Wx Infinity Forums

user:null wrote: ↑Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:27 pm

captainbarbossa19 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:25 pmI like talking about weather, but let's not turn the conversation to politics thank you. If I wanted that, I would be on non-weather social media.

My mistake. Will go back and edit if I can.

Back to weather: there's a magic wall between Beaumont and Houston.

Part of the issue that should be addressed is the annual precipitation drastically drops off from Houston westward. For example, San Antonio receives about half the precipitation of Beaumont. Meanwhile, east of Beaumont, precipitation does not vary nearly as much annually. It becomes slightly wetter, but the climate is generally about the same. So if a drought is taking place, one should still expect the wetter region to receive more rainfall than the typically drier region.

captainbarbossa19 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:52 pm

user:null wrote: ↑Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:27 pm

captainbarbossa19 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:25 pmI like talking about weather, but let's not turn the conversation to politics thank you. If I wanted that, I would be on non-weather social media.

My mistake. Will go back and edit if I can.

Back to weather: there's a magic wall between Beaumont and Houston.

Part of the issue that should be addressed is the annual precipitation drastically drops off from Houston westward. For example, San Antonio receives about half the precipitation of Beaumont. Meanwhile, east of Beaumont, precipitation does not vary nearly as much annually. It becomes slightly wetter, but the climate is generally about the same. So if a drought is taking place, one should still expect the wetter region to receive more rainfall than the typically drier region.

Yeah, Beaumont and Baton Rouge have pretty much the same climate.

captainbarbossa19 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:52 pmPart of the issue that should be addressed is the annual precipitation drastically drops off from Houston westward. For example, San Antonio receives about half the precipitation of Beaumont. Meanwhile, east of Beaumont, precipitation does not vary nearly as much annually. It becomes slightly wetter, but the climate is generally about the same. So if a drought is taking place, one should still expect the wetter region to receive more rainfall than the typically drier region.

That's indeed an expectation on a general basis. Things do get wetter on average going east from Houston (~50-55) through the northern Gulf (~60+) ... although the immediate Atlantic South/much of FL peninsula has about the same average annual totals as Houston, or even less (i.e. Orlando, Tampa, Daytona, Jacksonville, Savannah, etc).

But if what @Jasons2k said is true concerning the dryness in his home, then it truly is a magic wall. Though plentiful good downpours were had in downtown Houston/Hobby, Sugar Land, Richmond, etc.

Gets even worse. Corpus only has about the same annual rainfall as San Antonio despite being right on the coast. The Brownsville/SPI area has even less annual rainfall than Corpus, not even up to 30 inches! Parts of coastal Mexico (i.e. GoC Guaymas, Puerto Penasco, Los Mochis, etc, also Progreso at the Yucatan) are even semi/arid!!!

Very strange climate in Texas and Mexico.

It’s not a magic wall. We just get more dry air from the Mexican deserts that taint our air column (cap) and in the summer we get a death ridge and lower pwats. Once you get east of Houston you lose the cap and pwats are consistently high enough to overcome the ridging.

It’s been awhile since I looked at precip averages but I believe the highest annual totals east of the rockies are actually right near Beaumont with 60” and it tapers off slightly as you go east.

Tampa and other places on the peninsula receive around 50” annually. It’s a little lower b/c Florida tends to have a winter dry season. They get droughts too but they are milder because it’s typically during winter and they only last until the annual rain machine starts cranking again.

For me, that climate is ideal. Us locals down there would always say “you don’t want to be (live) north of Tarpon Springs!!” We knew.

It’s personal preference but I prefer to be in zone 10. It’s a huge difference from zone 8. For example, the vegetation in Destin looks nothing like Anna Maria or Longboat. It’s a different world and experience when you cross below the frost line.

If it’s too cold in the winter for royal and coconut palms to survive, then it’s too cold for me.

One other thing - we had our friends from Austin stay with us the last week in Florida. They were showing videos of their Ring from back home and it was pouring in Austin. In Austin!! Well west and far from the “blob.” So it pours at their place and I don’t get squat. Magic wall or not sometimes it feels like we are cursed in pockets.

You can use this and filter by division, region, etc. by month or year showing the temp or precip avg compared to climate avg.

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monito ... alpcpnrank

It’s pretty cool. 2011 and 2012 aren’t good for TX, obviously.

jasons2k wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 8:44 amIt’s not a magic wall.

I know. Just put that emphasis because it's actually been a while since I've been in the eastern areas of metro Houston — so if the contrast between places like Winnie, Texas City, Galveston, etc versus your home was really that stark (and not, more say, a gradualized gradient), then it just would be quite comical.

We just get more dry air from the Mexican deserts that taint our air column (cap) and in the summer we get a death ridge and lower pwats. Once you get east of Houston you lose the cap and pwats are consistently high enough to overcome the ridging.

That can contribute, especially depending on how high in elevation those Mexican deserts are. Though I don't hear "capping" as much during summer weather NWS Houston discussions as much as during spring w/ severe weather setups.

The ridging so far this week does center east more towards MS river valley/inland South areas — that should bring moister, easterly/southerly flow into Houston through the column, so will see the differences that makes regarding chances for at least sea breeze storms this week.

It’s been awhile since I looked at precip averages but I believe the highest annual totals east of the rockies are actually right near Beaumont with 60” and it tapers off slightly as you go east.

