Category Archives: Weather/Climate

Hurricane Felix Texas bound?

Posted on September 1, 2007 | Comments Off on Hurricane Felix Texas bound?

As it stands now, according to meteorologist Jeff Masters, Felix could grow to a dangerous Cat 2 or 3 by Monday night when, on its present course, it approaches the border between Honduras and Nicaragua. But the forecast models are split over its direction, with some taking it farther north into the northwestern Caribbean where, on Tuesday or Wednesday, a low pressure trough could lift it up into the Gulf of Mexico, just clipping the northeast corner of the Yucatan. If that happens, the Texas coast could be in for a beating. Wait and see.

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Posted in South of the Border, Weather/Climate

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Fakin’ Felix

Posted on September 1, 2007 | Comments Off on Fakin’ Felix

The Seablogger is still talking about a chance that Felix, now a TS and probably a H by nightfall, could get into the Gulf at full strength, by just clipping the northeast corner of the Yucatan. Hurricane center still has it going to Yucatan/Belize/Honduras area like Dean did. But if Alan is right, then where? Texas may be evacuating parts of its coastline yet. Definitely a storm to watch.

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Let New Orleans die

Posted on September 1, 2007 | Comments Off on Let New Orleans die

It was a dump and a tourist trap to begin with. Now, despite a large drop in population since Hurricane Katrina, people still there are killing each other at a forty percent greater rate than they did before. So convenient to blame racism, the feds, Bush the Younger, etc. But local and state corruption prevented adequate flood protection in the first place, and an adequate response after nature sent the storm. The feds have spent $127 billion of our money on the Gulf Region. It’s time to let the alligators have sin city.

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Posted in Scribbles, Weather/Climate

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Freakin’ Felix

Posted on August 31, 2007 | Comments Off on Freakin’ Felix

The Seablogger (who lives in a vulnerable cabin cruiser docked on Florida’s east coast, and so keeps an eye on approaching storms) thinks Felix, the likely next Atlantic tropical storm (possibly to be named later today), could wind up in the Gulf of Mexico, though he isn’t predicting where it might go ashore. Even if it didn’t head for Texas, we’re likely to see some serious rain this Labor Day Weekend and next week out of TS Henriette, which the hurricane center expects to track up the Pacific coast of Mexico today. Tropical storms and hurricanes that do that often send heavy rain across the mountains into Central Texas. I can’t find any of the usual-suspect meteorologists around here predicting it yet, but Accuweather’s Joe Bastardi is.

UPDATE: It’s not Felix yet, but it is Tropical Depression Six and, so far, the hurricane center has it aimed south of where Dean hit the Yucatan. Unless it moves a bit north, it won’t make the Gulf.

MORE: Finally it became Felix, and still, more or less, aimed at Belize. 

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Rain ahead

Posted on August 29, 2007 | Comments Off on Rain ahead

But the LCRA’s Bob Rose says not to worry about the tropical wave crossing the Yucatan:

"This system could experience some limited tropical development as it moves over the Bay of Campeche on Thursday.The system will have little effect on our region as it moves inland over Mexico on Friday. An area of clouds and showers is located about 900 miles east of the Windward Islands in the central Atlantic. This system has some potential to develop into a tropical depression over the next couple of days. Another area of clouds and showers is flaring up off the coast of the southeastern US. [It] is drifting south and also shows some potential for development over the next couple of days."

Meanwhile, he does expect a weak cold front sagging into Centex to stall and increase our rain chances tomorrow through the weekend. I’m still hoping to get in a sail on Friday morning, but not at the risk of covering the sails wet.

UPDATE:  It came a little early, the rain. Storms all around us, with lightning and thunder. Gotta go.

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Posted in South of the Border, Weather/Climate

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Almost chilly

Posted on August 28, 2007 | Comments Off on Almost chilly

Nice taste of autumn this morning. The thermometer on the patio hovered right at 69 degrees. Cloudy, of course, considering the 40 percent chance of heavy rain this afternoon. A similar forecast all week, but mainly after 1 p.m. so I’ll have a chance to sail again tomorrow morning. My guess is the lunar eclipse wasn’t visible. Sky shows usually aren’t here, thanks to the clouds. I don’t know for sure. I was asleep at the time.

UPDATE: Actually KVUE caught some nice lunar views on video. Requires free registration. 

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Not the best timing

Posted on August 20, 2007 | Comments Off on Not the best timing

Comes a hearty, happy email from my American Express account touting an untimely trip to Jamaica:

"Use your Card to book three nights in an ocean-view accommodation at the AAA Five Diamond Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort in Rose Hall, Jamaica."

Rose Hall is on Montego Bay, on the north side of the island, which got not so much of Dean, as it happens. Reports from there (scroll down) are that the hotels are okay, with only a few fallen trees, but still trying to get the power back on. 

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Posted in Scribbles, Weather/Climate

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