Sorry if by some chance someone already posted something about this. I'm home sick and have been sleeping most of the day. No chance to get caught up on everything yet. Got this in email.
Subject: Developing gale in Gulf causing high tides in TX
Special Tide Observation Report
Issued by the Jamaica Beach Weather Observatory
8:40 AM CDT Wednesday, October 1, 2003
...JAMAICA BEACH TIDE 3.0 FT MLLW WHICH IS 1.7 FT ABOVE NORMAL...
The interaction of high pressure over the eastern United States and a developing
extratropical (non-tropical) low pressure system accompanied by gale force winds
over the southern Gulf of Mexico continues to produce a tight pressure gradient
over the northwest Gulf of Mexico along the Texas Coast. Winds along the Texas
Coast are from the N to NE at 15 to 20 mph and gusty. However, further offshore...
winds are gusting to gale force.
At 7:00 AM CDT....the automated weather buoy located 200 miles E of Port Isabel,
TX was reporting winds from N at 36 mph with gusts to 43 mph and seas of 11 feet
with a period of 9 seconds. The automated weather buoy located 35 miles NE of
Port Mansfield, TX was reporting winds from NNE at 20 mph with gusts to 24 mph
and seas of 7 feet with a period of 8 seconds. The automated weather buoy
located 60 miles S of Freeport, TX was reporting winds from NE at 22 mph with
gusts to 29 mph and seas of 9 feet with a period of 9 seconds. The automated
weather buoy located 20 miles E of Galveston was reporting winds from NE at
20 mph with gusts to 22 mph and seas of 5 feet with a period of 5 seconds.
At 8:00 AM CDT...the Jamaica Beach Weather Observatory had winds from
NE at 16 mph with gusts to 23 mph. Scholes International Airport in Galveston
had winds from NE at 16 mph.
The continued combination of NE winds and long period swells is producing
above normal tides along the Texas Coast...particularly along windward facing
shorelines such as the West Bay shore of Galveston Island and the western
shoreline of Galveston Bay.
At 8:00 AM CDT...the tide in West Bay at the Jamaica Beach Weather Observatory
was 3.0 feet above Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) which is 1.7 feet above the
predicted astronomical (normal) tide of 1.3 feet for 8:00 AM CDT. The tide is at
least a half foot over the pier and bulkhead at the weather observatory and is
beginning to back up in the adjacent yard area. Tidewater is also backing up
into drainage ditches and low-lying areas adjacent to Jolly Roger Road. Once
tides reach 3.8 ft MLLW...minor tidal flooding will begin to affect low-lying
streets...especially Jamaica Cove Road and Jamaica Inn Road.
The National Hurricane Center is continuing to monitor the low pressure system in
the Gulf of Mexico for possible development from a non-tropical into a tropical
cyclone. Yesterday evening...Air Force reconnaissance aircraft measured wind
gusts of 59 mph in squalls west of a 1006 MB low pressure center. However,
the system was still structured as a non-tropical (cold-core) low and this is why
it has thus far not been classified and named a tropical storm. There is some
potential for tropical cyclone development prior to making landfall on the coast
of Mexico between Veracruz and Tampico. It is unlikely this system would make
landfall further north due to the close proximity of the old frontal boundary to its
north that has brought us the cooler and drier air of the past few days and another
reinforcing area of high pressure building southward from the central U.S. However,
any intensification of the Gulf low pressure area will only serve to strengthen the
pressure gradient further and as a result...increase tides further.
A Coastal Flood Warning and High Surf Advisory remain in effect along the Lower
Texas Coast from Baffin Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande River including
Padre Island and the Laguna Madre for the expectation of tidal flooding.
Residents along the Upper Texas Coast should continue to monitor weather
forecasts and updates over the next several days in case a Coastal Flood
Watch or Warning becomes necessary along the Upper Texas Coast.
A high tide occurred at Jamaica Beach at 1:45 AM CDT this morning. The
next low tide will be at 6:37 PM CDT this evening. On Thursday...a high tide
will occur at 3:45 AM CDT and a low tide will occur at 7:52 PM CDT.
Further updates will be sent as necessary.
Jim O'Donnel
Jamaica Beach Weather Observatory
Special Tide Observation Report - Jamaica Beach, TX
Moderator: S2k Moderators
Forum rules
The posts in this forum are NOT official forecasts and should not be used as such. They are just the opinion of the poster and may or may not be backed by sound meteorological data. They are NOT endorsed by any professional institution or STORM2K. For official information, please refer to products from the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service.
-
GalvestonDuck
- Category 5
- Posts: 15941
- Age: 57
- Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2002 8:11 am
- Location: Galveston, oh Galveston (And yeah, it's a barrier island. Wanna make something of it?)
-
Guest