Texas Spring 2016

[TexasF6]

Power out 13 damn hours. Turned on at 558pm today. City of Austin had warning from NWS agencies about the wx coming. No teams on standby? You do it for ice events? I called at 248AM and submitted the report for my house? They sent a team allegedley at noon to start on our area. Neighbors up the street? Power all day. We have God knows what running this city. What happens when multiple E-F3 or F4s hit the city? I bet they have no plan for that either. Medically vulnerable people should have some preference in getting help with power getting on.

[Shoshana]

Power out 13 damn hours. Turned on at 558pm today. City of Austin had warning from NWS agencies about the wx coming. No teams on standby? You do it for ice events? I called at 248AM and submitted the report for my house? They sent a team allegedley at noon to start on our area. Neighbors up the street? Power all day. We have God knows what running this city. What happens when multiple E-F3 or F4s hit the city? I bet they have no plan for that either. Medically vulnerable people should have some preference in getting help with power getting on.

I checked the power outage map when I woke up this morning. It looked like there were a ton of outages all over the city! I know in the past they start fixing with the problems that affect the most people, then work their way down to the individual street problems.

Glad you finally have power back! Did a tree fall on a power line?

[Shoshana]

Severe thunderstorm going on right now ("70 mph wind" gust prompted). Old dog freaking out. I took her down to the bathroom so she doesn't keep everyone up. Thunder and heavy rain. No hail. Dog hyperventilating.

Yikes. I know we got wind here (today is trash and recycle day and some people put theirs out last night and the cans are toppled) Some power outages nearby but we are ok here with underground utilities. No fences down here, a minor miracle.

Poor pup! Ours slept through everything but when we were in Dallas we did have to have her wear her Thundershirt. The only difference I can think of is that we haven't had the a/c on yet...

Wish I fared as well as you all did. I awoke to one-third of my beautiful red oak tree in the front yard being split and down on the ground. I heard the winds and knew they were strong but I had no idea they were THAT strong. I'm guessing winds gusts to 60 mph at the PWC per the tree damage. Lots of tree damage in my neighborhood.

Oh no!!!

[weatherdude1108]

Severe thunderstorm going on right now ("70 mph wind" gust prompted). Old dog freaking out. I took her down to the bathroom so she doesn't keep everyone up. Thunder and heavy rain. No hail. Dog hyperventilating.

Yikes. I know we got wind here (today is trash and recycle day and some people put theirs out last night and the cans are toppled) Some power outages nearby but we are ok here with underground utilities. No fences down here, a minor miracle.

Poor pup! Ours slept through everything but when we were in Dallas we did have to have her wear her Thundershirt. The only difference I can think of is that we haven't had the a/c on yet...

Wish I fared as well as you all did. I awoke to one-third of my beautiful red oak tree in the front yard being split and down on the ground. I heard the winds and knew they were strong but I had no idea they were THAT strong. I'm guessing winds gusts to 60 mph at the PWC per the tree damage. Lots of tree damage in my neighborhood.

Sorry Porta. I think ours approached 60 mph gusts. We were severe warned with 70mph winds.
I actually did find a large tree limb down in my neighborhood this afternoon right around the block from my house. It is a Bradford Pear. Same house, another Bradford Pear split. Their other Bradford pear split back during the week of Memorial Day last year in a squall line. It looks lopsided now. Then their other one today.
I would tell them to just cut down their Bradford Pears and save the heartache. They are weak trees simply by the way the branches grow outward and arch, making them weak, especially in strong storms.

[Texas Snowman]

Fort Worth NWS damage survey and write-up for the 4/26/16 tornadoes in Grayson County.

-----
000
NOUS44 KFWD 272233
PNSFWD
TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-281100-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
533 PM CDT WED APR 27 2016

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 04/26/16 TORNADO EVENT...

.OVERVIEW...THREE TORNADOES HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED FROM YESTERDAYS STORMS...ALL
ALL OF THEM IN GRAYSON COUNTY. A SQUALL LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED DURING
THE EARLY EVENING HOURS OF APRIL 26TH...LEADING TO SEVERAL REPORTS OF HIGH
WINDS AND HAIL. AHEAD OF THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW DISCRETE SUPERCELLS
WERE ABLE TO FORM OVER COOKE AND GRAYSON COUNTIES. THESE SUPERCELLS WERE QUICKLY
INGESTED INTO THE LINE OF STORMS...AND THREE DIFFERENT TORNADOES PRODUCED DAMAGE
ACROSS MUCH OF GRAYSON COUNTY.

