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

[Ed Mahmoud]

4.62 inches of rain the last three hours at Houston-Hobby.

Only 0.07 inches at Intercontinental Airport.


The vagaries of Spring time thundershowers.


A few passing showers at Casa Mahmoud, lightning visible to the South and Southeast.

[srainhoutx]

LOCATION...SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS...
.
ATTN WFOS...LCH...HGX...
ATTN RFCS...WGRFC...
.
EVENT...HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT CONTINUES FOR SE TX.
.
SATELLITE ANALYSIS AND TRENDS...IR SATELLITE LOOP THROUGH 0345Z SHOWS ONLY
A VERY SMALL EASTWARD MOVEMENT WITH COMPLEX LOCATED IN THE SOUTHEASTERN
PORTION OF THE HOUSTON METRO AREA WHILE RADAR LOOP INDICATES THE
POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF A WEAK MCV MOVING INTO CHAMBERS COUNTY. IR IMAGERY
ALSO REVEALS LOW CLOUDS STREAMING NORTHEASTWARD FROM THE WESTERN GULF
AS SOUTHERLY AND SOUTHWESTERLY MOIST LOW LEVEL INFLOW APPEARS TO BE
FEEDING INTO THE BACK END OF THE COMPLEX AND RUNNING INTO RAIN COOLED
OUTFLOW RESULTING IN NEW CELL FORMATION ACROSS EASTERN BRAZORIA/SOUTHERN
HARRIS/GALVESTON COUNTIES. THE EARLER SPENES MESSAGE EMPHASIZED A SLUG
OF HIGHER MOISTURE LIFTING NORTHWARD FROM THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO
WITH RECENT AMSU MICROWAVE DATA AND GOES SOUNDER DATA SHOWING 1.6"-1.7"
PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES PRESENT ALONG THE TX COAST. GIVEN THE EXPANDING
COLDER CLOUD TOPS WITH DIFFLUENCE ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS COMPACT MCS
AND ABUNDANT MOISTURE AVAILABLE IT IS NOT SURPRISING TO SEE RECENT OBS
FROM KHOU AND KLVJ OF 2-3"/HR AND WELL OVER 4" IN A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME
AS COMPLEX HAS THE ENTIRE ENVIRONMENT TO ITSELF. AT THIS TIME, DO NOT SEE
ANY REASON WHY THIS COMPLEX WILL NOT MAINTAIN ITSELF FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT
COUPLE OF HOURS AS IT PROGRESSES VERY SLOWLY EASTWARD. FOR THE NEXT HALF
HOUR TO HOUR AREAS FROM NORTHERN GALVESTON/SOUTHEASTERN HARRIS TO CHAMBERS
COUNTY ARE CERTAINLY SET TO RECEIVE MORE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH SHOULD
EASILY PUSH STORM TOTALS INTO THE 5-6" RANGE IN LOCALIZED SPOTS. IN FACT,
A QUICK LOOK AT THE 0345Z IMAGE SHOWS A PATCH OF COOLING TOPS ONCE AGAIN
AROUND SE HARRIS/N GALVESTON COUNTIES. WILL TRY TO MONITOR SITUATION AS
BEST AS POSSIBLE WITH GOES-WEST DURING GOES-EAST ECLIPSE PERIOD.

[TexasSam]

Lightning let up.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1131 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2009

..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

1000 PM TSTM WND GST 4 ESE BACLIFF 29.49N 94.92W
04/24/2009 M59 MPH GALVESTON TX MESONET

MEASURED AT EAGLE POINT

1030 PM FLASH FLOOD 2 W FRIENDSWOOD 29.52N 95.24W
04/24/2009 BRAZORIA TX LAW ENFORCEMENT

COUNTY ROADS 130 AND 127 NEAR CLOVER FIELD UNDER WATER

[srainhoutx]

Pea size hail in NW Harris County at this time. Jeff Lindner Update...

Flash Flood Event in progress across southern Harris County. Since 700pm 5-7 inches of rain has fallen from La Porte to Friendswood. Cells are training along this line as meso low weakens in Chambers County leaving stalling outflow boundary across Harris and Galveston Counties. 30 min rainfall rates of 2.69 inches was just recorded in S Pasadena and this will continue. Major street flooding is in progress with several channels nearing bankfull. Additional activity continues to develop westward over the rest of Harris County. Luckily cell over Galveston Bay is offshore. DBZ if 65 at 20,000 ft...likely getting small hail and rainfall rates over 6 inches per hour under that beast.

[CajunMama]

I'm watching y'alls radar...unbelievable! South of Baytown they're estimating 10"+ of rain has fallen.

