers again since I put out fertilizer in anticipation of rain. Lucy nailed me with the football.

[southerngale]

Unbelievable. The Bear Creek Dome has done it again. The rain fizzled in West Harris County, split up with half going north and half going south of us. I'm off to turn on the blasted sprinklers again since I put out fertilizer in anticipation of rain. Lucy nailed me with the football.

Isn't there supposed to be a line of storms forming as the front comes through later? Or was that it? lol

[Extremeweatherguy]

Unbelievable. The Bear Creek Dome has done it again. The rain fizzled in West Harris County, split up with half going north and half going south of us. I'm off to turn on the blasted sprinklers again since I put out fertilizer in anticipation of rain. Lucy nailed me with the football.

Yeah, so far this has been a horrible disappointment. I don't think I have ever seen an 80% rain chance result in not even one drop of rain (so far). Hopefully we can manage to get something before the day is through..

[jasons2k]

Unbelievable. The Bear Creek Dome has done it again. The rain fizzled in West Harris County, split up with half going north and half going south of us. I'm off to turn on the blasted sprinklers again since I put out fertilizer in anticipation of rain. Lucy nailed me with the football.

Isn't there supposed to be a line of storms forming as the front comes through later? Or was that it? lol

Yes, the main show is yet to come.

[rlltex]

Unbelievable. The Bear Creek Dome has done it again. The rain fizzled in West Harris County, split up with half going north and half going south of us. I'm off to turn on the blasted sprinklers again since I put out fertilizer in anticipation of rain. Lucy nailed me with the football.

Isn't there supposed to be a line of storms forming as the front comes through later? Or was that it? lol

Yes, the main show is yet to come.

the winds where I am (near Jasper) have shifted to the N at about 5 MPH--does that mean my rain chances are over? We're really needing rain

[southerngale]

Unbelievable. The Bear Creek Dome has done it again. The rain fizzled in West Harris County, split up with half going north and half going south of us. I'm off to turn on the blasted sprinklers again since I put out fertilizer in anticipation of rain. Lucy nailed me with the football.

Yeah, so far this has been a horrible disappointment. I don't think I have ever seen an 80% rain chance result in not even one drop of rain (so far). Hopefully we can manage to get something before the day is through..

I have. I've had 80% chance and got nothing. Also, the opposite has been true. Sometimes we get a ton of rain when there's only a 30% (or so) chance.

[jasons2k]

Wow, this is a disappointment. The front quickly merged with the trough and there's not much left over with the impulse to the NW. I might have to get out the sprinklers after all. I really thought we would get dumped on today