.WHITESBORO TORNADO...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 85-90 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 0.5 MILE
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 100 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

START DATE: APR 26 2016
START TIME: 9:22 PM CDT
START LOCATION: WHITESBORO / GRAYSON / TX

END DATE: APR 26 2016
END TIME: 9:23 PM CDT
END LOCATION: WHITESBORO / GRAYSON / TX

*SURVEY SUMMARY: THE WHITESBORO TORNADO WAS SHORT LIVED...BUT PRODUCED EF-1 DAMAGE.
THE STRONGEST DAMAGE WAS TO ONE OF THE FIRST HOMES DAMAGED IN WHITESBORO. A
PORTION OF THE ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF OF A HOUSE...AND WAS THEN THROWN INTO A NEARBY
BUSINESS...WHERE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO A ROOF. AS MANY AS 15 HOMES WERE
DAMAGED IN THE CITY OF WHITESBORO.

.HOWE TORNADO...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 95-105 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 2.2 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 150 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 5

START DATE: APR 26 2016
START TIME: 10:00 PM CDT
START LOCATION: 1W HOWE / GRAYSON / TEXAS

END DATE: APR 26 2016
END TIME: 10:05 PM CDT
END LOCATION: 1E HOWE / GRAYSON / TEXAS

*SURVEY SUMMARY: THE HOWE TORNADO BEGAN ON THE WEST SIDE OF US 75...ABOUT
ONE MILE WEST OF HOWE HIGH SCHOOL. THE TORNADO THEN MOVED ACROSS 75...AND
PRODUCED HEAVY DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES...INCLUDING TWO HOMES WHICH HAD MOST
OF THE ROOF BLOWN OFF. THE HOMES ALONG AND NEAR STARK LANE WERE THE HARDEST
HIT...WHERE SEVERAL POWER LINES AND POWER POLES WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

.BELLS TORNADO...

RATING: EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 80-85 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 6 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 75 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

START DATE: APR 26 2016
START TIME: 10:08 PM CDT
START LOCATION: 5WSW BELLS / GRAYSON / TEXAS

END DATE: APR 26 2016
END TIME: 10:20 PM CDT
END LOCATION: 2NNE BELLS / GRAYSON / TEXAS

*SURVEY SUMMARY: THE TORNADO NEAR BELLS HAD THE LONGEST PATH LENGTH OF THE
EVENING...BUT WAS ABLE TO PRODUCE MOST OF THE DAMAGE ACROSS OPEN LAND.
EVEN SO...SEVERAL HOMES SUFFERED MINOR ROOF DAMAGE...IN ADDITION TO SEVERAL
BARNS AND FARM BUILDINGS WHICH WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO
THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES.

EF0...WEAK......65 TO 85 MPH
EF1...WEAK......86 TO 110 MPH
EF2...STRONG....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3...STRONG....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4...VIOLENT...166 TO 200 MPH
EF5...VIOLENT...>200 MPH

NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENTS AND PUBLICATION IN NWS
STORM DATA.

$$

FOX / HERNANDEZ

[gboudx]

Update from jeff on the weekend weather:

***Heavy Rainfall and Severe Thunderstorms Friday night-Sunday***

Discussion:
Repeating upper level pattern in place will bring yet another storm system across TX this weekend. Large upper level system currently digging into the SW US will transition upper level winds to the SW aloft starting midday on Friday allowing upper level disturbances to translate across the area by Friday afternoon. Surface warm front will back inland this afternoon allowing a very moist Gulf air mass to spread northward. PWS will be on the rise back toward near record levels for this time of year…something that has become almost normal of late. As the upper level low moves into the NM region, upper level winds over SE/E TX will go increasingly divergent helping to add lift to the air mass. A surface front will slowly drop southward over TX adding more lift and helping to focus convection.

Rainfall:
Ingredients are coming together to produce a widespread rainfall event with some excessive rainfall looking likely over parts of the area. Overall favorable set up of strong low level inflow, high moisture levels, slowing/training storm motions, and a defined low level boundary at point toward an excessive rainfall and flash flood threat. Main question remains as to where the greatest totals might be found. Orientation of the expected line of convection early Saturday appears to favor areas north of I-10, but I have seen time and time again where outflow boundaries push storms further southward than expected. Meso scale influences will dictate this event and will determine where the greatest rainfall will be.

