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Troy Kimmel's Exclusive Forecast
TROY KIMMEL’S WEATHER DISCUSSION...
5 AM CST... TUESDAY... 03 NOVEMBER 2009...
.... A Dry and Stable Weather Pattern Continues ....
On this Tuesday..surface high pressure cover Texas. A weak stationary front extends east-to-west across the Red River country of north Texas and southern Oklahoma.
In the upper levels of the atmosphere.. a trough.. or line.. of low pressure extended southward from the eastern Great Lakes States into the southeastern U. S.
A dry and stable weather pattern continues across Texas with this basic pattern remaining in place over the next seven days. I expect temperatures to remain near seasonal averages over the next seven days with no precipitation in the forecast.
Have a good Tuesday...
Chief Meteorologist Troy Kimmel
TROY KIMMEL’S EXCLUSIVE FORECAST...
TODAY.... Sunshine. High 73 to 77. Northeasterly wind 5 to 10 mph.
TONIGHT.... Mostly clear. Low 43 to 47. Light northeasterly wind.
WEDNESDAY.... Sunshine. High 74 to 78. Easterly wind 5 to 10 mph.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT.... Mostly clear. Low 48 to 52. Light wind.
THURSDAY.... Mostly sunny. High 74 to 78.
THURSDAY NIGHT.... Mostly clear. Low 45 to 49.
FRIDAY.... Partly cloudy. High 75 to 79.
FRIDAY NIGHT.... Partly cloudy. Low 48 to 52.
SATURDAY.... Partly cloudy. High 75 to 79.
SATURDAY NIGHT.... Partly cloudy. Low 52 to 56.
SUNDAY.... Partly cloudy. High 74 to 78.
SUNDAY NIGHT.... Partly cloudy. Low 53 to 57.
MONDAY.... Partly cloudy. High 74 to 78.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE / 8 TO 14 DAY OUTLOOK
Valid Tues / 10 Nov 2009 through Monday / 16 Nov 2009
Temperature... Near Average
Precipitation... Above Average
AUSTIN SUNSET/SUNRISE TIMES.....
Sunrise this morning..... 6:47 am
Sunset tonight............... 5:42 pm
Sunrise Wednesday...... 6:48 am
Sunset Wednesday........5:41 pm
....AUSTIN AREA POLLEN COUNT....
...RECORDED MONDAY / 02 NOVEMBER 2009...
(Note: This is the most recent report that has been provided.
This count is updated as provided on weekdays only and
is courtesy of Austin Allergy Associates and
Dr. T. Ray Vaughn and Dr. P. Dennis Dyer
Molds..... 1230 gr/cubic meter (Moderate) - Down Since Last Reading
Grasses..... 0 gr/cubic meter (Low)
Weeds...... 2 gr/cubic meter (Low)
...Breakdown of Weeds:
...Ragweed 2...
Trees...... 10 gr/cubic meter (Low)
...Breakdown of Trees:
... Red Berry Juniper 10...
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STORM REPORTS?
If you have a report of hail.. strong wind or wind damage.. heavy rain/flooding.. snow/ice.. or any other type of severe/inclement weather, please send me email with the details (see below). I appreciate it - and may use it on the air - and the National Weather Service will appreciate it, too!!
Please send in the following format:
- Your Name / Phone Number
(These will be for my use only in case I need to reach you)
- Basic Type of Weather Observed
(i.e., Hail, Strong Damaging Wind, Rain/Flooding)
- Additional Comments Regarding Weather
(i.e., "Three trees uprooted, power lines down")
- Your Exact Location/Address/County
(i.e., 4 miles west of Bastrop on Highway 71 or
2334 Everyday Road in southeast Austin, TX 78701)
- Exact Date and Time / Range of Time of Occurrence
Send Your Storm Reports: troykimmel@clearchannel.com
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WELCOME TO THE CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO WEATHER DATA CENTER...
| ....Radar Images / Loops.... | IMAGE | LOOP | | NWS/Austin San Antonio | | | | NWS/Granger | | |
....South Central Texas Satellite Data Loops....
....Current Weather Maps....
....Current Hourly South Central Texas Weather Conditions....
....Austin Area Daily Climate Data.... Note: Once You're on These Links, You Can Look at Previous Versions of the Climate Summary By Linking At The Top of the Page the Current Version (Current) or One Back Previously ( 1), the Second One Previously ( 2), etc.
....Texas Travel Weather (NWS Forecasts).... Note: From Any of These Links, You Can Enter a Zip Code At The Top of the Web Page For Any Location in the USA and get the Latest NWS Forecast and Current Conditions for that Location!!
NEW!!! Think You Know All About Weather? Courtesy of the National Weather Service Southern Region Headquarters, You Can "Attend" the...
EMAIL TROY!!! If you have a weather question... or... If you're a teacher and would like to arrange for me to come and talk to your classroom... or... If you'd like me to come speak to your organization...
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On Air Details
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Personality Contacts
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Personality Bio
For Troy Kimmel's bio, please see the PDF located at...
http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/kimmel/KIMMELBIO.pdf
Troy Kimmel, a native Texan, has been involved in broadcast meteorology even before his graduation from Texas A & M University (B.S., Geography) in 1984. Starting in television back in 1978 at KBTX-TV in Bryan/College Station, as Weather Director, he was responsible for the weeknight weathercasts. In 1984, he moved to KVUE 24 Television (ABC) in Austin where he worked for almost ten years. From 1993 to 1994, he worked as Chief Meteorologist with the Lower Colorado River Authority and then from 1994 to 1997 as Chief Meteorologist with KTBC/Fox 7 Television. Most recently, until December 2003, he worked as Chief Meteorologist with KEYE Television . In 1997, he joined KVET/KASE/KFMK Radio Stations in Austin in his current position as Chief Meteorologist.
Kimmel has been involved in teaching in the Department of Geography and the Environment at the University of Texas at Austin as a Lecturer / Studies in Weather and Climate from 1988 through 2007. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer effective in the fall of 2007. He teaches an introductory class entitled Weather and Climate as well as an upper level division class entitled Severe and Unusual Weather. He also serves as Manager of the Weather and Climate Resource Center in the Department of Geography and the Environment. In addition, he serves as a member on the University of Texas Safety and Security Committee as well as a member of the Public Affairs Advisory Committee in the College of Liberal Arts.
As owner of KimCo Meteorological Services, he provides meteorological data and services to companies. Since 1990, he has also worked as Team Meteorologist with the football program at Texas A & M University providing game day and practice forecasts.