[TexasSam]

I'm watching y'alls radar...unbelievable! South of Baytown they're estimating 10"+ of rain has fallen.

I was just looking at that on the Lake Charles radar. I guess our radar is directly under the storms and under estimating?

10 plus inches over Galveston Bay!!!!!!!!

[srainhoutx]

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1147 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
NORTHEASTERN BRAZORIA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
NORTHWESTERN GALVESTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
SOUTHEASTERN HARRIS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

* UNTIL 145 AM CDT

* AT 1141 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
THAT FLASH FLOODING WAS LIKELY FROM A THUNDERSTORM NEAR JOHNSON
SPACE CENTER. FLOODING WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE FROM THE
LITTLE CEDAR BAYOU IN LA PORTE...BERRY BAYOU IN SOUTH HOUSTON AND
PASADENA AS WELL AS THE LOWER SECTIONS OF CLEAR CREEK AFFECTING
FRIENDSWOOD AND LEAGUE CITY. SOME OF THESE CREEKS AND BAYOUS MAY
RISE OUT OF THEIR BANKS OVER THE NEXT 2 HOURS.

[southerngale]

Sorry... been busy so I haven't had a chance to read and catch up... where did all this freaking rain come from?

Was there any predicted in the Houston area? We had zero chance of rain and while we haven't gotten nearly as much as some of y'all, it's been raining for a few hours now... almost constant thunder and lightning. I wouldn't mind so much but I'm trying to get ready for a garage sale early in the morning and the rain is messing me up. I didn't expect it since there was NONE predicted. I guess that's why we find weather so interesting. Nobody can predict it!!

I hope nobody is having any flooding problems. I've been checking radar periodically and it doesn't seem to change.

[TexasSam]

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1145 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2009

..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

1130 PM FLASH FLOOD SOUTH HOUSTON 29.66N 95.23W
04/24/2009 HARRIS TX LAW ENFORCEMENT

HIGH WATER RESCUES ONGOING IN SOUTH HOUSTON AND CLEAR
LAKE AREAS. MULTIPLE REPORTS OF STRANDED VEHICLES.

[vbhoutex]

Update from Jeff Lindner...

Flash Flood event unfolding yet again across SE Harris. Cluster of thunderstorms producing excessive rainfall rates over areas hard hit last weekend. In the last 2 hours 3-4 inches has fallen over the upper part of Clear Creek in a band from Pearland to Baytown. Significant street flooding is in progress and rises on area channels is likely. An additional 1-2 inches in less than 1-hr can be expected. Flash Flood Warning until 1145pm

And my daughter and son-in-law are caught in the middle of it too. They are in Kemah for a wedding this weekend(we have the grand daughter). She just texted "ask dad if this is ever going to stop. We are stranded at the restaurant." I told her Mom to send back, "not anytime soon". I wonder when, if they will be able to get back to their motel room anytime tonight.

We are getting another storm her at the house too. We are on the NW side back end of the complex and the storms are definitely trying to refire along it.

edit: Stupid arse bartender is throwing them out of the restaurant because "we need to close because all of the roads are closed and no one can get here." I wonder which part of his anatomy he is thinking with?!?!? I told my wife to tell them to stay there, but I am sure they won't and will try to get back to the motel. I am pissed!!!, mostly at the idiot running Joe's Crab Shack in Kemah!!!! We warned them about the flooding so hopefully they will be smart. They don't know that area of Houston well enough to navigate any areas of high water, even though they are in a SUV.

They just called a little while ago and they finally made it safely back to their motel. They were very fortunate, by their own account. Their SUV actually began to float a couple of times, yet they somehow made it through. My daughter said it was scarier than anything she has experienced. Of course Ike was bad, but we did not see rainfall like that during Ike, at least not in the area where she was in NW Houston/Cypress.

[srainhoutx]

Latest from Jeff Lindner...

New Flash Flood Warning until 145 AM Flooding continues across SE Harris County where 5-7 inches of rain has fallen this evening.
Clear Creek is overbanks from just above Bay Area Blvd to just below I-45. The creek will continue to rise overnight, but levels should remain below those of Saturday.

Little Cedar Bayou in La Porte is overbanks. Still raining across this location and the channel will continue to rise slowly.

Mud Gully and Turkey Creek are high and there may be some minor flooding ongoing around Beltway 8.

Berry Bayou is near bankfull and likely starting to fall.

Willow Spring Bayou...3.0 ft from TOB and holding steady.
Continue to watch increasing rainfall over much of Harris County. Coordination with HGX suggest ongoing MCS will be slow to push off the area and may back build WNW across more of Harris County. Cloud tops are coldest over Galveston Bay and not cooling much over Harris County however influx of nocturnal low level jet of 40kts and lack of coastal activity due south of Harris means open Gulf feed to continue heavy rainfall production. Concern is for continued SSW to NNE training across the county and in fact the latest radar frames show activity as far SW as central Brazoria County. Radar trends will be very important in the next 1-2 hours to see how things unfold.

