Category Archives: Weather/Climate

Blocking force

Posted on June 28, 2007 | Comments Off on Blocking force

KVET/KASE meteorologist Troy Kimmel sees a "large organized southeastward moving cluster of thunderstorms just southeast of San Antonio is moving into the coastal plains" and theorizes:

"My initial thought would be that this system.. being between us and the gulf moisture coming ashore from the Gulf of Mexico.. will temporarily disrupt the moisture flow and perhaps result in less precipitation for the greater Austin area for at least a part of this afternoon."

So far it seems to be working. Radar shows a lot of the heavy rain well east of La Grange, heading north to Bryan.

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Posted in Texana, Weather/Climate

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Global warming snickup

Posted on June 28, 2007 | Comments Off on Global warming snickup

Too funny. How not to measure temperature for the historical climate record. Yet, this is the way the feds do it. Al Gore? You need to look into this slap at global warming. Maybe re-edit your faulty biopic?

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Weather/Climate

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Lake lowering. Then not.

Posted on June 28, 2007 | Comments Off on Lake lowering. Then not.

Lake Travis dropping very slowly at this hour, down to 693.63, with four floodgates staying open. Five feet lower than forecast for this afternoon, and nothing obvious on the LCRA automated guages site to change it. KVUE’s radar shows plenty of rain across the area, and more coming in, but little of the red and yellow variety. Plus it’s moving faster than Wednesday morning. The meteorologists have a word for the red and yellow blob that pulled up almost stationary over Marble Falls yesterday that I hadn’t encountered until the other day. In keeping with the age of terrorism, I suppose. They call it a precipitation "bomb."

UPDATE  Within an hour, the lake was rising slowly again. Lots of rain falling in upstream Lake LBJ and being passed down to Travis. By 3:30 p.m., it was up to 694.5.

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Posted in Sailing, Texana, Weather/Climate

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Runup

Posted on June 27, 2007 | Comments Off on Runup

LakeTravis.JPG

 LCRA graphic of Lake Travis on the way up, flooding some homes, isolating some marinas, and covering some private docks, with up to another 5 feet expected, and more possible. By 11:30 p.m., it was at 693.30.

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Posted in Sailing, Weather/Climate

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Catastrophe 2007

Posted on June 27, 2007 | Comments Off on Catastrophe 2007

LCRA is now projecting that Lake Travis will rise to almost 697 feet above mean sea level by tomorrow afternoon, despite having four flood gates open. That would be sixteen feet above full. Have to check but that might be a record height. That’s just from the rain that’s fallen so far. More rain is expected out there tonight.

UPDATE LCRA has closed the lake to recreational boating. City of Austin has, likewise, closed its waterways. Debris, etc. 

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Posted in Sailing, Texana, Weather/Climate

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Floodin for real

Posted on June 27, 2007 | Comments Off on Floodin for real

I stare at the LCRA automated rain guages site entry for Marble Falls in disbelief. Seventeen point three nine inches of rain since midnight? The Llano River flowing at 52,871 cubic feet per second? The Pedernales River at 17,548? Lake Travis at 688.31, which means seven inches feet above full and the start of flooding out there on a grand scale. Two floodgates are open on Mansfield Dam with probably more to come, making shore life downstream on Lake Austin unpleasant as well. It’s hard even to get into the LCRA’s site, so many people must be trying. Indeed, there is widespread flooding in the Hill Country and especially along the Highland Lakes, according to the daily, with more rain to come. Austin spared, so far.

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Posted in Sailing, Weather/Climate

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Turn around, don’t drown

Posted on June 27, 2007 | Comments Off on Turn around, don’t drown

With big storms moving in from the north, and some places out near the lakes picking up 3 inches or more, according to the LCRA’s automated guages, it seems timely to repeat the weather service slogan for low-water crossers, and to pass along this great site’s complete approach to Texas floods. For the rare reader who might benefit. I realize this isn’t radio, but it’s tempting to treat it that way sometimes. It’s not hard to get excited. We live in the most flash-flood prone part of North America.

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Posted in Rancho Roly Poly, Texana, Weather/Climate

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