Kimmel was elected as a Councilor of the National Weather Association for 2008 through 2010.
A strong proponent of continuing education for broadcast meteorologists, Kimmel has been tested and met the qualifications as a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist by the American Meteorological Society. In addition, he holds his Radio and Television Seal of Approval from the American Meteorological Society and his Television Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association. He also holds a National Weather Service Certificate of Authority to take Basic Aviation Weather Observations. He has made several presentations at American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association meetings. In addition, he is author of several publications including Inclement/Severe Weather and Extreme
Temperature/Precipitation/Wind/Pressure Climatology for Austin and South Central Texas (2006), SkyWarn - A Guide for National Weather Service Spotters in South Central Texas (2004), Central Texas Law Enforcement Weather Spotting/Information/Safety Handbook (2004) as well as the USA Broadcast Meteorologist/Weathercaster Directory (1999).
Kimmel lives in Austin and volunteers for several local agencies including being a member of Austin Police Department=s Civil Defense Battalion and CERT Team (where he has a special assignment to the Austin Police Department Training Academy, the Austin Airport Public Safety Division, the Operations Area at Austin Bergstrom International Airport and the Office of Emergency Management). In addition, he volunteers as the Texas State Coordinator of CoCoRahs, the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, which is a national citizens grassroots weather observer network based at Colorado State University with support of NOAA/National Weather Service and the National Science Foundation. |
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Monday 11-02-2009 8:32pm CT
Troy Kimmel's Weather Blog...
UT / Univ of Central Florida Game Forecast (#1)
730am CT - Monday / 2 November 2009
.... First Forecast ....
Gametime:
1100am CST - Saturday / 7 November 2009
Austin, TX
Forecast Reasoning:
A typical fall weather pattern will prevail for the game.
Game / Sky and Weather:
A clear to partly cloudy sky is expected.
Game / Air Temperature:
Kickoff... 65 to 69 F.
Halftime... 69 to 73 F.
End of Game... 72 to 76 F.
Game / Heat Stress Temperature:
Will not be a factor.
Game / Relative Humidity:
Humidities in the 35 to 45% range will prevail during the game.
Game / Winds:
Southeasterly wind 5 to 12 mph.
tk
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TAMU / Colorado Game Forecast (#1)
730am CT - Monday / 2 November 2009
.... First Forecast ....
Gametime:
1130am MST / 1230pm CST - Saturday / 7 November 2009
Boulder, CO
Forecast Reasoning:
A stable fall weather pattern will persist over Colorado.
Game / Sky and Weather:
A clear sky is expected.
Game / Air Temperature:
Kickoff... 53 to 57 F.
Halftime... 55 to 59 F.
End of Game... 56 to 60 F.
Game / Heat Stress Temperature:
Not expected to be a factor.
Game / Relative Humidity:
Humidities in the 30 to 40% range during the ballgame.
Game / Winds:
East southeasterly wind 5 to 10 mph.
tk
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A couple of cool weather sites....
Weather Extremes Worldwide in the last three hours...
http://www.coolwx.com/extreme/
With the tropical weather season here.. I strongly recommend the
StormPulse website... really interactive... really neat!!! (and no,
I don't own stock in it!!!).... http://www.stormpulse.com
See current weather around your area of town on the LCRA Hydromet
weather observation web site... http://hydromet.lcra.org/
Once on the web site... select (on the upper left part of the page),
your "Default Map Area" (I use "City of Austin").. then in the pull down
menu directly below, the type of data you want to see (i.e., current
temperatures, rainfall). Once you select this, put your mouse on the
data and it'll tell you the exact LCRA gauge location.
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Sunday / 05 July 2009
Warm enough for you???
RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO, TX
533 PM CDT SUN JUL 05 2009
...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM...
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 105 DEGREES WAS SET AT AUSTIN
BERGSTROM TODAY. HIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 101 SET IN 1957.
RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO, TX
533 PM CDT SUN JUL 05 2009
...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT AUSTIN CAMP MABRY...
A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 105 DEGREES WAS SET AT AUSTIN CAMP
MABRY TODAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 101 SET IN 1956.
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Tuesday / 30 June 2009
June 2009 Climate Roundup (Preliminary)
(Courtesy: Robert Blaha / NWS Austin-San Antonio)
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
601 AM CDT TUE JUN 30 2009
...JUNE 2009 CLIMATE INFORMATION...
THE MID TO LATE JUNE OF 2009 HEAT WAVE AND INTENSE LATE JUNE SUN
HAVE ADDED TO THE DRYNESS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...THAT HAS
PERSISTED SINCE SEPTEMBER 2007. THE CURRENT DRYNESS WAS BRIEFLY
INTERRUPTED BY A VERY WET PERIOD FROM JANUARY TO AUGUST 2007...
THAT WAS PRECEDED BY A DROUGHT FROM APRIL 2005 TO DECEMBER 2006.
AS OF JUNE 29...2009 A REVIEW OF RECORDS SINCE THE MID TO LATE 1800S
SHOWS THAT THE PAST 22 MONTHS HAS BEEN SOME OF THE DRIEST 22 MONTHS
FOR AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO. A SIMILAR DRY PERIOD OCCURRED AROUND
100 YEARS AGO FROM 1909 TO 1912...IN ADDITION TO OTHER DRY PERIODS
IN THE 1890S...FROM DECEMBER 1916 THROUGH 1917 TO EARLY 1918...IN
THE 1920S...EARLY AND LATE 1930S TO EARLY 1940...LATE 1940S...
EARLY TO MID 1950S...EARLY 1960S...1970-1971...1980...1982...1984...
1988 TO 1989...1996...1999 TO EARLY 2000...AND APRIL 2005 TO
DECEMBER 2006.
THE 22 MONTH PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER 2007 TO JUNE 29...2009 SO FAR
MAKES SEPTEMBER 2007 TO JUNE 2009 THE DRIEST 22 MONTH PERIOD SINCE
1885 AT SAN ANTONIO. FROM 1885 TO JUNE 2009 THERE ARE 1,473
22 MULTI-MONTH PERIODS. THE PREVIOUS 22 MONTH PERIOD THAT WAS THIS
DRY AT SAN ANTONIO OCCURRED NEARLY 100 YEARS AGO FROM DECEMBER 1908
TO SEPTEMBER 1910. THE DRIEST CONSECUTIVE 22 MULTI-MONTH PERIODS AT
SAN ANTONIO ARE LISTED BELOW...FROM 1885 TO JUNE 2009. THE DATA FOR
2009 IS THROUGH JUNE 29TH. WITH 1 DAY STILL LEFT IN JUNE...THE
FINAL SEPTEMBER 2007 TO JUNE 2009 FIGURES COULD CHANGE.
