Dry weather coming up in N. Texas...

[Texas Snowman]

Looks like a strong high building in, no rain chances for the next week or so here in North Texas.

I hope this isn't the shut-off valve for spring rains and the beginning of a long, hot, and very dry summer.

[somethingfunny]

This was posted over in Talkin' Tropics but it has ramifications for us in Texas as well....

The May ECMWF seasonal maps have been released. Compare the 2009 and 2010 pressure anomaly maps for August-October. I can't imagine more of a reversal from 2009. Same with the rain maps. With each month, the EC keeps forecasting lower and lower pressures in the tropics.

2009 Aug-Oct Pressure Anomaly:


2010 Aug-Oct Pressure Anomaly:


2009 Aug-Oct Rainfall:


2010 Aug-Oct Rainfall:


For comparison, the July 2008 Aug-Oct pressure anomaly. Note that we had very low pressures in the Atlantic for Ike and Gustav - BUT the pressures in the Pacific were not very high. That's a big difference which could significantly enhance 2010 over 2008:

I posted the whole thing because you can see how it really verified in 2009....rainfall was above normal in North Texas as the ECMWF predicted. 2010 could be VERY dry.

Another worrisome thing is that with a big high pressure dome of death over the plains producing persistent easterly winds, that could direct alot of oil towards the Texas Gulf Coast.

[Texas Snowman]

Well, it's kind of like Harold Taft the late great weatherman of KXAS-TV used to say:

"In Texas, the next drought begins as soon as the last flood has ended."