[vbhoutex]

Another update from Jeff: oops I was just posting that too.

The last paragraph is what concerns me and what I feared might be happening after his other earlier posts. I am already noticing the back building, even in the Clear Lake area again, where they can not afford any more rain!!!

[srainhoutx]

Another update from Jeff: oops I was just posting that too.

The last paragraph is what concerns me and what I feared might be happening after his other earlier posts. I am already noticing the back building, even in the Clear Lake area again, where they can not afford any more rain!!!

HGX Update...

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1203 AM CDT SAT APR 25 2009

.UPDATE...
FLOODING CONTINUES ACROSS PORTIONS OF SE HOUSTON AND INTO
CHAMBERS CO. SENT QUICK UPDATE TO EXTEND POPS INTO THE NEXT
PERIOD AS CONVECTION IS SLOWLY DISSIPATING. STORM MOTIONS HAVE
COME TO A STAND STILL IN SOME INSTANCES BUT THIS HAS BEEN MAINLY
OVER GALVESTON BAY WHERE IT CAN RAIN ALL IT WANTS. FLASH FLOOD
WARNINGS MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED IN CASE OF ADDITIONAL RAINFALL
AND CONTINUED RUNOFF. POPS FORECAST WAS UPDATED TO ACCOUNT FOR
LATEST TRENDS WHICH SUGGEST CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE ANOTHER 3
HOURS IF NOT MORE.

[somethingfunny]

Wow....just wow.

The worst part is we can't even store any of that rain in reservoirs...it just overfills the bayous and runs into the ocean. Dangit, at least there'd be a silver lining if a storm like this erupted more inland.

[JonathanBelles]

Thats one massive dumper! 10" in one spot is amazing for one day.

[JenBayles]

ISSUED 435 AM CDT SAT APR 25 2009/

AFD HGX DISCUSSION...
IT WAS A VERY BUSY EVENING AND EARLY MORNING FROM THE PEARLAND AND
FRIENDSWOOD AREA TO SOUTH HOUSTON TO SHOREACRES ACROSS GALVESTON BAY
TO THE ANAHUAC AREA TO THE SOUTHEAST TIP OF LIBERTY COUNTY WHERE 5
TO 7 INCHES OF RAIN OVER LAND AND 10 TO 15 INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS
PORTIONS OF GALVESTON BAY OCCURRED. SOME OF THE LAND AREAS WERE
LOCATIONS THAT WERE HIT HARD LAST FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH ANOTHER
VERY HEAVY RAIN EVENT. SOME OF THE HIGHER RAINFALL TOTALS AVAILABLE
FROM THE HARRIS COUNTY NETWORK THAT OCCURRED IN ROUGHLY UNDER TWO
HOURS INCLUDE 6.81 INCHES IN PEARLAND...6.73 INCHES IN FRIENDSWOOD...
7.05 INCHES NEAR THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON CLEAR LAKE...6.93 INCHES
IN SHOREACRES...AND 5.15 INCHES IN BAYTOWN. THE STORM SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE
FOR THIS EVENT HAS FINALLY MOVED OFF TO THE EAST AND HAS WEAKENED.
ANOTHER STORM COMPLEX DEVELOPED SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT IN OUR NORTHWEST
COUNTIES AND IS SLOWLY MOVING OFF TO THE NORTH AND NORTH NORTHEAST.
A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET IN COMBINATION WITH A DEEP TROPICAL AIRMASS AND
EMBEDDED IMPULSES ALONG A STRENGTHENING SUBTROPICAL JET SUPPORT A CONTINUING
CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS FOR THE NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS. WILL GO WITH HIGHEST POPS UP NORTH TODAY AND THEN CARRY
LOWER RAIN CHANCES AREA WIDE ON SUNDAY. MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WILL
HAVE HIGHER POPS UP NORTH AGAIN WHERE DEEPER MOISTURE AND BETTER DYNAMICS
SHOULD RESIDE. WILL CARRY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.
AN UPWARD TEMPERATURE TREND WILL STILL BE IN THE FORECAST AS WE CLOSE
OUT APRIL AND BEGIN MAY. 42

CLIMATE...
HOBBY AIRPORT HAD A RECORD BREAKING RAINFALL TOTAL OF 4.72 INCHES YESTERDAY
WHICH SHATTERED THE OLD RECORD OF 1.55 INCHES SET BACK IN 1962. THROUGH
THE 24TH...HOBBY`S APRIL RAINFALL TOTAL STANDS AT 13.19 INCHES. THIS
MAKES APRIL 2009 THE WETTEST APRIL ON RECORD AT HOBBY AIRPORT. MOVING
DOWN TO SECOND PLACE IS THE 1973 TOTAL OF 10.49 INCHES. 42