DRIEST 22 MONTH PERIODS AT SAN ANTONIO...1885 TO JUNE 29...2009
1. 23.90 SEP. 2007 TO JUN. 29, 2009
2. 26.33 DEC. 1908 TO SEP. 1910
3. 27.61 JUL. 1954 TO APR. 1956
4. 27.81 APR. 1955 TO JAN. 1957
5. 28.07 JAN. 1909 TO OCT. 1910
6. 28.09 JUN. 1938 TO MAR. 1940
7. 28.38 NOV. 1908 TO AUG. 1910
8. 28.65 SEP. 1954 TO JUN. 1956
9. 28.66 OCT. 1954 TO JUL. 1956
10. 28.70 MAR. 1955 TO DEC. 1956
THE 22 MONTH PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER 2007 TO JUNE 29...2009 SO FAR AT
AUSTIN MABRY MAKES SEPTEMBER 2007 TO JUNE 2009 THE 21ST DRIEST
22 MONTH PERIOD SINCE 1856. FROM 1856 TO JUNE 2009 THERE ARE 1,821
22 MULTI-MONTH PERIODS. THE DRIEST CONSECUTIVE 22 MULTI-MONTH
PERIODS AT AUSTIN ARE LISTED BELOW...FROM 1856 TO JUNE 2009. THE
DATA FOR 2009 IS THROUGH JUNE 29TH. WITH 1 DAY STILL LEFT IN
JUNE...THE FINAL SEPTEMBER 2007 TO JUNE 2009 FIGURES COULD CHANGE.
DRIEST 22 MONTH PERIODS AT AUSTIN...1856 TO JUNE 29...2009
1. 30.26 NOV. 1916 TO AUG. 1918
2. 30.88 DEC. 1916 TO SEP. 1918
3. 31.36 OCT. 1916 TO JUL. 1918
4. 31.41 JUL. 1954 TO APR. 1956
5. 31.53 JUN. 1954 TO MAR. 1956
6. 31.55 JAN. 1954 TO OCT. 1955
7. 31.58 APR. 1955 TO JAN. 1957
8. 31.86 MAR. 1955 TO DEC. 1956
9. 31.94 FEB. 1954 TO NOV. 1955
10. 32.67 MAR. 1954 TO DEC. 1955
...
21. 33.82 SEP. 2007 TO JUN. 29, 2009
22. 33.97 MAY 1955 TO FEB. 1957
WITH ONLY 1 DAY LEFT THIS JUNE...JUNE 2009 IS SO FAR THE
2ND WARMEST JUNE AT AUSTIN MABRY...THE 8TH WARMEST AT
AUSTIN BERGSTROM...THE 5TH WARMEST JUNE AT DEL RIO...AND A TIE
FOR THE 3RD WARMEST JUNE AT SAN ANTONIO WITH JUNE 1998. THE LIST
BELOW SHOWS THE WARMEST JUNES OF RECORD. THE DATA FOR 2009 IS FOR
JUNE 1ST TO 29TH...SO WITH STILL 1 DAY LEFT THE FINAL FIGURES FOR
JUNE 2009 COULD CHANGE.
AUSTIN MABRY 1854 TO 2009
1. 87.4 2008
2. 86.7 JUNE 1 TO 29...2009
3. 86.4 1998
4. 86.3 1925
5. 85.9 1881 AND 1990
AUSTIN BERGSTROM 1943 TO 2009
1. 86.8 1953 5. 84.9 1958 AND 1990
2. 86.5 1998 6. 84.6 1994
3. 85.4 1956 AND 2008 7. 84.5 1948...1960 AND 1980
4. 85.1 1954 8. 84.4 JUNE 1 TO 29...2009
DEL RIO 1906 TO 2009
1. 89.4 1953
2. 89.1 1998
3. 87.9 2001
4. 87.8 1990 AND 1996
5. 87.3 JUNE 1 TO 29...2009
6. 87.2 1980
7. 87.1 2008
SAN ANTONIO 1885 TO 2009
1. 87.5 1990
2. 86.8 2008
3. 86.3 1998 AND JUNE 1 TO 29...2009
4. 85.2 1934
OTHER RECORDS THAT ARE RARE EVENTS...FOR JUNE 2009 FROM JUNE 20TH TO
JUNE 29TH...AUSTIN MABRY AND AUSTIN BERGSTROM HAD 10 100 DEGREE DAYS
IN A ROW. PRIOR TO THIS YEAR...THIS BROKE THE OLD RECORDS OF 6 IN A
ROW DURING JUNE AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM IN JUNE 1953...AND THE RECORD OF
8 IN A ROW AT AUSTIN MABRY...IN JUNE 1925. SAN ANTONIO HAS HAD 6
100 DEGREE DAYS IN A ROW FROM JUNE 24 TO 29...JUST SHORT OF THE
RECORD 8 DAYS IN A ROW IN JUNE 1990. FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE...
SAN ANTONIO HAS HAD 12 OVERALL 100 DEGREE DAYS IN JUNE...A RECORD
FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE. THE OLD RECORD WAS 11 DAYS IN JUNE 1990.
THE ALL TIME GREATEST NUMBER OF 100 DEGREE DAYS IN A ROW
AT AUSTIN...DEL RIO...AND SAN ANTONIO IS LISTED BELOW.
DEL RIO............50 FROM JUNE 17 TO AUGUST 5...1980
AUSTIN BERGSTROM...23 FROM JULY 27 TO AUGUST 18...1951
AUSTIN MABRY.......21 FROM JULY 12 TO AUGUST 1...2001
SAN ANTONIO........21 FROM JULY 24 TO AUGUST 13...1962
SO FAR JUNE HAS BEEN VERY DRY AT AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO...WITH ONLY
0.45 INCHES AT SAN ANTONIO...0.96 INCHES AT AUSTIN MABRY AND 0.66
INCHES AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM THROUGH JUNE 28TH. DEL RIO HAS HAD 2.69
INCHES OF RAIN SO FAR. THE FINAL FIGURES FOR JUNE 2009 COULD STILL
CHANGE WITH 2 DAYS LEFT TO GO IN THE MONTH.
$$
Thursday / 21 May 2009
NOAA Issues Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook, Encourages Preparedness
NOAA forecasters say a near-normal Atlantic hurricane season is most likely this year. However, as with any season, the need to prepare for the possibility of a storm striking near you is essential.