Will of with widespread amounts of 1-3 inches over the area with isolated totals of 4-5 inches. Could see even higher amounts especially under any sustained training areas.

Severe:
Air mass will become unstable on Friday and a few isolated severe thunderstorms may develop with a large hail or damaging wind threat. Severe threat increases Friday night into Saturday as complex of storms approaches from the W/NW. Think the main threats will be wind damage and large hail, but would not rule out a weak isolated tornado similar to yesterday morning (see below). SPC has a large portion of SE TX outlooked for Friday afternoon into Friday night and a portion of this risk area may need to be upgraded to a higher risk.

Given the extremely wet grounds…even non-severe thunderstorm winds may uproot and knock over trees.

Hydro:
Region remains highly sensitive to additional rainfall. Widespread nature of this upcoming event will put additional pressure on river systems still draining flood flows from a couple of weeks ago and the complexes of storms every 2-3 days we have experienced since then.

Will likely see new rises on area rivers given the expected rainfall and some that have recently fallen below flood stage may return to at or above flood levels.

Recent Rainfall:

As wet as 2015 was….2016 is starting out even wetter!

Since March 1, 2016…. Houston, Columbus, Sugarland, and Houston Westbury have all recorded their wettest March 1-April 27 period on record. Columbus has surpassed their 2015 record by over 2.0 inches. The City of Houston has surpassed its 2015 same period record by an astounding by 4.59 inches.


Tomball…Klein Tornado:
NWS survey team investigated the wind damage across northern Harris County yesterday and determined a weak tornado occurred 6 miles SW of The Woodlands along Willow Creek in the Willow Forest Subdivision. The tornado was .41 miles wide with a damage path of 40 yards and winds estimated near 70mph. Numerous large pines were snapped or uprooted with several trees impacted homes. 1 person was killed when a tree fell on their mobile home.

[aggiecutter]

Joe Bastardi
‏@BigJoeBastardi
Yesterdays slight risk day beat the moderate risk day in tornadoes, 19 to 7
Interesting

[Ntxw]

Friday through early next week will probably have more tornadoes than Tuesday. It's not a perfect set up but weaker cap, better wind profiles. Likely boundaries sitting around which in the past at least for our area has proven to overperform at times. Warm front will be close which often times storms love to ride

Below normal weather next week. April will be wetter than normal at DFW comparable to April 2015.

[TeamPlayersBlue]

I think tomorrow, the LLJ will kick up too. Supposed to be very windy here in SE Tx

[Tireman4]

Wish I fared as well as you all did. I awoke to one-third of my beautiful red oak tree in the front yard being split and down on the ground. I heard the winds and knew they were strong but I had no idea they were THAT strong. I'm guessing winds gusts to 60 mph at the PWC per the tree damage. Lots of tree damage in my neighborhood.[/quote]

Is this Porta? Or the artist formerly known as Porta?

[JDawg512]

That was definetly a crazy storm. There's a tree next door that had the top have completely snap off. Lots of tree damage around my neighborhood. I was at the front door watching as it hit and got soaking wet. Saw huge sparks flying from a transformer or something behind the house across from mine and then the power went out on that block and the one next to it but we didn't have power go out on my block.

[TheProfessor]

RIP TVN

[Houstonia]

RIP TVN

Yes, i just read this too. It seems very sudden, although I noticed that they had problems with overload this past week...

I enjoyed watching the dashcam videos, but recently I noticed there were an increasing number of storm chasers and in the last storm event, it seemed like there were people using TVN to further their own interests. Also, with Facebook offering FB Live - maybe that would be strong competition.
Thoughts?

The notice is here: https://tvnweather.com/

[TheProfessor]

RIP TVN

Yes, i just read this too. It seems very sudden, although I noticed that they had problems with overload this past week...

I enjoyed watching the dashcam videos, but recently I noticed there were an increasing number of storm chasers and in the last storm event, it seemed like there were people using TVN to further their own interests. Also, with Facebook offering FB Live - maybe that would be strong competition.
Thoughts?

The notice is here: https://tvnweather.com/

Yeah Perhaps, right now I'm trying to reach out to people at twitch, although they focus more on gaming, art and music, I think if there were to make a spinoff site for weather and possible other science type stuff I think they would do well with that. I really love twitch's layout, I know some chasers stream on Youtube, but it's not near as good as twitch. I haven't Seen FB Live so I don't know if I would like it or not.

[EF-5bigj]

Sad but a lot of chasing is moving onto Skype and other video services.

[Tireman4]

I figured this was coming.....

