Unprecedented Houston snow

[das]

Just for perspective:

MISCELLANEOUS HOUSTON SNOW FACTS:

HOUSTON EARLIEST SNOW 1.4 INCHES AT IAH DEC 10 2008 (YUP LAST
YEAR). HOBBY AIRPORT RECEIVED 0.3 INCHES LAST YEAR.

THE HOUSTON AREA HAS NEVER RECEIVED ACCUMULATING SNOW IN
CONSECUTIVE YEARS. THE AREA HAS HAD TRACE SNOW EVENTS IN BACK TO
BACK YEARS.

JAN 12 1912 0.1 INCHES
JAN 7 1913 TRACE

JAN 11 1918 0.2 INCHES
JAN 2 1919 TRACE

DEC 19 1924 TRACE
DEC 28 1925 0.4 INCHES
JAN 23 1926 0.8 INCHES (SAME WINTER SEASON BUT DIFFERENT YEAR)

JAN 5 1947 TRACE
JAN 23 1948 TRACE
JAN 29 1949 TRACE
JAN 30 1949 2.6 INCHES

FEB 12 1960 3.0 INCHES
JAN 25 1961 TRACE
JAN 9 1962 TRACE

HEAVIEST SNOWFALL EVER WAS 20.0 INCHES FEB 14-15 1895.

Good luck with the storm today.  I hope it verifies and gets everyone in the Christmas mood.  And that the massive population that drives rear-wheel drive pickup trucks stay off the road.

[JaneDoe]

Good luck with the storm today.  I hope it verifies and gets everyone in the Christmas mood.  And that the massive population that drives rear-wheel drive pickup trucks everybody but emergency vehicles stay off the road.

FIFY

[das]

Here's a good radar loop:
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/gen_nids.cgi?ident=hgx&pl=n0r&yy=2009&mm=&dd=&hh=&nn=Min&size=1280x960&loop=yes2&zoom=&center=
Those very bright radar echos are not thunderstorms, rather, sleet.  Hard ice produces the best radar reflections.  Multiple reports of the rain changing to sleet south and west of the bletway (is that what ya'll call your loop road around the central business district?).

Here's the link to the hourly observations around Houston:
http://forecast.weather.gov/obslocal.php?warnzone=TXZ213&local_place=Houston+TX&zoneid=CST&offset=21600
Places that have the dewpoints at or near freezing (in that 5th column) will change to snow the earliest.  Say, probably, 2-4 hours after the rain starts.

Here's a link to the Emergency Management Network web cam network, now with embedded radar.  Very nice tool, one of the best I've seen.
http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/layers/layers.aspx?cam=True

And, for fun, the TxDOT road conditions GIS tool:
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/GIS/HCRS_main/viewer.htm
The white has been creeping southeast all morning.

Here's the very latest forcast totals:
(http://www8.picfront.org/picture/gkx0WM7u/img/Capture.PNG)

[Guinness]

Thanks for the info, das.  Last night on channel 11 they were touting that Gene Norman called it first on Monday night, but we here all knew that das called it first Monday morning...
Decided to work from home today myself.  No sense getting stuck downtown because the buses stop running mid afternoon...(if they do)

[HudsonHawk]

Well, my reign as the anti-snow King as ended.  We didn't get much, but Midland has a light dusting of the white stuff this morning.  Perhaps this will bode well for Jim and bears.

ETA:  And as soon as I type "light dusting", it starts snowing like hell outside my office window.  The sun is shining and it's snowing.  Ain't that some shit.

[das]

Thanks for the info, das.  Last night on channel 11 they were touting that Gene Norman called it first on Monday night, but we here all knew that das called it first Monday morning...

Wish I could take credit.  Forecasting a once-per-decade event is particularly difficult.  An Energy Meteorologist down there in Houston actually gets the nod, he saw the long range models on 25 November and knew enough to not discount them due to this particular setup.  He was (jokingly) grilled, blasted and called lots of weenie names by his peers where he works and by many NWS synoptic forecasters and is looking like an absolute genius right now.  He'll ride that glory until he busts his next forecast here in the next couple of weeks.  This business is not for the humble or weak-of-heart.

[Alkie]

I'll just never understand how you people can move to a place with such shitty winter weather.

Not me, baby.  I'll take my wearing a tshirt to work like I did yesterday.

You people are crazy.

[Limey]

Wish I could take credit.  Forecasting a once-per-decade event is particularly difficult.  An Energy Meteorologist down there in Houston actually gets the nod, he saw the long range models on 25 November and knew enough to not discount them due to this particular setup.  He was (jokingly) grilled, blasted and called lots of weenie names by his peers where he works and by many NWS synoptic forecasters and is looking like an absolute genius right now.  He'll ride that glory until he busts his next forecast here in the next couple of weeks.  This business is not for the humble or weak-of-heart.

The Weather

[Fredia]

all gore where are you when we need you

[juliogotay]

all gore where are you when we need you

There is nothing I need Al Gore for.

[Bench]

There is nothing I need Al Gore for.