“Today, more than 35 million Americans live in regions most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes,” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “Timely and accurate warnings of severe weather help save lives and property. Public awareness and public preparedness are the best defenses against a hurricane.”
In its initial outlook for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June through November, NOAA’s National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center calls for a 50 percent probability of a near-normal season, a 25 percent probability of an above-normal season and a 25 percent probability of a below-normal season. Global weather patterns are imposing a greater uncertainty in the 2009 hurricane season outlook than in recent years. Forecasters say there is a 70 percent chance of having nine to 14 named storms, of which four to seven could become hurricanes, including one to three major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5).
“This outlook is a guide to the overall expected seasonal activity. However, the outlook is not just about the numbers, it’s also about taking action,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “Prepare for each and every season regardless of the seasonal outlook. Even a near- or below-normal season can produce landfalling hurricanes, and it only takes one landfalling storm to make it a bad season.”
Shaping this seasonal outlook is the possibility of competing climate factors. Supporting more activity this season are conditions associated with the ongoing high-activity era that began in 1995, which include enhanced rainfall over West Africa, warmer Atlantic waters and reduced wind shear. But activity could be reduced if El Nino develops in the equatorial Eastern Pacific this summer or if ocean temperatures in the eastern tropical Atlantic remain cooler than normal.
NOAA’s seasonal hurricane outlook does not project where and when any of these storms may hit. Landfall is dictated by weather patterns in place at the time the storm approaches. For each storm, NOAA’s National Hurricane Center forecasts how these weather patterns affect the storm track, intensity and landfall potential.
“NOAA strives to produce the best possible forecasts to help emergency officials and residents better prepare for an approaching storm,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “I’m pleased to have the Administration’s support for an additional $13 million in next year’s budget request to continue the trend of improving hurricane track and intensity forecasts.” Tropical systems acquire a name – the first for 2009 will be Ana – upon reaching tropical storm strength with sustained winds of at least 39 mph. Tropical storms become hurricanes when winds reach 74 mph, and become major hurricanes when winds increase to 111 mph. An average season has 11 named storms, including six hurricanes with two becoming major hurricanes.
NOAA scientists will continue to monitor evolving conditions in the tropics and will issue an updated hurricane outlook in early August, just prior to what is historically the peak period for hurricane activity.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.
On the Web: NOAA Hurricane Preparedness: http://www.hurricanes.gov/prepare
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Thursday / 12 March 2009
National Weather Service SkyWarn Training Sessions...
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ewx/html/skytrn.htm
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Just released Gallup Poll on how the public feels about
Global Warming...
http://www.gallup.com/poll/116590/Increased-Number-Think-Global-Warming-Exaggerated.aspx
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Thursday night / 5 February 2009
Telling us what we already know... a very interesting press release...
The Texas drought is becoming historic... link this press release from Texas A & M
University and Geography Professor Steve Quiring...
http://dmc-news.tamu.edu/templates/?a=7292&z=15
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Monday / 02 February 2009
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
230 PM CST SUN FEB 1 2009
...DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE SO FAR IN JANUARY OF 2009...
THE CURRENT DROUGHT OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS BEGAN IN
SEPTEMBER 2007...FOLLOWING A BRIEF WET PERIOD FROM JANUARY TO
AUGUST OF 2007...THAT WAS PRECEDED BY A DROUGHT FROM THE SPRING
OF 2005 THROUGH 2006. THE DRYNESS SINCE SEPTEMBER 2007 HAS LEFT
CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS VERY DRY...MATCHING SOME OF THE
DRY PERIODS DECADES AGO IN THE 1900S.
SINCE THE ORIGIN OF THE CURRENT DROUGHT IN SEPTEMBER 2007...A REVIEW
OF RECORDS SHOWS THAT SEPTEMBER 2007 TO JANUARY 2009...WAS THE
DRIEST SUCH 17 MONTH PERIOD AT SAN ANTONIO...THE 3RD DRIEST AT
AUSTIN...AND WAS ONE OF THE DRIER SUCH PERIODS AT DEL RIO.
THE DRIEST 17 MONTH PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER...PLUS THE
NEXT YEARS JANUARY TO DECEMBER...AND THE FOLLOWING YEARS JANUARY
RAINFALL...ARE LISTED BELOW. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND MORE
SUNNY DAYS THAN USUAL SINCE SEPTEMBER 2007 HAS ADDED TO THE
MAGNITUDE OF THE CURRENT DROUGHT...BY MORE EVAPORATION THAN USUAL.
FOR SAN ANTONIO FROM 1885 TO 2009...THE DRIEST SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER...
PLUS THE NEXT JANUARY TO DECEMBER...AND THE FOLLOWING JANUARY
RAINFALL IS LISTED BELOW.
1. 16.67 SEP. 2007 TO JAN. 2009
2. 18.22 SEP. 1955 TO JAN. 1957
3. 19.03 SEP. 1916 TO JAN. 1918
4. 20.26 SEP. 1909 TO JAN. 1911
5. 22.47 SEP. 1953 TO JAN. 1955
FOR AUSTIN MABRY FROM 1856 TO 2009...THE DRIEST SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER...
PLUS THE NEXT JANUARY TO DECEMBER...AND THE FOLLOWING JANUARY
RAINFALL IS LISTED BELOW.
1. 19.79 SEP. 1955 TO JAN. 1957
2. 21.75 SEP. 1916 TO JAN. 1918
3. 23.74 SEP. 2007 TO JAN. 2009
4. 25.38 SEP. 1878 TO JAN. 1880
5. 26.86 SEP. 1954 TO JAN. 1956
FOR DEL RIO FROM 1906 TO 2009...THE DRIEST SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER...
PLUS THE NEXT JANUARY TO DECEMBER...AND THE FOLLOWING JANUARY
RAINFALL IS LISTED BELOW.
1. 7.28 SEP. 1955 TO JAN. 1957
2. 10.50 SEP. 1916 TO JAN. 1918
3. 12.52 SEP. 1950 TO JAN. 1952
4. 12.53 SEP. 1951 TO JAN. 1953
5. 13.95 SEP. 1952 TO JAN. 1954
...
41. 23.00 SEP. 2007 TO JAN. 2009
$$
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Austin / South Central Texas
Top Weather Events of 2008
Prepared by Bob Rose, Chief Meteorologist, LCRA
Listed chronologically:
May 10th A severe thunderstorm moved over Austin producing 2.25 inch hail at Camp
Mabry and 1/8th inch at Bergstrom. Some damage was produced by this storm.
