TexasBreeze wrote:
...especially between IAH (heat island with planes) and well, anywhere else that has no urban heat island effect. There's usually a big difference between Conroe and IAH too.
Yeah. I've seen IAH about 10 degrees warmer than sites like Conroe and Hooks
It didn't use to be like that, but with the urban heat island gaining traction over the last decade, IAH has become a pretty crappy climate site
I agree. IMO I think climate sites should be away from airports and more rural or above grassy areas away from buildings. On the other hand concrete and buildings are expanding more and more as time goes on which makes it harder to get an uncontaminated reading.
Hard Freeze Warning
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
338 AM CST TUE JAN 11 2011
...HARD FREEZE IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM CST
WEDNESDAY...
..A VERY COLD AIR MASS WILL SETTLE OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS TUESDAY NIGHT
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL INTO THE LOWER TO
MID 20S NORTH OF A LINE FROM MOSS HILL TO SPRING TO MONAVILLE TO
COLUMBUS. THE LOWEST TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT THESE
LOCATIONS BETWEEN MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND 9 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING.
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>213-121500-
/O.NEW.KHGX.HZ.W.0001.110112T0600Z-110112T1500Z/
AUSTIN-BRAZOS-BURLESON-COLORADO-GRIMES-HARRIS-HOUSTON-LIBERTY-
MADISON-MONTGOMERY-POLK-SAN JACINTO-TRINITY-WALKER-WALLER-
WASHINGTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BELLVILLE...BRENHAM...BROOKSHIRE...
BRYAN...CALDWELL...CLEVELAND...COLDSPRING...COLLEGE STATION...
COLUMBUS...CONROE...CORRIGAN...CROCKETT...DAYTON...EAGLE LAKE...
GROVETON...HEMPSTEAD...HOUSTON...HUMBLE...HUNTSVILLE...KATY...
LAKE SOMERVILLE...LIBERTY...LIVINGSTON...MADISONVILLE...
NAVASOTA...ONALASKA...PASADENA...PRAIRIE VIEW...SEALY...
SHEPHERD...THE WOODLANDS...TOMBALL...TRINITY...WEIMAR...WILLIS
338 AM CST TUE JAN 11 2011
...HARD FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM
CST WEDNESDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A
HARD FREEZE WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO
9 AM CST WEDNESDAY.
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 20 AND 25 ARE EXPECTED TO
OCCUR BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 9 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING. SPECIFICALLY...
LOCATIONS NORTH OF LINE FROM TRINITY TO HUNTSVILLE TO CALDWELL
CAN EXPECT THESE TEMPERATURES FOR ABOUT 8 HOURS. CENTRAL PARTS OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS...DOWN TO A LINE FROM MOSS HILL TO SPRING TO
MONAVILLE TO COLUMBUS...CAN EXPECT THESE TEMPERATURES FOR ABOUT 4
TO 6 HOURS. LOCATIONS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10 SHOULD REMAIN ABOVE
25 DEGREES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A HARD FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE
IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS AND
OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION. EXPOSED OR SUSCEPTIBLE WATER PIPES
WILL BE IN DANGER OF FREEZING. RESIDENTS SHOULD PROTECT PETS AND
PEOPLE.
Interesting forecast for my area. Wind chill readings could be in the teens Tuesday night/Wednesday morning for me! I don't know what that even feels like!!!!!
wxman666 wrote:Interesting forecast for my area. Wind chill readings could be in the teens Tuesday night/Wednesday morning for me! I don't know what that even feels like!!!!!
If you were here during Jan 2010, you might have felt that
The front was a bit faster than I was thinking yesterday. That boundary is offshore and let the CCA begin. I noticed pressures are near or slightly above the 1060mb range in N TX. Temps across TX range from the lower single digits in the Panhandle to the mid 50's in deep S TX at this hour.
