January 2016: Mardi Gras WX Outlook

[Ptarmigan]

It is hard to imagine it has been 30 years ago this week that Space Shuttle Challenger exploded. It was a very cold day in Florida. Ice built up on the space shuttle.

In 73 seconds, everything changed for Challenger
http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/ ... /79067664/

[Katdaddy]

FLOOD ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
605 AM CST TUE JAN 26 2016

TXC039-261300-
/O.NEW.KHGX.FA.Y.0001.160126T1205Z-160126T1300Z/
/00000.N.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BRAZORIA TX-
605 AM CST TUE JAN 26 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD ADVISORY FOR...
CENTRAL BRAZORIA COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS...

* UNTIL 700 AM CST

* AT 604 AM CST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED HEAVY RAIN DUE TO SHOWERS.
THIS WILL CAUSE MINOR FLOODING IN THE ADVISORY AREA. 2 INCHES OF
RAIN HAS FALLEN OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL BRAZORIA COUNTY AND ANOTHER
INCH OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
LAKE JACKSON...ANGLETON...CLUTE...RICHWOOD...JONES CREEK...
DANBURY...HOLIDAY LAKES...BAILEY`S PRAIRIE...LIVERPOOL...BONNEY AND
CHOCOLATE BAYOU.

[srainhoutx]

Getting a lot of reports of small hail West of Houston as a strong cold upper air disturbance creates enough lift to generate elevated thunderstorms.

[srainhoutx]

The cold upper trough that was responsible for bringing snow across the higher elevations around Monterrey Mexico has brought freezing temperatures across (30F) NW Harris County this morning with heavy frost and down to our SW just to the N and W of Corpus Christi with temperatures in the mid to upper 20's across the Piney Woods N and E with high pressure over Central Texas.

Satellite imagery shows a weaker upper trough/low moving over Southern California this morning and as the cold upper trough overhead moves East, moderating temperatures begin with a SW flow aloft ahead of the Southern California shortwave. The weekend looks pleasant for Mardi Gras Festivities on Galveston Island, but foggy conditions may keep temperatures on the cool side to end the month of January.

[DoctorMu]

Upper 20s last night near CLL.

May need a hard freeze to slow the zika virus spread...but we have a wind switch and warm=up for the remainder of the week. A Chamber of Commerce afternoon though in the Brazos Valley under brilliant sunshine.

The surface high slides east with mild weather before a strong disturbance moves toward the souther plains Mon/Tue. Enough shear expected to yield potentially sever storms in the eastern part of the area.

[Ptarmigan]

Upper 20s last night near CLL.

May need a hard freeze to slow the zika virus spread...but we have a wind switch and warm=up for the remainder of the week. A Chamber of Commerce afternoon though in the Brazos Valley under brilliant sunshine.

The surface high slides east with mild weather before a strong disturbance moves toward the souther plains Mon/Tue. Enough shear expected to yield potentially sever storms in the eastern part of the area.

CDC-Zika Virus
http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html

It is an arbovirus, which is transmitted by Arthropod like mosquitoes or ticks. Zika is a Flavivirus, related to yellow fever, dengue, St. Louis Encephalitis, and West Nile. Zika was first identified in Uganda.

Zika is nothing like Ebola, which is very gruesome and deadly. Most mosquito borne virus do not spread person to person, but can occur through blood transfusion. Ebola is not known to spread through mosquitoes. Not much is known where Ebola came from, probably bats.

Zika has a low mortality rate, while Ebola has a very high mortality rate of 30 to 90 percent.