May 13th A severe thunderstorm moved over Burnet County producing an EF0 tornado.
Surprisingly, only minor damage.
May 14-15th... A severe thunderstorm tracked across central Austin producing unusually
large and damaging hail of 2 to 4 inches. Wind gusts of 70 to 80 mph were reported over
this same area. Widespread damage to homes and businesses.
May 20th The temperature at Camp Mabry reached 101 degrees. This was the 4th earliest
100 degree reading on record. The temperature also reached 100 degrees on May 23rd at
Camp Mabry.
The month of June was the hottest June ever recorded at Camp Mabry . The monthly average
temperature of 87.4 degrees was 1 degree warmer than the previous record June of 1998. There
were 20 days with the temperature at or above 100 degrees. This broke the record for the most
100 degree days ever recorded in June (previous record was 17 set in 1925).
June through August tied with 1998 for the hottest summer ever. Average temperature was
86.7 degrees. For the year, there were 50 100-degree days placing 2008 in third place for
the most 100 degrees days in one year. 1925 and 1923 are in first and second place, with
69 and 66 days respectively.
September 9th... a weak tornado developed over Lake Buchanan. The tornado developed in
a fairly stable atmosphere and was widely photographed.
Unusually cold air arrived on October 28th, dropping the temperature below freezing across
most of the Hill Country and a few spots across Central Texas. The low at Austin Bergstrom
International Airport reached 33 degrees while Camp Mabry reached 40. This is several weeks
ahead of the normal first freeze in autumn. It should be noted that the barometric pressure
reached 30.66 inches of Mercury at Camp Mabry on October 27th. This broke the previous
October record for highest barometric pressure of 30.65 inches of Mercury set in 1957.
December 9th... The temperature reached a record tying high of 81 degrees at 122 pm. An
arctic cold front came through the area that afternoon, plunging the temperature in the 30s
by evening. The low for the day was 34 degrees, producing a 47-degree span of temperature
for the day. A dusting of snow and light sleet fell across the city in the late evening. Officially,
only a trace of snow was observed at Austin Bergstrom International Airport and 0.1" at
Camp Mabry but some areas did receive close to a half inch. Big snowflakes were observed
for more than an hour across much of the city.
2008 will likely close as the 4th driest year on record at Camp Mabry, with just over 16 inches
of rain. An moderate to extreme drought gripped the area for most of 2008. Annual rainfall has
been less than half the normal annual total. Many springs have run dry. Aquifers and lakes are
low. Despite 3 tropical systems moving inland along the Texas coast this summer (Ike, Dolly
and Edouard), none of these brought any rain to Central Texas.
2008 will likely be the driest year in Austin since 1956, when 15.41 inches was recorded.
16 100 degree days were recorded in July at Camp Mabry. This places July 2008 in 5th place
for the most 100-degree days in July.
--
Tuesday / 23 December 2008
Some of my favorite "winter" picture web cams:
From the Jackson Hole, WY town square...
http://www.jhnsyn.com/webcams/townsquare/townsquare.jpg
From the confluence of the Sol Duc and Bocachiel Rivers on the Olympic
Peninsula of Washington State...
(Note: On a clear day, the Olympic Mountains can be seen up river!!)
http://www.qriverresort.com/webcam.html
From Hurricane Ridge south of Port Angeles, WA (on the Olympic Peninsula)...
http://mms.nps.gov/olym/cams/hurricane/current_ridgecam.jpg
Have any great "winter" web cam web sites? Let me know...
troykimmel@clearchannel.com
tk
$$
Friday / 19 December 2008
.... Courtesy: Business & Media Institute ....
CNN Meteorologist: Manmade Global Warming Theory 'Arrogant'
Network's second meteorologist to challenge notion man can alter climate.
By Jeff Poor
Business & Media Institute
12/18/2008 11:02:44 PM
Unprecedented snow in Las Vegas has some scratching their heads – how can there be global warming with this unusual cold and snowy weather? CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers had never bought into the notion that man can alter the climate and the Vegas snowstorm didn’t impact his opinion. Myers, an American Meteorological Society certified meteorologist, explained on CNN’s Dec. 18 “Lou Dobbs Tonight” that the whole idea is arrogant and mankind was in danger of dying from other natural events more so than global warming. “You know, to think that we could affect weather all that much is pretty arrogant,” Myers said. “Mother Nature is so big, the world is so big, the oceans are so big – I think we’re going to die from a lack of fresh water or we’re going to die from ocean acidification before we die from global warming, for sure.” Myers is the second CNN meteorologist to challenge the global warming conventions common in the media. He also said trying to determine patterns occurring in the climate would be difficult based on such a short span. “But this is like, you know you said – in your career – my career has been 22 years long,” Myers said. “That’s a good career in TV, but talking about climate – it’s like having a car for three days and saying, ‘This is a great car.’ Well, yeah – it was for three days, but maybe in days five, six and seven it won’t be so good. And that’s what we’re doing here.” “We have 100 years worth of data, not millions of years that the world’s been around,” Myers continued. Dr. Jay Lehr, an expert on environmental policy, told “Lou Dobbs Tonight” viewers you can detect subtle patterns over recorded history, but that dates back to the 13th Century. “If we go back really, in recorded human history, in the 13th Century, we were probably 7 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than we are now and it was a very prosperous time for mankind,” Lehr said. “If go back to the Revolutionary War 300 years ago, it was very, very cold. We’ve been warming out of that cold spell from the Revolutionary War period and now we’re back into a cooling cycle.” Lehr suggested the earth is presently entering a cooling cycle – a result of nature, not man. “The last 10 years have been quite cool,” Lehr continued. “And right now, I think we’re going into cooling rather than warming and that should be a much greater concern for humankind. But, all we can do is adapt. It is the sun that does it, not man.” Lehr is a senior fellow and science director of The Heartland Institute, an organization that will be holding the 2009 International Conference on Climate Change in New York March 8-10. Another CNN meteorologist attacked the concept that man is somehow responsible for changes in climate last year. Rob Marciano charged Al Gore’s 2006 movie, “An Inconvenient Truth,” had some inaccuracies. “There are definitely some inaccuracies,” Marciano said during the Oct. 4, 2007 broadcast of CNN’s “American Morning.” “The biggest thing I have a problem with is this implication that Katrina was caused by global warming.” Marciano also said that, “global warming does not conclusively cause stronger hurricanes like we’ve seen,” pointing out that “by the end of this century we might get about a 5 percent increase.” His comments drew a strong response and he recanted the next day saying “the globe is getting warmer and humans are the likely the main cause of it.” Related Links: A Special Report from BMI: Global Warming Censored BMI's Special Report "Fire & Ice: Journalists have warned of climate change for 100 years, but can't decide weather we face an ice or warming" Climate of Bias: BMI's page devoted entirely to global warming and climate change in the media.
tk
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Monday / 15 December 2008
... You decide.. biased?? ...