Tampa and other places on the peninsula receive around 50” annually. It’s a little lower b/c Florida tends to have a winter dry season. They get droughts too but they are milder because it’s typically during winter and they only last until the annual rain machine starts cranking again.

For me, that climate is ideal. Us locals down there would always say “you don’t want to be (live) north of Tarpon Springs!!” We knew.

It’s personal preference but I prefer to be in zone 10. It’s a huge difference from zone 8. For example, the vegetation in Destin looks nothing like Anna Maria or Longboat. It’s a different world and experience when you cross below the frost line.

If it’s too cold in the winter for royal and coconut palms to survive, then it’s too cold for me.

I agree with this in general. Dryness is best left short and sweet for the cooler seasons, given less evapotranspiration, before warm season rains start.

As far as hardiness zones, I believe 12 (or maybe as cool as 11) can get you the best of both worlds in terms of allowing for even deep equatorial plants while also having enough cool refreshment in temps (i.e. as opposed to being hot year round like the equator). However, both those zones are quite rare in the US, mainly only South Florida's islands, as well as Hawaii.

davidiowx wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 10:50 am You can use this and filter by division, region, etc. by month or year showing the temp or precip avg compared to climate avg.

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monito ... alpcpnrank

It’s pretty cool. 2011 and 2012 aren’t good for TX, obviously.

2012 was much better than 2011 as far as Houston's rainfall during summer. Yet not even 2011 was as bad as this year regarding June's rainfall.

That said, the year 2005 was actually similarly as dry as this year (and that June at Hobby was drier than even 2011) — but there was a remarkable turn around going into July, August, and September. So, here's hoping we pull a turnaround, such that 2022 ends up more like 2005 and 2012 rather than a 2011 repeat.

Models are still hinting at a back door front moving in early next week, we will see about that

davidiowx wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 10:50 am You can use this and filter by division, region, etc. by month or year showing the temp or precip avg compared to climate avg.

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monito ... alpcpnrank

It’s pretty cool. 2011 and 2012 aren’t good for TX, obviously.

Just a look back at last year's cooler summer!

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monito ... altavgrank

Gainesville worked for us. Dry in the winter, Sunny. Occasional cool temps. Palmettos, pine trees, live oaks were a good combination having grown up in eastern NC. The soil was sandy loam, so it was less muddy with fewer mosquitoes. Lower dewpoint than Tampa or South Florida. In the summer it rained nearly everyday between 2 and 4 pm, with a cool evening breeze after the storm. We only needed sprinklers occasionally during the winter.. No worries re: gardening and plants.

user:null wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 11:51 am

davidiowx wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 10:50 am You can use this and filter by division, region, etc. by month or year showing the temp or precip avg compared to climate avg.

https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monito ... alpcpnrank

It’s pretty cool. 2011 and 2012 aren’t good for TX, obviously.

2012 was much better than 2011 as far as Houston's rainfall during summer. Yet not even 2011 was as bad as this year regarding June's rainfall.

That said, the year 2005 was actually similarly as dry as this year (and that June at Hobby was drier than even 2011) — but there was a remarkable turn around going into July, August, and September. So, here's hoping we pull a turnaround, such that 2022 ends up more like 2005 and 2012 rather than a 2011 repeat.

July 2012 had heavy rain and flooding. Same goes with July 2005.

Summer 2011 is an outlier from a statistical standpoint.

2012 was still bad in CLL. May - July were the 4th hottest ever. Below normal rainfall. 2011-2012 were tree killers up here.

May, June 2022. Hottest ever.

In contrast Feb - July 2021. One of the coolest 6 mo periods.

Did you know that Progreso, right on the northern Yucatan peninsula, only averages ~16 inches of rainfall annually?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progreso, ... 1n#Climate

Ptarmigan wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:51 pmJuly 2012 had heavy rain and flooding. Same goes with July 2005.

Summer 2011 is an outlier from a statistical standpoint.

True. Here's hoping that 2011 stays an outlier, and that this summer turns around more like 2005 and 2012 🥰

DoctorMu wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:30 pm Gainesville worked for us. Dry in the winter, Sunny. Occasional cool temps. Palmettos, pine trees, live oaks were a good combination having grown up in eastern NC. The soil was sandy loam, so it was less muddy with fewer mosquitoes. Lower dewpoint than Tampa or South Florida. In the summer it rained nearly everyday between 2 and 4 pm, with a cool evening breeze after the storm. We only needed sprinklers occasionally during the winter.. No worries re: gardening and plants.

Gainesville is a beautiful place with an amazing climate, no doubt about that. I’d trade that for our climate in a heartbeat!!

Walked around my yard and the parts that were stressed are dead to the ground now. Parts that were a touch stronger are recovering. Gonna be a lot of weeds to contend with. One of my neighbors didn't water for two months and his entire front yard is solid brown. Amazed the HOA didn't eviscerate him.

July has only started and I cant wait for it to be over already, ensembles look extremely brutal for any rain in the next 2+ weeks, this pattern sucks

As you say that, we have a brief shower in Humble

Cromagnum wrote: ↑Mon Jul 04, 2022 12:18 pm Walked around my yard and the parts that were stressed are dead to the ground now. Parts that were a touch stronger are recovering. Gonna be a lot of weeds to contend with. One of my neighbors didn't water for two months and his entire front yard is solid brown. Amazed the HOA didn't eviscerate him.

If the recovery was just from the small half-inch that you had on Saturday, then it truly goes to show you how important the summer storms are.