Tag Archives: Austin

Back to school

Posted on January 17, 2007 | Comments Off on Back to school

The ice hasn’t all melted and much of it may still be around by morning, but Mr. B. goes back to school tomorrow, two hours later than normal, while getting out at the regular time. He’s not acting too awfully sad. All this hibernation–with Mom working from home all day–had gotten pretty boring by this afternoon.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly

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Still frozen

Posted on January 17, 2007 | Comments Off on Still frozen

The power is still holding at the rancho, as the temperature nudges above freezing and the icicles hanging from the eaves and trees slowly begin to melt and drip steadily. We’re lucky, I know. Some have it much worse:

"At the First Baptist Church in McAlester, Okla., where most of the city’s 18,000 residents have lacked power for four days, residents huddled under blankets and in front of space heaters."

Chris White, a friend who lives way east of here, near Washington-on-the-Brazos, still is bird watching a big egret down at his frozen pond, but wondering where the roadrunner and the deer have gotten to. About the only movement around the rancho are kids using pieces of cardboard to slide down the nearby hill, and Mr. Boy using his baseball bat to knock ice off the naked branches of the Red Bud in the backyard. Meanwhile, meteorologist Bob Rose expects some melting today will refreeze tonight before a slow warmup begins Thursday and Friday.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly, Weather/Climate

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Conditions deteriorating

Posted on January 15, 2007 | Comments Off on Conditions deteriorating

The title is the words of meteorologist Troy Kimmel. Sleet and freezing rain are falling at the rancho, with temperature well below freezing and also falling. About half an inch to an inch of ice is expected overnight, followed by a rare snowfall tomorrow through tomorrow night, so it’s anybody’s guess how long before the power lines go down. Too bad, I had several other posts in mind, inspired by John Salmon’s Mystic Chords, and a few other good blogs, as always. Mr. Boy will also miss his Ninja Turtles video, if the lights go out. But who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky. Blame Pacific moisture overriding a blast of Arctic air, according to KVUE meteorologist Mark Murray. The local daily is on the case and, as always, is the best source for Austin-Central Texas news if this ice storm progresses from a temporary inconvenience into a disaster. I oughta know. I used to work there.

UPDATE  Latest from Troy at 5:47 a.m. Tuesday is good news, although it will not please Mr. Boy. He will get to stay home from school today, but the anticipated snow this afternoon likely won’t fall on the rancho and a warmup is expected Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile the power is holding.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly, Texana, Weather/Climate

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Ice storm part 2

Posted on January 15, 2007 | Comments Off on Ice storm part 2

Awoke to find a thin glaze of ice over most surfaces outside the house, where it is slightly below 28 degrees, but the power is still on. Front lawn was crunchy when I went out to get the paper. EMS reporting 24 collisions since 6 a.m. but no serious injuries. Meteorologist Troy Kimmel says we’ll stay below freezing for the next 24 to 48 hours, with more rain in the forecast through tomorrow morning, so the icing has just begun.

UPDATE  EMS reporting collisions up to 34 at 1 p.m., with one serious injury when a vehicle rolled down an embankment. By 5 p.m. the count is only up to 36, so people are staying home or taking it easy. Which is a good thing, because Troy and other meteorologists say the worst is yet to come.

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Posted in Weather/Climate

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Ice storm looming

Posted on January 14, 2007 | Comments Off on Ice storm looming

Another warning email from Troy Kimmel, who teaches meteorology at the University of Texas. The temperature is dropping through 33 degrees in our neck of the woods and rain is moving into the Austin area.

"Radar indicates that precipitation covers much of the Hill Country and will move northeastward to overspread the IH-35 corridor counties of Williamson, Travis, and Hays Counties shortly."

I hope to be able to post a few more times before bedtime. Don’t expect any power failures before morning, if then. Could be we’ll get lucky and avoid them. Mr. Boy went to bed excited about possible snow, but that rare occurance isn’t expected until tomorrow night at the earliest.

UPDATE  At 11:40 p.m., Troy is tracking thunderstorms over Mason county, southwest of Austin. If they move in here, we could have more flooding before dawn and they might as the rain generally is moving northeast. Interesting times. 

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Posted in Uncategorized

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The ice cometh

Posted on January 14, 2007 | Comments Off on The ice cometh

Meteorologist Troy Kimmel keeps showing up in my email in-box with less than heartening news. The ice storm is expected to begin today and Troy thinks an accumulation of up to an inch could cover pretty much everything and stick around for three days because…

"Temperatures will fall below freezing by [this] afternoon with surface temperatures likely remaining at or below freezing through Tuesday."

He reminds me that it’s not only iced-up power lines to worry about but tree limbs near power lines, of which we have several at the rancho. When the limbs load up with ice, they will fall and sometimes take the power lines down with them. Repair crews will be hindered by ice on the roads and bridges. Mr. Boy and Mom and I are already planning to get out the air matresses–if necessary–and sleep in front of the fireplace in the family room. At least we won’t freeze. And the stove is gas, so we can cook. We’ll plan to toast marshmellows and play charades.

UPDATE  In a morning email, Troy said weather conditions have mercifully scaled back the disaster to less ice, not beginning until about 6 p.m. tonight and lasting "at least" through Monday evening. So there’s hope in River City. 

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Texana, Weather/Climate

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Winter finally arrives

Posted on January 13, 2007 | Comments Off on Winter finally arrives

Around noon today is meteorologist Troy Kimmel’s expectation, when temperatures could plunge as much as thirty degrees in a few hours–preceded by one to two inches of the rain that’s been falling since Friday morning: "Although some are still delaying the arrival of this much colder air in the local area until Sunday, I simply don’t see it. The sheer weight of the dense arctic cold air will continue to push it south to arrive in the Austin area sometime in the midday hours Saturday. Temperatures in the prefrontal environment will be in the 60s to near 70 F.. but these temperatures will fall quickly to near 40 during the afternoon Saturday." Winter, it seems, is finally here, if only for a few days. Hope the rain keeps up. We need it.

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Posted in Weather/Climate

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