A lot of meteorologists are talking today about this story released by the Associated Press
yesterday.
Obama left with little time to curb global warming
Dec 14, 2:07 PM (ET)
By SETH BORENSTEIN
WASHINGTON (AP) - When Bill Clinton took office in 1993, global warming was a slow-moving environmental problem that was easy to ignore. Now it is a ticking time bomb that President-elect Barack Obama can't avoid.
Since Clinton's inauguration, summer Arctic sea ice has lost the equivalent of Alaska, California and Texas. The 10 hottest years on record have occurred since Clinton's second inauguration. Global warming is accelerating. Time is close to running out, and Obama knows it.
"The time for delay is over; the time for denial is over," he said on Tuesday after meeting with former Vice President Al Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on global warming. "We all believe what the scientists have been telling us for years now that this is a matter of urgency and national security and it has to be dealt with in a serious way."
But there are powerful political and economic realities that must be quickly overcome for Obama to succeed. Despite the urgency he expresses, it's not at all clear that he and Congress will agree on an approach during a worldwide financial crisis in time to meet some of the more crucial deadlines.
Obama is pushing changes in the way Americans use energy, and produce greenhouse gases, as part of what will be a massive economic stimulus. He called it an opportunity "to re-power America."
After years of inaction on global warming, 2009 might be different. Obama replaces a president who opposed mandatory cuts of greenhouse gas pollution and it appears he will have a willing Congress. Also, next year, diplomats will try to agree on a major new international treaty to curb the gases that promote global warming.
"We need to start in January making significant changes," Gore said in a recent telephone interview with The Associated Press. "This year coming up is the most important opportunity the world has ever had to make progress in really solving the climate crisis."
Scientists are increasingly anxious, talking more often and more urgently about exceeding "tipping points."
"We're out of time," Stanford University biologist Terry Root said. "Things are going extinct."
U.S. emissions have increased by 20 percent since 1992. China has more than doubled its carbon dioxide pollution in that time. World carbon dioxide emissions have grown faster than scientists' worst-case scenarios. Methane, the next most potent greenhouse gas, suddenly is on the rise again and scientists fear that vast amounts of the trapped gas will escape from thawing Arctic permafrost.
The amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere has already pushed past what some scientists say is the safe level.
In the early 1990s, many scientists figured that the world was about a century away from a truly dangerous amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, said Mike MacCracken, who was a top climate scientist in the Clinton administration. But as they studied the greenhouse effect further, scientists realized that harmful changes kick in at far lower levels of carbon dioxide than they thought. Now some scientists, but not all, say the safe carbon dioxide level for Earth is about 10 percent below what it is now.
Gore called the situation "the equivalent of a five-alarm fire that has to be addressed immediately."
Scientists fear that what's happening with Arctic ice melt will be amplified so that ominous sea level rise will occur sooner than they expected. They predict Arctic waters could be ice-free in summers, perhaps by 2013, decades earlier than they thought only a few years ago.
In December 2009, diplomats are charged with forging a new treaty replacing the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which set limits on greenhouse gases, and which the United States didn't ratify. This time European officials have high expectations for the U.S. to take the lead. But many experts don't see Congress passing a climate bill in time because of pressing economic and war issues.
"The reality is, it may take more than the first year to get it all done," Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said recently.
Complicating everything is the worldwide financial meltdown. Frank Maisano, a Washington energy specialist and spokesman who represents coal-fired utilities and refineries, sees the poor economy as "a huge factor" that could stop everything. That's because global warming efforts are aimed at restricting coal power, which is cheap. That would likely mean higher utility bills and more damage to ailing economies that depend on coal production, he said.
Obama is stacking his Cabinet and inner circle with advocates who have pushed for deep mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas pollution and even with government officials who have achieved results at the local level.
The President-elect has said that one of the first things he will do when he gets to Washington is grant California and other states permission to control car tailpipe emissions, something the Bush administration denied.
And though congressional action may take time, the incoming Congress will be more inclined to act on global warming. In the House, liberal California Democrat Henry Waxman's unseating of Michigan Rep. John Dingell - a staunch defender of Detroit automakers - as head of the House Energy and Commerce Committee was a sign that global warming will be on the fast track.
Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., vowed to push two global warming bills starting in January: one to promote energy efficiency as an economic stimulus and the other to create a cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from utilities. "The time is now," she wrote in a Dec. 8 letter to Obama.
Mother Nature, of course, is oblivious to the federal government's machinations. Ironically, 2008 is on pace to be a slightly cooler year in a steadily rising temperature trend line. Experts say it's thanks to a La Nina weather variation. While skeptics are already using it as evidence of some kind of cooling trend, it actually illustrates how fast the world is warming.
The average global temperature in 2008 is likely to wind up slightly under 57.9 degrees Fahrenheit, about a tenth of a degree cooler than last year. When Clinton was inaugurated, 57.9 easily would have been the warmest year on record. Now, that temperature would qualify as the ninth warmest year.
Associated Press writer Dina Cappiello contributed to this report.
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GREAT WEATHER DATA PAGES!!!!!!!!!!
The Lower Colorado River Authority Hydromet Weather Data Page:
http://hydromet.lcra.org/
A really neat interactive tropical cyclone website....
www.stormpulse.com
Troy
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Friday / 22 August 2008
I'm putting this on my web blog.. know if you're in a flood plain!!!
