2011 SE TX/SW LA Weather: Nice weather next several days

[Ptarmigan]

No rain for me in Humble. None. Nada. Zilch. Kaput. Maybe tonight. Lots of rain moving in from Porta's area...

Porta's area could use the rain due to the Bastrop wildfire. Patience my friend. You'll get yours.

[Shoshana]

We missed out on the rain too. Unless it's drizzling in drops too tiny to see!

[jasons2k]

Yeah! I had .41" yesterday and more is on the way today

[southerngale]

I just had a nice thunderstorm and picked up a quick .55" - now it's raining lightly. It was nice to hear thunder again!

Dallas Cowboys and rain - what could be more perfect?

[Tireman4]

No rain for me in Humble. None. Nada. Zilch. Kaput. Maybe tonight. Lots of rain moving in from Porta's area...

Porta's area could use the rain due to the Bastrop wildfire. Patience my friend. You'll get yours.

Still nothing..LOL...Sheesh..

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

I know Texas has suffered many a drought (but I'm thinking some areas there are much more prone to drought then others...just like my area is much more likely to have severe drought then other areas of this province) so am wondering how many times has the tropical Houston area, since settlement, had severe drought? It's been mentioned here, numerous times, that 100 year old trees are dying/dead which makes me think this is the first severe/super drought that area, of Texas, has had in a 100 years?

[Shoshana]

In the years I've lived in Texas I don't remember Houston ever having a drought. But that's just personal knowledge. It's kinda like saying there''s a drought in Ireland or something. It's always green in Houston.

I need to see if Houston was affected by the 50's drought.

[Ptarmigan]

In the years I've lived in Texas I don't remember Houston ever having a drought. But that's just personal knowledge. It's kinda like saying there''s a drought in Ireland or something. It's always green in Houston.

I need to see if Houston was affected by the 50's drought.

All of Texas was affected by the 1950s drought. Houston had some of the driest years in the 1950s.

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

In the years I've lived in Texas I don't remember Houston ever having a drought. But that's just personal knowledge. It's kinda like saying there''s a drought in Ireland or something. It's always green in Houston.

I need to see if Houston was affected by the 50's drought.

All of Texas was affected by the 1950s drought. Houston had some of the driest years in the 1950s.

So for any Houstonian, born after that drought, this one is a massive shock.

[southerngale]

Come on. Please.




I just saved that image. Current link: http://www.intellicast.com/National/Radar/Current.aspx?animate=true&location=USTX1200

Now.... back to zzzzzz

[southerngale]

I got another .63" this morning which makes a decent two day total. We just need many more days like this.

And Woohoo Cowboys!!! My emotional roller coaster of a game turned out well. Just when I was on a spill about how important it was that we went to 1-1 as opposed to 0-2, Holley made his 77 yard reception run to set up the game winning field goal. And to top the night off... yay Falcons.

[vbhoutex]

0.54" and 0.23" for me which is more than I have gotten in the last 2 months. I'll take it and celebrate it. I'm just so happy to be out of the triple digits and to see the ground actually damp for once instead of returning to dust as soon as the rain quits.

[jasons2k]

I had another .4 something when I checked this morning - so .8- something total. Not bad. Maybe more later on today although Jeff isn't as optimistic.

Could not see the Cowboys game here in Houston

Just the Texans and soccer were on at the 3:00 slot. Yeah Falcons - I guess Philly isn't invincible after all!

[Houstonia]

I was awakened at somewhere between 4 and 6 am by a wonderful WONDERFUL thunderstorm. Lot's of lightning, thunder and pouring rain. The dogs were barking (they are three years old, and really don't remember what thunder sounds like!!).

It was beautifully cool for my drive into work. I was able to shut off the AC and just drive with the window down.

Funny how everyone's mood improves when there's some variation in the weather.

Now to just deal with the viral meningitis scare at work this morning (co-worker came in looking sick - turns out her father-in-law has VM and she and her son are not feeling well now). bleagh.

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

http://www.khou.com/video/featured-videos/Heavy-rain-hits-downtown-Houston-130113348.html

[southerngale]

:eek: http://www.khou.com/video/featured-videos/Heavy-rain-hits-downtown-Houston-130113348.html

How about that typo?


"It was a met mess in and around Houston Monday morning as heavy thunderstorms saturated the area. Rain filled the streets of downtown Houston."


It's been so dry, they forgot how to spell the word, wet.

[vbhoutex]

This is the latest from Jeff Lindner:

Fire Weather Watch has been issued for Sunday.

Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions will be felt on Sunday across the region.

Red Flag Warnings may be required.

