March 2010- In Like A Lamb, Out Like A Lion?

[srainhoutx]

Is it Spring yet? Looking forward to a 'warm' weekend though.

[wxman57]

I never used to think of "warm" as being a day with a high over 60 degrees.

[kayci]

Heck, I'd like to skip spring and jump head first into summer!

[wxman57]

Do you guys have Summer interns who can do a ground temp/dewpoint versus hail size correlation? Well, will you have any Summer interns?

I interned all six years of college (I partied, and engineering was about 140 hours to graduate).

Yes, we will have summer interns this year. They won't be paying positions, just a chance for college students to get the feel for what it's like in the real world for a week. The payback is that they'll have an edge over other students when we hire more meteorologists. You're probably a little old to apply, Ed. But you can always stop by for a visit if you want.

[weatherrabbit]

hints of spring, saw robins sunday...am hopeful thats this winter maybe leaving soon...

[wxman57]

hints of spring, saw robins sunday...am hopeful thats this winter maybe leaving soon...

I think we're beyond the freezing temps and frozen precip threat now, but I expect a much cooler than normal spring as well. I wonder what the latest date is for Bush (IAH) to reach 80 degrees? We may not get there in March, though we saw 80 degrees a number of times LAST January and February.

[Ptarmigan]

We had a freeze in March 4 or 6 years back, IIRC.

The last time March had a freeze was in 2002. It was also the last time Houston saw below 25 degrees Fahrenheit temperature.

[Ptarmigan]

I think we're beyond the freezing temps and frozen precip threat now, but I expect a much cooler than normal spring as well. I wonder what the latest date is for Bush (IAH) to reach 80 degrees? We may not get there in March, though we saw 80 degrees a number of times LAST January and February.

It is interesting you ask what the latest date for KIAH to reach 80 degrees. Going back to 1970 because records started at June of 1969.

The latest to reach 80 degrees at KIAH was March 15, 1984. The winter of 1983-84 was one of the coldest winters in Houston. The last time it was to reach 80 degrees at KIAH that late was on March 14, 2003. The earliest to reach 80 degrees at KIAH was January 1, 2006. Even in 1973, reached 80 on February 5, 1973. Even the cooler years of 1976-79 reached 80 in mid to late February, with the exception of 1979, which reached 80 on March 7, 1979. Even 1978, one of the coldest winters, reached 80 on February 28, 1978.

[wxman57]

Good news/bad news with 12Z GFS. It forecasts a high of 76 next Tuesday, but then a cooling trend down to a high in the low 40s on March 17th.

[Ptarmigan]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Looks like we may not reach 80 by March 15. I am guessing we may never reach 80 until after March 20.

The average date to reach 80 at KIAH from 1970 to 2009 is February 6th. The average month to start reaching 80 is late January to February or February if you want to round up to 2 since the average month was 1.775.

[wxdata]

If Red is the color for the mods, and yellow for the pro-mets, shouldn't WxData be orange and Ptarmigan be red?

Maybe because I'm one of the site admins? Dunno.

[kayci]

If Red is the color for the mods, and yellow for the pro-mets, shouldn't WxData be orange and Ptarmigan be red?

I don't think it matters, they're ALL great!

[srainhoutx]

Crazy pattern we are in. Enjoy the 'warmth' while it lasts IMHO...

http://wxweb.meteostar.com/models/noaap ... UMBLOOP=10

[msanwxfan]

Crazy pattern we are in. Enjoy the 'warmth' while it lasts IMHO...

http://wxweb.meteostar.com/models/noaap ... UMBLOOP=10

what are the oranges in that map mean?
thanks

[wxdata]

Crazy pattern we are in. Enjoy the 'warmth' while it lasts IMHO...

http://wxweb.meteostar.com/models/noaap ... UMBLOOP=10

what are the oranges in that map mean?
thanks

Subsiding/dry air.

[Paul]

Crazy pattern we are in. Enjoy the 'warmth' while it lasts IMHO...

http://wxweb.meteostar.com/models/noaap ... UMBLOOP=10

we are in March...El Nino fading...sun angle higher...snow pack shrinking....IMO, winter is OVER!!

[Ptarmigan]

If Red is the color for the mods, and yellow for the pro-mets, shouldn't WxData be orange and Ptarmigan be red?

Maybe because I'm one of the site admins? Dunno.

Red=Admins and Mods
Yellow=Professional Meteorologist
Orange=Statistical Specialist. I am the only one who has that title.

[Ptarmigan]

Crazy pattern we are in. Enjoy the 'warmth' while it lasts IMHO...

http://wxweb.meteostar.com/models/noaap ... UMBLOOP=10

Why so?

[vbhoutex]

We had a freeze in March 4 or 6 years back, IIRC.

The last time March had a freeze was in 2002. It was also the last time Houston saw below 25 degrees Fahrenheit temperature.

The latest freeze on record was April 13, 1940 when we had a record low of 32. Of course that wasn't at KIAH. Found this in Tim Heller's blog I've been in Houston 37 years and I remember at least one time in march we had a freeze. Can't tell you the year except I know it is after 1972 because I waas married. I believe it was on March 20.

[Ptarmigan]

The latest freeze on record was April 13, 1940 when we had a record low of 32. Of course that wasn't at KIAH. Found this in Tim Heller's blog I've been in Houston 37 years and I remember at least one time in march we had a freeze. Can't tell you the year except I know it is after 1972 because I waas married. I believe it was on March 20.

Hobby was the official station in 1940.

The year with freezes in which the low reached 32 or below at least two days in a row in March after 1972 at IAH were:
1978-March 3-5, 9-10
1980-March 1-3
1984-February 28-March 1
1989-March 4-9
1993-March 13-14 Start of the Great Storm of 1993.
1996-March 8-10
2002-March 2-5