FEMA REDRAWS FLOODPLAIN MAPS FOR TRAVIS, WILLIAMSON AND BURNET COUNTIES AUSTIN – New floodplain maps for Travis, Williamson and parts of Burnet counties are set to take effect Sept. 26, and floodplain administrators advise property owners in affected areas to buy flood insurance before the effective date. Property owners who purchase flood insurance prior to the effective date of the maps may lock in more favorable flood insurance rates and keep their premiums as low as possible. It takes 30 days for flood insurance to take effect once it has been purchased. The maps are the result of a five-year effort by local cities, counties and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to use the most up-to-date hydrological studies, topography and technical information to reassess flood risks. Many current maps are more than 30 years old and are based on outdated or insufficient data and models. The maps are used to determine whether flood insurance is required by mortgage companies and loan institutions. Local communities are required to adopt and enforce the new maps in their building ordinances for residents to be eligible for the lower-cost, federally available flood insurance. The new maps also provide property owners the degree of flood risk to existing and proposed buildings and guide local community planners on where it is safe to build. Hundreds of properties will be affected by the new floodplain maps, including more than 550 homes and businesses around Lake Travis. Based on the new maps, properties may move in or out of the floodplain. The most dramatic impact will be a 6-foot increase of the 100-year floodplain of Lake Travis from 716 feet above mean sea level (msl) to approximately 722 feet msl. (A “100-year flood” refers to a magnitude of flood that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any year.) To view copies of the Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Travis County, check the City of Austin’s Web site at www.ci.austin.tx.us/watershed/flood_fema_pmappdf.htm#current. Click on the Index map to locate the appropriate map panel for your property. City of Austin residents may view maps at www.cityofaustin.org/watershed/floodplain_newmap.htm. Information about FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program and the impacts of new maps to home and business owners can be viewed at www.fema.gov. More flood insurance information can be found on the National Flood Insurance Program’s FloodSmart Web site at www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/.
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FACT SHEET: FEMA Floodplain Revisions The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has remapped the floodplains of Travis, Williamson and part of Burnet counties to determine the risks associated with heavy rains in the Austin-Hill Country region. The revised floodplains become effective Sept. 26, 2008. This project is part of the agency’s nationwide effort to redraw the maps that predict where floods are likely to occur. Local governments rely on the maps to manage development that may affect – and be affected by – flooding. The National Flood Insurance Program uses the maps for flood insurance purposes. Q: What is the major change in the revised floodplains? A: The major change is in the floodplain along Lake Travis for a “100-year flood” (also known as a “1 percent flood”). This floodplain has been raised by 6 feet, from 716 to 722 feet above mean sea level (msl). (A “100-year flood” is a magnitude of flooding that has a 1 percent chance of occurring each year.) The new floodplain becomes effective Sept. 26. Q: How will this affect property owners along Lake Travis? A: A Lake Travis resident or business whose property is at or below 722 feet msl will need to check with the local floodplain administrator regarding building requirements. If the affected house, building or other structure has a mortgage, the property owner will be required to purchase flood insurance for any structure or improvement on the property within the 722 feet msl contour. Q: About how many structures will be affected by this change? A: FEMA estimates about 552 structures located between 716 and 722 feet msl will now be included in the floodplain, based on the number of structures that were identified along Lake Travis in a 2001 baseline study. Q: Why did the floodplain elevation change? A: The base flood elevation of 722 feet msl was determined through an engineering study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The study used improved technologies and 30 years of additional storm data, including those significant storms that occurred in 1991, 1998 and 2002. The previous findings that resulted in the 716 feet msl floodplain used older technologies, methods and hypothetical storm events, rather than recent significant floods. Q: Why did FEMA need to remap the floodplain? A: FEMA ranks this region as among the highest at risk for flood damages. The ranking is based on the number of people at risk of flooding, the current population and rate of population growth, the number of homes repeatedly damaged by floods, and the number of homes with flood-insurance policies. FEMA’s responsibility to local communities is to provide the best available data regarding hazards from flooding. The purpose is to protect lives and property. Q: Was there local support for the remapping project? A: There was strong local commitment of technical and financial resources for the project. The City of Austin, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and the Texas Natural Resources Information System, a division of the Texas Water Development Board, are technical partners on the project. Travis County and 12 communities also agreed to cooperate with FEMA on the map project. Q: Why was there local support for the remapping project? A: Local officials need more accurate maps to manage floodplains effectively and to help protect lives and property. Most of the current FEMA maps are based on data gathered between eight and 25 years ago. Q: Weren’t the Highland Lakes and dams built to control floods? A: Only Mansfield Dam and Lake Travis are designed for flood control. They were built to reduce the effect of floods on downstream residents and communities and to store water for the benefit of the lower Colorado River basin. Lake Travis can store as much as 260 billion gallons of floodwaters. Through floodgate operations, LCRA releases the floodwaters in a controlled manner to prevent or reduce flooding of downstream regions. The other five dams and Highland Lakes were built primarily for hydroelectricity and water supply. These dams reduce but do not eliminate the threat of heavy flooding. Q: I am building (or considering building) on property that is located between 716 and 722 feet msl. How will the new floodplain designation affect my project? A: If you begin construction of your project prior to Sept. 26 with the proper permits from your community’s local floodplain manager, your project will be “grandfathered” to the current 716 feet msl floodplain. However, depending on your local community’s regulations, you may not be allowed to build within the 716-722 feet msl contour if you have not already completed the permit process. Q: How else will the new floodplain affect property owners? A: The effect will depend on the location of the property. There may be flood insurance rate benefits to property owners in the newly designated floodplain if they obtain flood insurance prior to the change. Visit FEMA’s Web site www.fema.gov/nfip/avgcost.shtm for more information. Q: Can LCRA or my local community change the floodplain for my property? A: No. Neither LCRA nor local communities set floodplains. FEMA is responsible for making that determination. Your local community floodplain administrator can help determine whether your property is in the new floodplain and, if so, your options for building or obtaining flood insurance. You can find your local floodplain administrator on the Texas Colorado River Floodplain Coalition’s Web site at www.tcrfc.org.
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Friday morning / 1 August 2008
Jim Hargrove from Round Rock sent us this picture of a cumulonimbus cloud that was visible
from Round Rock out west between Burnet and Llano yesterday (Thursday) afternoon. The
multicolored cloud at the top is known as an "iridescent" cloud caused by very small, uniformly
sized cloud particles that have the setting sun shining through them to produce a
multicolored "corona" effect.
Thanks, Jim, for the picture... happy viewing!!!
tk
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Thursday night (late) / 26 June 2008
A real interesting session or two today at the AMS Meetings in Denver on (get this now) stating uncertainty in weather forecasts!!
I will be writing a blog on this issue in the next few weeks.. but I was thinking, how about asking you what you think about how a
meteorologist should be stating the uncertainty that is present really in every weather forecast (sometimes we're pretty confident
about a forecast but, honestly, sometimes we're not!!). What should we be saying?? Drop me a
note at troykimmel@clearchannel.com and let me know what you think!!
tk
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By the way.. some of you have asked about being able to see the daily highs, lows, etc for Camp Mabry and
Bergstrom. There are a couple of links you can use to see what we call the "CF6," which is the National Weather Service daily
text product that shows, in columns, the daily climate data. Here is a "decoder" page so you understand what you're seeing...