Carla/Alicia/Jerry(In The Eye)/Michelle/Charley/Ivan/Dennis/Katrina/Rita/Wilma/Humberto/Ike/Harvey
Member: National Weather Association
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Twitter @WeatherInfinity
It's pretty darn cold up there in north TX - 3 in Amarillo this morning. To get an idea of what that might mean for Houston, take the Amarillo morning low and add 20 degrees to account for dry adiabatic heating as the air moves downslope to Houston. That would give you 23, assuming no modification at all of the airmass up there.
wxman666 wrote:Interesting forecast for my area. Wind chill readings could be in the teens Tuesday night/Wednesday morning for me! I don't know what that even feels like!!!!!
If you were here during Jan 2010, you might have felt that
I was but I sure don't remembering it being that chilly! Must've pushed it out of my mind.
I hate to butt in, but I'm a long-time member/lurker and just am out of the loop and don't feel like reading back through everything... please, can you tell me what to expect in Wharton County ...and...is there any chance for SNOW?
hlewis wrote:I hate to butt in, but I'm a long-time member/lurker and just am out of the loop and don't feel like reading back through everything... please, can you tell me what to expect in Wharton County ...and...is there any chance for SNOW?
Thanks so much!
You folks look to be in the mid to upper 20's tonight and tomorrow night in Wharton County. Clouds will likely increase tomorrow as a short wave approaches from our W, but things appear too dry at the lower levels for any chance of wintry precip for Wednesday night/Thursday...for now... and don't be afraid to jump in anytime, hlewis.
Carla/Alicia/Jerry(In The Eye)/Michelle/Charley/Ivan/Dennis/Katrina/Rita/Wilma/Humberto/Ike/Harvey
Member: National Weather Association
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Twitter @WeatherInfinity
Long advertised arctic cold front has pushed through the area overnight ushering in a very cold air mass.
Hard Freeze Warning has been issued for tonight along and N of I-10.
Arctic boundary has pushed deep into the Gulf of Mexico this morning with strong cold air advection in place across the region. Temperatures have fallen into the mid/upper 30’s at all sites with wind chill values in the low 30’s and upper 20’s. Real core of the arctic dome is just now reaching the TX panhandle where Pampa, TX is currently 1 and Lubbock, TX 9. Upstream temperatures over NC TX are in the mid 20’s to upper teens and this very dry and cold air mass will continue to advect southward today on strong NW winds. Low level stratus are starting to erode over NC TX from the NW as very dry low level air mass moves southward with dewpoints into the 1’s. Should see a slow but gradual clearing of the skies from NW to SE today with clear skies over all areas by late afternoon. Highs will struggle to reach to low to mid 40’s today.
Clear skies will allow for a very cold night tonight even with winds staying in the 5-10mph range. Temperatures will fall below freezing quickly this evening with lows at or below 25 degrees N of I-10 Wednesday morning. A Hard Freeze Warning is in effect for these areas for 8-12 hours of temperatures at or below freezing. Along and north of US 59 lows will range from 25-28 with temperatures below freezing for 5-9 hours. South of US 59 temperatures will range from 28-31 with temperatures below freezing for 4-6 hours.
Short wave aloft will move toward TX Wednesday with a mid level cloud deck along the Rio Grande plains tonight rapidly advecting NE early Wednesday. Skies will gradually become cloudy from the SW during the day limiting heating and keeping highs in the 40’s. Cloud deck in place Wednesday night should keep temperatures 2-4 degrees warmer than tonight…still a freeze for many locations. Very dry sub cloud layer should prevent any precipitation from reaching the ground.
Friday-Weekend:
Coastal trough develops along the middle TX coast locking in NE flow with SW flow overrunning the shallow cold dome. Cold dome will be slow to erode with NE winds keeping the cold air entrenched and clouds/light rain helping to prevent modification. Will likely see more clouds/drizzle than rain during this period until late Saturday/Sunday when the trough becomes a warm front and begins to lift northward finally eroding the cold dome and allowing highs back into the 60’s by Sunday and Monday. Next front is due in Monday of next week.