MARINE...
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ACROSS ALL WATERS THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
PERSISTENT SE FETCH...BRINGING IN HIGHER SWELL ATOP ALREADY CHURNED
UP WIND-DRIVEN SEAS...ALONG WITH MODERATE TO STRONG ONSHORE FLOW
WARRANTS EXTENDING SCA ANOTHER 24 HOURS. 31

[srainhoutx]

Morning Update from Jeff Lindner...

Six days after some very impressive rainfall totals....the same locations are hit hard again. 3-4 hour rainfall totals of: 7.48 inches at Horsepen Bayou and Bay area Blvd5.59 inches at Clear Creek and I-455.39 inches at clear Creek and Bay Area Blvd6.89 inches at Clear Creek and Country Club6.26 inches at Mud Gully and Beamer6.97 inches at LaPorte5.31 inches at BaytownHobby Airport: 4.71 inches Doppler Radar estimates of storm totals over Galveston Bay of 12-14 inches along with 9-12 inches over much of Chambers County. 15-min rainfall rates were 1-2.5 inches under the heaviest cells. After midnight an additional round fired in a SSW to NNE band across Brazos County where 4-5 inches of rain fell just west and north of College Station. To get such totals in nearly the same exact location only 6 days apart and without an organized tropical system is extremely rare. 7 day totals in this area range from 12-15 inches of rainfall including at 15.47 inches in southern Pasadena. Channel Conditions: All channels back within banks except low Clear Creek from FM 528 to below I-45. Creek remains out of banks, but is falling and the levels crested about 3 feet lower than last Saturday/Sunday. Forecast: Shortwave which was responsible for the event last evening is now well NE of the area while an increasingly active sub-tropical flow approaches TX from the SW. While no low level boundaries were in place yesterday the development of the storm that would grow into the small slow moving MCS can be traced back to western Wharton County. It appears the cell developed above the surface in mid level instability and then transitioned toward the surface as it moved east. No good reason why that location...except possibly enough heating to break the weak cap and once it went it grew upscale on its own creating a meso low which fed off the strong nocturnal low level jet. Old outflow boundary from last night has washed out with surface observations showing uniform SE flow across the entire region. Air mass is now very moist (nearly tropical) with dewpoints along the coast pushing into the low to mid 70's. Low level jet is howling from the S at 40-45 kts pumping a steady stream of rich moisture inland off the Gulf. It is likely with noisy jet overhead that a small impulse will ride across this afternoon during maximum heating and set things off. Where this will happen is anyones guess. The short term models show a blow up around and W of Matagorda Bay, but I see no reason why this area is favored over any other. Once/if storms get going excessive rainfall will again be possible and the norm has been even without over 2.0 inch PWS we are getting some incredible rainfall rates. Next week: Frontal boundary moves into N TX and stalls. Models are pounding away at a flash flood event developing over N TX Sunday night into early Tuesday as a large MCS develops and trains over that region. Given what the air mass appears capable of some very impressive totals will be possible. Will keep a close eye on this as any southward outflow boundaries would bring the threat of excessive rainfall into SE TX.

[somethingfunny]

Next week: Frontal boundary moves into N TX and stalls. Models are pounding away at a flash flood event developing over N TX Sunday night into early Tuesday as a large MCS develops and trains over that region. Given what the air mass appears capable of some very impressive totals will be possible.

We should probably start or revive a North TX weather thread...but despite the flooding risk, I like the sound of that! Kick this drought into the dirt!

[Ed Mahmoud]

Next week: Frontal boundary moves into N TX and stalls. Models are pounding away at a flash flood event developing over N TX Sunday night into early Tuesday as a large MCS develops and trains over that region. Given what the air mass appears capable of some very impressive totals will be possible.

We should probably start or revive a North TX weather thread...but despite the flooding risk, I like the sound of that! Kick this drought into the dirt!

I'm in a travel trailer near Wichita Falls all next week.



Edit- no running water, will shower in field office's shower a few miles away, and nature's call will occur in nature (location close to river means good growth of mesquite), but travel trailer will be plugged into rig's electricity, and I'm told laptop has internet capability, although cell phone service is weak out there.

[JenBayles]

Aren't you the lucky one Ed!

I did more than my share of primitive camping - fishing at night on the beach. No electric, and no water other than what we hauled with us. Bathroom facilities were in the dunes with the rattle snakes. What was I thinking?!!