CF6 Decoder Page
Austin Bergstrom (KAUS) CF6 Text Product
Camp Mabry (KATT) CF6 Text Product
tk
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Wednesday 07-16-2008 9:29pm CT
Troy's Weather Questions...
Drop me an email with your weather question at troykimmel@clearchannel.com and perhaps I'll include it here for all to see!!!
(Wed/16 July 2008)
Question from Ed...
Troy, What is the average pressure for this area? When you say we are in a low or suffering from a high what should the pressure be reading? Ed
Answer:
Average atmospheric pressure (corrected to sea level).. this is also referred to as standard atmospheric pressure.. is 29.92 inches of mercury (also equivalent to 1013.2 millibars and 14.7 lbs per square inch). Arctic high pressure areas.. bitterly cold air... can see atmospheric pressures above 32.00 inches of mercury.. while hurricanes and tornadoes are on the low end with somewhere around 27.00 to 28.00 inches of mercury. Around here.. pressure generally is always going to be somewhere between 29.50 and 30.50 inches of mercury.. unless we have very cold heavier surface air in place (can be higher than 30.50") or when a strong low pressure area or tropical system is approaching from the Gulf of Mexico (can be lower than 29.50"). When pressure is less than 29.92 inches of mercury, we generally state that lower pressure is dominant while when it is higher than 29.92", it's higher than average pressure. Hope this helps.. Troy
(Tues/10 June 2008)
Question from Tim...
Hello Troy, Excellent weather reporting! I look forward to hearing you on KVET in the mornings. I have a question regarding 2007 temperatures for the Austin area. I’m trying to find out how many days in 2007 ‘officially’ exceeded 100 degrees. I have a friendly bet with a friend that we hit 100 degrees last year, but never went over that for the Austin area. Can you tell me where I can find Austin’s official weather data? Regards,
Tim
Answer:
Well, it depends. Camp Mabry hit 100 three times in August 2008.. Austin Bergstrom never hit 100 in 2007. and use the "CF6s" to look at the data (column #2 is the max calendar day - 12 midnight LT to 12 midnight LT - maximum temp)..
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(Sun/08 June 2008)
Question from Robert...
Troy, a friend of mine works outside just north of main (UT) campus. He told me that it seemed as though yesterday the wind would gust for long periods of time and the suddenly it would completely stop for a few minutes and then return to gusting. Is this something that sometimes occurs when we have very windy days like yesterday or was my friend full of wind?
Answer:
Actually, Robert, there's some validity to what your friend says. Surface winds are strongly influenced by physical geography (underlying Earth's surface). Years ago, I remember staying overnight on an anchored sailboat out at Lake Travis. During the night, as I sat out on the deck, I noticed that wind would blow for a period of time then become almost calm for a few minutes before the wind would pick up again. These wind phases continued on and off for a good part of the night. Assuming where you are geographically, indeed, you may see these cyclic types of wind currents. Remember that city (urban) areas, you have more concrete which tends to hold onto heat longer into the night than surrounding countryside. The Balcones Escarpment, as well, also can act to focus wind in the areas close to the escarpment.
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(Sun/08 June 2008)
Question from Wayne...
We hear a lot from some folk saying Global Warming is causing all these early hot temperatures. Bit if things are warming, why are we also getting record breaking cold temps in the winter?
Answer:
Your question, Wayne, is a good one. Unfortunately, there are many folks out there that oversimplify the global warming issue.
There are some things that we do know...
(1) Global warming is occurring (proven by air temp records over last 25 years). The disagreement out there between some scientists really concerns what is causing this warming and how rapid this warming is occurring.
(2) Climate change is occurring (and this is a gem.. it always has been!! Climate change has been occurring, cooling and heating to some degree or another, since the Earth came along. When climate change quits occurring, that's when I'll worry!!)
As you see, the whole issue of climate change is a very complex one that can't be summed up in simple statements.
You're right about the most recent winter being a relatively cold one globally. This type of flunctuation is really not that unusual, and, in fact, probably has more to do with the Southern Oscillation (warming and cooling of the Pacific Ocean around of the Equator) as well as other oscillations that we see in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. AS far as the recent warmth is concerned, depending on exactly where we end up for the summer, the year may end up being pretty close to 30 year averages temperature wise when we're through the year.
No matter how we end up, though, we still must be good environmental stewards and do what we can to minimize the release of greenhouse gases and other pollutants.
$$
Question...
Can you provide the link for your guide for the severe weather history for
the Austin area?
Answer:
No problem. Like below, this is a digital document (PDF) found on line at..
http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/kimmel/inclement.pdf$$
Question...
Can I get a copy of the SkyWarn Spotter Manual for south central Texas?
Answer:
This is now a digital (PDF) document found on line at...
http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/kimmel/SCTXSkywarnManual.pdf$$
Question...
Hey, Troy, with the recent hailstorm, I was wondering how can I get a
hail diameter reporting chart??
Answer:
Here ya go.. this is what I use in our weather office...
Hail Size /Common Size.. Inch Diameter... Hail Freefall Velocity
... Non Severe Reports...
Pea Size... 1/8-1/4 inch (0.25")... 25 mph
Pinto Bean Size... 3/8 inch (0.40")... 30 mph
Regular Marble Size... 1/2 inch (0.50")... 35 mph Dime Size... 5/8 inch (0.60")... 40 mph
... Severe Report...
Penny Size... 3/4 inch (0.75")... 43 mph
Nickle Size... 7/8 inch (0.88")... 47 mph Quarter Size... 1 inch (1.00")... 50 mph Half Dollar Size... 1 1/4 inch (1.25")... 56 mph Ping Pong Ball Size... 1 1/2 inch (1.50")... 61 mph Golf Ball Size... 1 3/4 inch (1.75")... 66 mph Hen Egg Size... 2 inches (2.00")... 72 mph
Racket Ball Size ... 2 1/4 inches (2.25")... 76 mph Tennis Ball Size... 2 1/2 inches (2.50")... 80 mph
Baseball Size... 2 3/4 inches (2.75")... 85 mph Tea Cup Size... 3 inches (3.00")... 89 mph
Grapefruit Size... 4 inches (4.00")... 106 mph
Softball Size... 4 1/2 inches (4.50")... 117 mph CD/DVD Diameter Size... 4 3/4 inches (4.75")... 122 mph
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