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

[srainhoutx]

For those interested, MS -150 Charity Bike cancels first leg from Houston to La Grange scheduled for tomorrow...

http://www.ms150.org/

[srainhoutx]

Another Update from Jeff Lindner...

NWS has issued a flood warning for the Colorado River at Columbus.



Excessive rainfall of 9-11 inches in the lower Colorado basin is forecast to result in a significant rise in the river tonight and Saturday. RFC forecast show the river cresting near flood stage at Columbus Saturday around noon.



Flash Flood Warnings: Harris, Waller, Montgomery, Colorado, Wharton, Austin, Brazos counties until various times.



Flash Flood Watch until Saturday PM



New Tornado Watch issued until 100pm for much of the area

[JenBayles]

I'm Having Ike Flashbacks.

I'm flashing "Allison" myself.

[southerngale]

It's starting to get bad here. I had a family emergency over the past few hours and haven't had a chance to read much. Is more supposed to continue to develop to our west or when this large mess passes, is it over? (for the night, I mean. I know more is expected tomorrow)

5:45 in the afternoon and it's pitch dark outside! I'm not exaggerating, either. It's completely dark.

Flash Flood Watch & Tornado Watch in effect.

Special Weather Statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
507 PM CDT FRI APR 17 2009

TXZ180-201-215-172300-
TYLER TX-HARDIN TX-JEFFERSON TX-
507 PM CDT FRI APR 17 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR TYLER...HARDIN AND JEFFERSON
COUNTIES UNTIL 600 PM CDT...

AT 505 PM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS INDICATED BY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 21
MILES NORTHWEST OF THICKET TO 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THICKET TO 21
MILES WEST OF SOUR LAKE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 21 MILES
NORTHWEST OF THICKET TO 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THICKET TO 4 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF LIBERTY...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
BATSON BY 520 PM CDT
THICKET BY 525 PM CDT
SARATOGA BY 530 PM CDT
SOUR LAKE AND HONEY ISLAND BY 545 PM CDT
VILLAGE MILLS...WILDWOOD AND KOUNTZE BY 555 PM CDT

PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS LINE
OF STORMS. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON AREA
ROADWAYS...ESPECIALLY THOSE IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. RESIDENTS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE
THE PROPER ACTIONS SHOULD A WARNING BE ISSUED.

[HouTXmetro]

Western Fringes of Houston area starting to clear out. We get a break until tonigh/tomorrow.

[southerngale]

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
551 PM CDT FRI APR 17 2009

.UPDATE...WENT AHEAD AND BUMPED UP BEGINNING OF FLASH FLOOD WATCH
TO 6 PM. ISOLATED AREAS OF INTERIOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS SHOWING 3 AND
POSSIBLY 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL PER LOCAL RADARS WITH MORE TO TRAIN
ACROSS.

&&

MARCOTTE


&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 412 PM CDT FRI APR 17 2009/

DISCUSSION...
A LARGE SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX IS MOVING THROUGH SOUTHEAST
TEXAS AT THIS TIME AND WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. A WARM
FRONT IN THE COASTAL WATERS HAS MOVED TO THE NORTH OPENING UP
SOUTHEAST TEXAS TO THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. A TORNADO
WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR HARDIN...ORANGE...AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES
UNTIL 10 PM.

STORMS WILL TRAIN ACROSS SE TX AND SW LA WITH THE THREAT OF FLASH
FLOODING. RAINFALL WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 5 INCHES WITH UPWARDS TO
10 INCHES POSSIBLE IN SOME LOCATIONS THROUGH THIS EVENT.

STORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO TOMORROW AS THE REGION REMAINS OPEN TO
UNSTABLE GULF MOISTURE AND FURTHER SUPPORTED BY AND UPPER LEVEL
LOW TO THE NW. STORMS CHANCES WILL CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY BEFORE
TAPERING OFF ON SUNDAY MORNING. A COLD FRONT ON SUNDAY MORNING IS
EXPECTED TO FINALLY PUSH THE STORMS TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST.