Potential growing for wind driven wildfires on Sunday as strong SW winds of 15-25mph develop across the region and combine with afternoon RH values of 20-30%. While rains last weekend have resulted in some modest green up of surface grasses, overall fuels remain extremely dry and KBDI values continue above 700 or in the extremely dangerous range. While fire starts may be harder given the slight green up, if a fire develops strong winds will result in explosive and rapid growth. Fires over the past few months have shown rapid spread in pine forest plantation where (although green) the pines have become extremely flammable due to the drought conditions.

Worst conditions are expected along and north of a line from Columbus to Spring to Trinity especially in the area along a SE line from Austin to Columbus where rains did not fall last weekend.

Residents across the region should be aware of the fire weather conditions and have a wildfire plan in place and ready to use. You may only have minutes to gather your things and leave should a wildfire approach your area.

Extended:

Watching closely the extended range as another frontal boundary may head for the western Gulf mid next week and potentially interact with now powerful Hurricane Hillary in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This is a classic heavy rainfall pattern for Texas….if all the pieces can fall into the correct place. Still much uncertainty on where and how much of the moisture from this hurricane could be drawn NE across TX, but at this point there is at least some hope.

[vbhoutex]

From Jeff Lindner:

NWS Has issued a Red Flag Warning for all of SE TX (except the coastal counties) on Sunday from mid morning to mid evening.

Critical fire weather conditions will be in place on Sunday with potential for rapid and explosive fire growth.

This afternoon a weak frontal boundary extended from near Victoria to 75-100 miles off the coast with a strong thunderstorm located along this boundary near Port Lavaca, TX. Otherwise dry conditions were in place across the rest of SE TX. Winds will turn to the SSW late tonight and begin to increase by mid morning on Sunday. Dry air above the surface will begin to mix downward by Sunday late morning with surface dewpoints falling into the upper 50’s by early afternoon. High temperatures will soar into the upper 90’s/low 100’s resulting in afternoon RH falling to less than 35% across much of the region. SW winds will increase to near 15-25mph by early afternoon and remain strong into the early evening hours.

Given the above conditions and exceptional drought in place resulting in very dry ground fuels, critical fire weather conditions will be met on Sunday and the potential will be in place for rapid and explosive fire growth. While some vegetation has greened from recent rains, the overall health remains poor and extremely flammable pine and cedar trees remain very dry and stressed with the capability of extensive fire spread in this vegetation including fast forward spreading crown fires similar to the Bastrop and Tri-County Fire. Will focus the greatest concern in the pine plantation areas as these areas have shown the greatest problems in the last month and then along Hwy 71 from Austin to near Columbus where wetting rains did not fall last weekend.

While conditions will not be as bad as over the Labor Day weekend, the potential is there for dangerous fire growth should a wildfire begin.

Residents across SE TX should review their wildfire plans and be prepared to enact these plans should a wildfire approach your location…you may only have minutes to gather your things and evacuate, so determine now what you will do, where you will go, and let others know of your plans. DO NOT conduct any work outside on Sunday that could result in a spark or flame and be extremely careful when operating any kind of BBQ…burn bans are in effect for all SE TX counties!

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

As of August, the state's reservoirs are at 68 percent of their capacity.

The greater Houston region, which has been especially hard hit, has seen its total reservoir capacity fall to 64 percent.

"That's the lowest it's been for the upper coast region since we started collecting data in this way," Mace said. The water board has kept this kind of data for two decades.

Texas has never experienced a drought as acute as the present lack of rain. However, the infamous 1950s drought from 1950 to 1956 lasted much longer and therefore had a deeper effect on water resources.

"Compared to the 1950s, this single year is so intense that it might count for two or three years of the 1950s drought," said Nielsen-Gammon. "In other words, the current drought doesn't need to last the full seven years that the 1950s drought did for it to be just as severe.

John Nielsen-Gammon, the state climatologist and a Texas A&M University professor.
Updated 08:34 p.m., Monday, August 22, 2011

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/This-summer-s-drought-may-worsen-next-year-2136436.php

These videos pretty well covers it:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-J_PdFdCUE&feature=related[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E0ckEJUpxI&feature=related[/youtube]

[sequoyah101]

Complaining is all that is left for this weather it seems. Fire danger today is EXTREME. It is dry like it was on Labor Day. So sad to see so much dying. Oaks gone in scores. As someone suggested, the near absolute absence of rain makes surely makes this comparable to the worst of the 50s. Why is this weather pattern so fixed in place?

We have fought a losing battle against the elements in watering and trying to save what took us so long to establish. It seems to be close to the end of the game to me.

Not a drop of water in sight really. The forecast discussion says the only good news is cooler and drier... that is what got us the fires.