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
204 PM CDT THU APR 28 2016

TXZ163-164-176>179-195>199-210>213-226-227-290315-
/O.NEW.KHGX.FF.A.0003.160429T1800Z-160501T1200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
AUSTIN-BRAZOS-BURLESON-COLORADO-FORT BEND-GRIMES-HARRIS-HOUSTON-
MADISON-MONTGOMERY-POLK-SAN JACINTO-TRINITY-WALKER-WALLER-
WASHINGTON-WHARTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BELLVILLE...BRENHAM...BROOKSHIRE...
BRYAN...CALDWELL...COLDSPRING...COLLEGE STATION...COLUMBUS...
CONROE...CORRIGAN...CROCKETT...EAGLE LAKE...EL CAMPO...GROVETON...
HEMPSTEAD...HOUSTON...HUMBLE...HUNTSVILLE...KATY...
LAKE SOMERVILLE...LIVINGSTON...MADISONVILLE...MISSOURI CITY...
NAVASOTA...ONALASKA...PASADENA...PIERCE...PRAIRIE VIEW...
RICHMOND...ROSENBERG...SEALY...SHEPHERD...SUGAR LAND...
THE WOODLANDS...TOMBALL...TRINITY...WEIMAR...WHARTON...WILLIS
204 PM CDT THU APR 28 2016

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SUNDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...INCLUDING
THE FOLLOWING AUSTIN...BRAZOS...BURLESON...COLORADO...FORT ...
BEND...GRIMES...HARRIS...HOUSTON...MADISON...MONTGOMERY...
POLK...SAN JACINTO...TRINITY...WALKER...WALLER...WASHINGTON
AND WHARTON.

* FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING

* UNUSUALLY MOIST TROPICAL AIR WILL STREAM INTO THE REGION FRIDAY
AS SOUTHERLY WINDS INCREASE. AN UPPER LEVEL JETSTREAM WILL BRING
A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES INTO THE REGION AND SHOULD HELP TO
DEVELOP SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AFTERNOON OVER THE
WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE WATCH AREA THEN SHIFTING EASTWARD AND
NORTHWARD THROUGHOUT THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. THE
GROUND IS SATURATED AND ANY STORMS WITH HIGH RAIN RATES WILL
LEAD TO RAPID RUNOFF AND FLOODING. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL THREAT
SHOULD PEAK FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ADDITIONAL
RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE AFTER THAT AND THE GROUND WILL BE SATURATED
AND STREAMS AND BAYOUS MAY ALREADY BE SWOLLEN OR FLOODING.
WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS THROUGH THE WATCH PERIOD WILL LIKELY
AVERAGE 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES.
MUCH OF THESE AMOUNTS COULD COME IN ONLY A FEW HOURS OF HEAVY
RAIN. AS WE APPROACH THE WATCH PERIOD CONFIDENCE IN TIMING AND
LOCATION WILL LIKELY IMPROVE THE FOCUS FOR WHERE THE HEAVY RAINS
WILL FALL.

* STREETS...BAYOUS...STREAMS AND RIVERS WILL LIKELY HAVE THE
GREATEST IMPACTS FROM THE HEAVY RAINFALL. MOTORISTS AND PERSONS
WITH OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD STAY ABREAST OF THE LATEST
FORECASTS AND HAVE CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR WHEN THE HEAVY RAIN
ARRIVES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

[gboudx]

Friday through early next week will probably have more tornadoes than Tuesday. It's not a perfect set up but weaker cap, better wind profiles. Likely boundaries sitting around which in the past at least for our area has proven to overperform at times. Warm front will be close which often times storms love to ride

Below normal weather next week. April will be wetter than normal at DFW comparable to April 2015.

Steve McCauley highlights the outflow boundaries as potential tornado threats.

I am concerned about tornado potential for Friday. Outflow boundaries produced by tonight's storms could be left behind for Friday's storms to "work with." New storms that move across old outflow boundaries can pull them up off the ground and cause the new storm to rotate even faster leading to an increase in tornado potential.

Stay tuned for details...

[WeatherNewbie]

Anything to be worried about overnight in DFW, or just run of the mill thunderstorms?

[gboudx]

Could be some hail, heavy rain and downburst winds.

[jasons2k]

I would bet the TVN shutdown is probably part financial/bandwidth support but I'd bet they were probably given legal advice to discontinue the service or have some pretty expensive liability insurance, and thus financially, it wasn't sustainable. I don't know anyone there, just a guess knowing how business works...