[srainhoutx]

Just had some penny size hail at my location in NW Harris County with E bound cell

[southerngale]

Very heavy rain, frequent thunder & lightning, fairly windy, but nothing severe. It's still raining pretty hard, but looks like it won't be nearly as long as the event that was expected.


I asked above, but does anyone know if more is supposed to develop tonight/overnight or after all this, is this it for the night? I can't really find anything on it. High rain chances through tomorrow night, but not sure if it's supposed to be occasional storms or closer to a constant or frequent rain event.

[srainhoutx]

Looks as if we'll see a squall line as the Upper Low and attending Pacific front pushes in tomorrow afternoon/evening. Atmosphere is likely worked over fairly well for anything ealier, but we shall see.

[southerngale]

Thanks, srainhoutx. Not nearly as bad as originally expected, at least it appears so at this time. I know everyone can't say that, though. There's some hefty rain totals in isolated spots.

[JenBayles]

Looks like more development moving south to north from the coast, through Waller County and points north. I thought the atmosphere would be stabilized enough after those huge storms moved through and I'm surprised to see redevlopment this soon.

Can someone 'splain to me what's triggering it?

[jasons2k]

Hi Jen, they are just showers imbedded in the LLJ (low level jet). Shouldn't amount to too much. The real show will begin anew tomorrow.

[southerngale]

Looks like more development moving south to north from the coast, through Waller County and points north. I thought the atmosphere would be stabilized enough after those huge storms moved through and I'm surprised to see redevlopment this soon.

Can someone 'splain to me what's triggering it?

I could be wrong, but I think the storms showing up on radar are lingering or still developing storms on the tail end of the huge complex that has moved east.



Edit: or what he said. I hit the quote button before Jason's post was there, but between refreshing various radars while my computer has decided to start crawling and taking forever for it to post, you already had a reply. Time to restart this dinosaur and go back to shopping for a new laptop!

[vbhoutex]

I'm Having Ike Flashbacks.

I'm flashing "Allison" myself.

I was too till it let up some. We had 1.6" in about 45 minutes here in Spring Branch. Winds gusted around 30-35 mph and I didn't see or hear any indications of hail so we didn't go severe here, but it sure did get DARK!!! AS much as we need the rain, I can do without another round of this tomorrow, but my guess is we will get pounded again with the set up that is in place. If we get any daytime heating to really mix it up it could be quite an event tomorrow afternoon or evening.

[JenBayles]

Those streamer showers are now developing into stronger cells. I'm amazed.

[vbhoutex]

Those streamer showers are now developing into stronger cells. I'm amazed.

Looks like it could be filling in too. I hope it is false echos, but they don't usually look like that on the radar.

[vbhoutex]

Those streamer showers are now developing into stronger cells. I'm amazed.

Looks like it could be filling in too. I hope it is false echos, but they don't usually look like that on the radar.

edit: It is raining again, not just drizzling. Guess I need to watch the radar more and see what is going on.
edit again- It is definitely building and getting stronger, yet the OCM at Channel two is saying it is all out of here till tomorrow with only a few light showers while standing in front of a radar screen showing some yellows(moderate rain) growing in size. Now I just heard some thunder. Light showers??

[jasons2k]

Yeah, I'm a little impressed with the radar returns too. I checked the tops on GR3 and they are indeed convective storms; not just streamer showers.

There is just some *incredible* instability with this system.

edit - I also checked the water vapor. Looks like a disturbance is moving out of South Texas and causing these additional storms to fire-up. Note to self: Never take it for granted that an outgoing MCS will always stabilize the mid-levels.

[HouTXmetro]

Yeah it's started raining pretty hard again around Astrodome area. Radar is starting to light up with some decent convection. Just Wow!

[southerngale]

lol - same here. I just got out of the shower to the sound of hard rain. A little red cell just went over my area. I thought it was done for the night, but there's quite a few storms developing out there. You were right, Jen.