April Discussions: Drought Continues/Driest April On Record!

[jasons2k]

Galveston topped out at 95! Bush at 93 - it's not very often when those numbers are reversed...very unusual.

[wxman57]

Just installed a free 21 day demo of GR Analyst 2:
http://www.grlevelx.com/gr2analyst/

You can create volumetric scans of the tornadic cells in Alabama, like the one below. Seeing some tremendous rotation in some of the cells today. Here's a scan of the tornado near Tuscaloosa, AL:

[Andrew]

Latest from Jeff: (looks bad)

100+ acre wildfire has developed just NW of Huntsville this afternoon west of I-45. Fire is burning rapidly SE on storng NW winds. All Walker County fire departments and Texas Forest Service helicopters are repsonding along with ground crews and containment doziers to cut fire lines. Two helicopters are conducting continous water drop operations on the SE flank of the fire. The fire is not contained at this time. Strong NW winds and RH of less than 20% is producing extremely critical fire weather conditions ripe for explosive fire growth. Smoke plume is noted on visible satellite images and 88D radar from Houston spreading SE over the Huntsville area.

Kimble County Fire: Massive wildfire developed this morning in western Kimble County west of Junction, TX. Evacuations are underway across the county along with several major roads and highways closed. Texas Forest Service has heavy air tankers dropping slurry and water on the fire along with numerous helicopters. Fire departments from numerous counties and cities are responding. Thousands of acres have burned and the fire remain uncontrolled and burning toward the south and southest in 20-35mph winds.

Horrible fire weather conditions remain in place across the entire region through mid evneing before winds begin to relax and RH recovers some. Until that time rapid wildfire growth will be possible with extreme fire behavior likely on strong winds.

[srainhoutx]

I had wondered if this was coming...

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
112 PM CDT FRI APR 29 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT...

.LOW HUMIDITIES AND GUSTY SOUTHEAST WINDS THIS AFTERNOON.

TXZ163-164-176-177-195>198-210-211-292300-
/O.NEW.KHGX.FW.W.0008.110429T1812Z-110429T2300Z/
AUSTIN-BRAZOS-BURLESON-COLORADO-GRIMES-HOUSTON-MADISON-TRINITY-
WALKER-WASHINGTON-
112 PM CDT FRI APR 29 2011

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR FIRE
WEATHER ZONES 163...164...176...177... 195...196...197...198...210
AND 211...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A
RED FLAG WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS
EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONES 163...164...176...177...
195...196...197...198...210 AND 211.

* WIND...SOUTH SOUTHEAST 15 TO 30 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...20 TO 30 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.
OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.