Wx Infinity Forums

Ed Mahmoud wrote:

sleetstorm wrote:What does the red line stand for and the violet line stand for on KHOU's radar?

No legend, but red seems to be severe t-storm and violet tornado warning.


NWS radars use yellow and red, which seems a more intuitive color code, plus they list a legend.

Ed Mahmoud wrote:

txflagwaver wrote:And there is always the inevitable cold for Easter....

Didn't it snow on Easter in Waco a few years back? An Easter Miracle Snow here (I'd accept any time during the Paschal Triduum) would be final proof of Divine Love, wouldn't it.

srainhoutx wrote:Longer range GFS continues to advertise what may be the first significant severe weather threat of the season for SE TX...

wxdata wrote:Severe weather a possibility too!

Friday:

... PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL/EASTERN TEXAS...
A SEPARATE AREA OF VIGOROUS CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT SEEMS POSSIBLE
ACROSS THE REGION PRIOR TO 12Z SATURDAY...WITHIN A STRENGTHENING
ELEVATED WARM ADVECTION REGIME...AS STRONGER MID/UPPER FORCING
FINALLY BEGINS TO SURGE EASTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS
MAY BE AIDED BY A SOMEWHAT BETTER INFLUX OF GULF MOISTURE ON THE
STRENGTHENING LOW-LEVEL JET...AND INSTABILITY COUPLED WITH
STRENGTHENING DEEP LAYER SHEAR MAY CONTRIBUTE TO A RISK FOR LARGE
HAIL.

Saturday:

GIVEN THE CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE GULF
OF MEXICO...AND THE POTENTIAL STRENGTH OF LOW-LEVEL CYCLOGENESIS
ACCOMPANYING THE UPPER SYSTEM...MOISTURE RETURN TO A STRONGLY
SHEARED WARM SECTOR IS BECOMING A BIT LESS OF A CONCERN. THE
MAGNITUDE OF THE MOISTENING MAY NOT BE PARTICULARLY STRONG...BUT MID
50S+ F DEW POINTS PROBABLY WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR A SIGNIFICANT
SEVERE THREAT...EVEN IF THE FORCING DOES NOT BECOME AS STRONG AS
CURRENTLY SUGGESTED BY THE 17/00Z ECMWF. CONSIDERABLE SPREAD STILL
EXISTS AMONG THE MODELS AND MODEL ENSEMBLES...BUT IF THIS ECMWF RUN
COMES CLOSE TO VERIFYING...THE SEVERE THREAT WILL PROBABLY INCLUDE
AT LEAST THE POSSIBILITY FOR ISOLATED STRONG TORNADOES.

Strong cold air outbreak headed for TX this weekend.

Potential for frost/freeze across portions of SE /SC TX Sunday and Monday mornings.

Upper level storm system responsible for the rains yesterday has pushed east of the area. Water vapor images show a strong vort over the Midwest dropping southward on the backside of this system however with very limited moisture only an increase in clouds can be expected late this afternoon as this system drops down the Sabine River.

Very nice weather in store for the region Thursday and Friday with lows in the 40’s and highs in the low to mid 70’s under mostly sunny skies and increasing southerly winds.

Next item of interest is a strong storm system/cold front combo on Saturday. Models continue to come in deeper and colder with this system with a good cold push out of NW Canada as a strong ridge develops along the US west coast with a deep downstream eastern US trough. Moisture return begins in earnest on Friday as pressures lower over the TX panhandle. Do not expect showers until sometime Saturday morning. Cold front plows southward Saturday reaching the area around midday and sweeping off the coast by late afternoon. While moisture return looks marginal there should be enough to squeeze out a round of showers and thunderstorms along the front. SPC has already highlighted our eastern counties for a risk of a few severe storms…but this looks highly marginal. A good temperature drop and increase in NW winds will make Saturday afternoon feel like we are back in deep winter again with temps. Falling through the 50’s into the upper 40’s under NW winds of 15-25 mph.

Bigger concern is how cold will it get as spring green up is well underway and sensitive plantings could be damaged by a frost/freeze. Current guidance suggest near freezing temperatures across the northern portion of SE TX then SW toward the northern coastal bend by Sunday morning as cold air advection brings near 0C 850mb temperatures southward. 540mb thickness values support some fairly chilly air for Sunday. Will go with a light freeze north of Hwy 105 Sunday morning and in the rural areas along and west of a line from Cypress to Katy to Richmond. Bigger concern for a more widespread freeze/frost will come Monday morning under clear skies and light winds. Models are showing weak return flow by early Monday morning and dewpoint recovery to above freezing however if this is delayed by a few hours several locations could bottom out in the 30-34 degree range especially along and NE of a line from Bay City to Wharton to Giddings.