July 2022

[user:null]

Radar not any looking better. I give up. Uncle.

I think I need to move to Florida. The weather in this state just plain sucks.

Meanwhile, right next door in Beaumont and neighboring Louisiana, they get loads and loads of rain, way more than Florida.

[jasons2k]

I’m back. Lots of standing water until Mt. Belvieu. The Winnie area, as usual, was flooded. Everything was nice and green until we got to about 1485 & 99 and poof, the grass went brown.

It’s really bad over here. Along Birnham Woods and Elan, the grass is brown, the crepe myrtles are completely wilting, and the pine trees have that silver-gray-brown look with piles of needles under them. I haven’t seen anything like this since 2011, that’s for sure. Counting down the days until I’m back in the land of flora…

[Cpv17]

I’m back. Lots of standing water until Mt. Belvieu. The Winnie area, as usual, was flooded. Everything was nice and green until we got to about 1485 & 99 and poof, the grass went brown.

It’s really bad over here. Along Birnham Woods and Elan, the grass is brown, the crepe myrtles are completely wilting, and the pine trees have that silver-gray-brown look with piles of needles under them. I haven’t seen anything like this since 2011, that’s for sure. Counting down the days until I’m back in the land of flora…

In Florida it doesn’t seem to matter what the ENSO state is. They get rain there regardless it seems. Absolute gully washers at that.

[user:null]

In Florida it doesn’t seem to matter what the ENSO state is.

ENSO really doesn't matter too much in the summer season itself, really — the ENSO effect is more on the antecedent fall thru spring cooler season, such that rain/lack thereof determines whether any summer dry spells can be tolerated.

For summer itself, La Nina is better concerning tropical driven rainfall. El Nino years (or, rather, the years preceding them) actually have quite a bit of dry spells (i.e. 1998, 2009, July of 2015, etc) ... though they can be good too if mid-latitude troughs can dig far enough into Texas (i.e. 2004).

They get rain there regardless it seems. Absolute gully washers at that.

I'm actually investigating this. And looking through various radars, model runs, I'm actually starting to think that ridging gets too much blame — basically, I think that there are other factors at play that cause the Texas summer dryness, beyond just ridging. As you mention, Florida gets loads of summer rain ... and I've seen them STILL get sea-breeze storms, gully washers, etc even with ridges over them the same strength as would shut everything off and drive up triple digits in Texas.

[user:null]

I’m back. Lots of standing water until Mt. Belvieu. The Winnie area, as usual, was flooded. Everything was nice and green until we got to about 1485 & 99 and poof, the grass went brown.

It's like a magical wall right at the TX/LA border.

That said, there was some solid storms over in Pearland onto Inner Loop Houston areas, both from 95L as well as various scattered instances throughout June — a solid inch+ at Hobby Airport on yesterday, so greenery should recover quite a bit. Even far west Ft. Bend county around Fulshear has things really perking back up with just the regular scattered storms earlier this week (and just got another good one not too long ago).

It’s really bad over here. Along Birnham Woods and Elan, the grass is brown, the crepe myrtles are completely wilting, and the pine trees have that silver-gray-brown look with piles of needles under them. I haven’t seen anything like this since 2011, that’s for sure. Counting down the days until I’m back in the land of flora…

Florida would almost be flawless. But, just like Texas, a certain governor over there rubs me the wrong way...

[captainbarbossa19]

I’m back. Lots of standing water until Mt. Belvieu. The Winnie area, as usual, was flooded. Everything was nice and green until we got to about 1485 & 99 and poof, the grass went brown.

It's like a magical wall right at the TX/LA border.

That said, there was some solid storms over in Pearland onto Inner Loop Houston areas, both from 95L as well as various scattered instances throughout June — a solid inch+ at Hobby Airport on yesterday, so greenery should recover quite a bit. Even far west Ft. Bend county around Fulshear has things really perking back up with just the regular scattered storms earlier this week (and just got another good one not too long ago).

It’s really bad over here. Along Birnham Woods and Elan, the grass is brown, the crepe myrtles are completely wilting, and the pine trees have that silver-gray-brown look with piles of needles under them. I haven’t seen anything like this since 2011, that’s for sure. Counting down the days until I’m back in the land of flora…

Florida would almost be flawless. But, just like Texas, a certain governor over there rubs me the wrong way...

I 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.

[user:null]

I 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.

[MontgomeryCoWx]

I’m back. Lots of standing water until Mt. Belvieu. The Winnie area, as usual, was flooded. Everything was nice and green until we got to about 1485 & 99 and poof, the grass went brown.

It’s really bad over here. Along Birnham Woods and Elan, the grass is brown, the crepe myrtles are completely wilting, and the pine trees have that silver-gray-brown look with piles of needles under them. I haven’t seen anything like this since 2011, that’s for sure. Counting down the days until I’m back in the land of flora…

In Florida it doesn’t seem to matter what the ENSO state is. They get rain there regardless it seems. Absolute gully washers at that.

Florida has shitty Winters. I’ll visit there for the beaches. No way in hell I’d take up residence there. Do love their Gov though.

[DoctorMu]

As bad as you might think the weather is this year, just remember that it could be worse. I found this on the HGX weather page.

heat-wave.PNG

https://www.weather.gov/hgx/climate_holidays_hundred

Yep. Last summer was the coolest we've had in my 30 years here. We did have a warmer than usual Fall. This summer is the hottest and driest so far in 30 years. Junction Boys bad.

[DoctorMu]

I’m back. Lots of standing water until Mt. Belvieu. The Winnie area, as usual, was flooded. Everything was nice and green until we got to about 1485 & 99 and poof, the grass went brown.

It’s really bad over here. Along Birnham Woods and Elan, the grass is brown, the crepe myrtles are completely wilting, and the pine trees have that silver-gray-brown look with piles of needles under them. I haven’t seen anything like this since 2011, that’s for sure. Counting down the days until I’m back in the land of flora…

In Florida it doesn’t seem to matter what the ENSO state is. They get rain there regardless it seems. Absolute gully washers at that.

Florida has shitty Winters. I’ll visit there for the beaches. No way in hell I’d take up residence there. Do love their Gov though.

North Florida is OK, but not the panhandle. There is some cooler weather. It doesn't rain much. Anything south of Gainesville or certainly Ocala is too warm. You did lose me at Gov. Anyone who followed the failed Swedish model long after the Swedes gave up on it.

Crazy from the heat I guess. Bring on football season and lows in the 60s and 50s again. Eventually 40s by season end.

[captainbarbossa19]

I 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.

[DoctorMu]

I 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.

[user:null]

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.

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.

[jasons2k]

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.

[jasons2k]

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.

[davidiowx]

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.

[user:null]

It’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.

[user:null]

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.

[Stratton20]

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

[DoctorMu]

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