Forecast Lows for Wednesday Morning:
Houston, Madison, Trinity, Brazos, Grimes, Walker, Polk Counties: 20-23
Washington, Waller, Montgomery, Austin, Colorado, San Jacinto, Liberty: 22-25
Forecasted temperatures tonight along with the duration below freezing will impact sensitive tropical vegetation and exposed outside pipes. Plants and pipes should be covered to protect against the cold. Last January the majority of the issues with pipes were on the back flow preventer for yard sprinkler systems and these should be covered and protected tonight. Winds will remain in the 5-10mph range overnight so coverings should be tightly secured. With winds staying up (advective freeze), the covering of plants to produce the “greenhouse effect” will only be marginally effective when compared to a calm night (radiative freeze) where the warmth from the ground becomes trapped under the covering.
Carla/Alicia/Jerry(In The Eye)/Michelle/Charley/Ivan/Dennis/Katrina/Rita/Wilma/Humberto/Ike/Harvey
Member: National Weather Association
Facebook.com/Weather Infinity
Twitter @WeatherInfinity
Currently 29 degrees with a north wind of 15 and a wind chill of 19! Bbbrrrrr...probably appropriate weather for the first day of the legislative session here in Austin.
hlewis wrote:I hate to butt in, but I'm a long-time member/lurker and just am out of the loop and don't feel like reading back through everything... please, can you tell me what to expect in Wharton County ...and...is there any chance for SNOW?
Thanks so much!
You folks look to be in the mid to upper 20's tonight and tomorrow night in Wharton County. Clouds will likely increase tomorrow as a short wave approaches from our W, but things appear too dry at the lower levels for any chance of wintry precip for Wednesday night/Thursday...for now... and don't be afraid to jump in anytime, hlewis.
Thank you, srain!! That sounds like chili weather to me have a great day board!
I noticed the cold air building in Canada this morning. Seems that the NW Territories are getting some mighty frigid air finally. Also appears that there might be some cross polar flow ocurring from temps in the North Central - North Eastern parts of Siberia. You're right the real question is if it will head south and when. I'm throwing the model guidance out now because they don't appear to be handling the air masses very well. I'm just looking at the building temps from what is generally our source regions.
So this is the much anticipated arctic front that we were going nuts over last week? Low's are forecasted to be in the 22 to 25 range in my area tonight. I've already seen that twice this fall/winter season. I hit 22 degrees over Thanksgiving weekend (Saturday morning in a deer stand, froze my butt off!!) and 24/25 a couple weeks after that? Sure this is a bit chilly but nothing we don't see usually once or twice every fall/winter season. The models strung us out pretty good on this one didn't they?
I'm sure this will be our coldest stretch and then maybe a light freeze a night or two next week then that should be it. Come on Spring time! I'm ready to get my garden in the ground.
redneckweather wrote:So this is the much anticipated arctic front that we were going nuts over last week? Low's are forecasted to be in the 22 to 25 range in my area tonight. I've already seen that twice this fall/winter season. I hit 22 degrees over Thanksgiving weekend (Saturday morning in a deer stand, froze my butt off!!) and 24/25 a couple weeks after that? Sure this is a bit chilly but nothing we don't see usually once or twice every fall/winter season. The models strung us out pretty good on this one didn't they?
I'm sure this will be our coldest stretch and then maybe a light freeze a night or two next week then that should be it. Come on Spring time! I'm ready to get my garden in the ground.
Yes, this is it. Fortunately, we are only getting a tiny piece of Arctic air with this front. The concern a week ago was that a larger chunk of cold air might move south, resulting in temps down to the mid teens here and highs not much above freezing if at all. That extreme cold was a possibility, but it was never the forecast (most likely to happen).
Sometimes it is hard to explain the difference between talking about something that is possible vs. the forecast of what's more likely to happen. To use a hurricane example, we might identify a major hurricane entering the Gulf in about a week, mentioning that it's possible that it could hit our area. However, the forecast is for it to hit the mid Gulf Coast at present. When the hurricane hits the mid Gulf Coast, some might say "this is the major hurricane that was supposed to hit Houston?" As meteorologists, we would then explain that the hurricane was never FORECAST to hit us, it was just a possibility that it could hit us.
Same thing with the Arctic air. We never FORECAST teens here, we forecast mid to upper 20s. But teens were a possibility in the long range forecast.