Oh. I thought she was referencing a GWAR show.

[MikeyBoy]

Oh. I thought she was referencing a GWAR show.

You are on a roll this week.

[sporadic]

All of the ladies in my office just ran outside to run around in the 15 freaking flurries of snow that has begun to fall.  I see them out of my window.  In the middle of the parking lot.  Just grinning and laughing.  Not like it is sticking...might as well be landing on a hot skillet. Am I the only person that thinks this is crazy behavior?  

[JimR]

All of the ladies in my office just ran outside to run around in the 15 freaking flurries of snow that has begun to fall.  I see them out of my window.  In the middle of the parking lot.  Just grinning and laughing.  Not like it is sticking...might as well be landing on a hot skillet. Am I the only person that thinks this is crazy behavior?  

yes. i'll bet you say "humbug" a lot too.

[T. J.]

Coming down heavily in Sugar Land now. Starting to stick too. Beautiful.

[sporadic]

yes. i'll bet you say "humbug" a lot too.

Not really, I like Christmas - I like hanging out with the family and buying the loudest toys on the planet for my brother's kids.  I just despise cold weather, and for it to snow it must be cold, hence my distaste for snow.  As far as the activities of the co-workers...I could see it if it were either snowing pretty hard (enough for it to stick on your clothes or some such) or accumulating on the ground.

[Lurch]

All of the ladies in my office just ran outside to run around in the 15 freaking flurries of snow that has begun to fall.  I see them out of my window.  In the middle of the parking lot.  Just grinning and laughing.  Not like it is sticking...might as well be landing on a hot skillet. Am I the only person that thinks this is crazy behavior?  

Wish I could find it now, but saw a great picture yesterday of a football player  (Longhorn maybe?) catching snow in his mouth.

[Limey]

I'm not happy about this.  I have to navigate about 3 miles of Westheimer, which is 4 lanes of cunts on good days, so Lord knows what it'll be like today.

[sporadic]

Coming down heavily in Sugar Land now. Starting to stick too. Beautiful.

For the kids' sake I hope it snows hard enough to stick up here...and stays around for a while.  It would be a waste if it snowed like crazy during the day, did not stick and the kids did not get a chance to run around in it after school.

[Phil_in_CS]

For the kids' sake I hope it snows hard enough to stick up here...and stays around for a while.  It would be a waste if it snowed like crazy during the day, did not stick and the kids did not get a chance to run around in it after school.

The little Montessori school my daughter goes to has a policy of "Snow = Instant Recess"

[HudsonHawk]

Not really, I like Christmas - I like hanging out with the family and buying the loudest toys on the planet for my brother's kids.  I just despise cold weather, and for it to snow it must be cold, hence my distaste for snow.

Don't know how cold it is in Houston, but I found the snow this morning in Midland to be surprisingly un-cold.  I've felt colder out here in April, but perhaps it's because today is the one day a year in West Texas when the wind isn't blowing 40 mph.

Also, I found the snow to be eerily quiet and peaceful.  Must be the fact there's all this movement around you, but it doesn't make a sound.  I guess I'm just not used to it.  Of course, now that the sun is out and the snow is melting, it's a muddy mess.

[strosrays]

The Weather Channel, or as das calls them, McWeather™, is hyping this event like it's a Category 3 hurricane.  They got that bald-headed-fuck-in-a-windbreaker who is always standing on a beach somewhere getting blown around and drenched anytime a storm comes in, stationed out at Bush Int'l today.  Giving hourly reports.  In a fucking parka.

[Guinness]

The Weather Channel, or as das calls them, McWeather™, is hyping this event like it's a Category 3 hurricane.  They got that bald-headed-fuck-in-a-windbreaker who is always standing on a beach somewhere getting blown around and drenched anytime a storm comes in, stationed out at Bush Int'l today.  Giving hourly reports.  In a fucking parka.

It's cold, but not that fucking cold.  Right when it started snowing hard here in Katy I figured I'd better head to Spec's (we're having Pimms with hot apple/cranberry juice), and didn't really feel the need for more than a jacket.

[strosrays]

It's cold, but not that fucking cold.  Right when it started snowing hard here in Katy I figured I'd better head to Spec's (we're having Pimms with hot apple/cranberry juice), and didn't really feel the need for more than a jacket.

I've been in shirtsleeves all day; but I may break down and put on the bomber jacket this evening, if I can find it.  It is supposed to get down to 29, or something.

[Gizzmonic]

The little icon on my weather widget just turned to snow for the first time ever.  There isn't any where I'm located though (central San Antonio) but maybe a little later on in the day we'll see something.

[sporadic]

I've felt colder out here in April, but perhaps it's because today is the one day a year in West Texas when the wind isn't blowing 40 mph.

Now that you mention it...the coldest I have ever been in my life was in Odessa in late March.  It was 40 with the wind blowing 40 mph...miserable.

[das]

The little icon on my weather widget just turned to snow for the first time ever.

The guys at the NWS Houston office got a big laugh out of this comment when I forwarded it to them.

[OregonStrosFan]

Snow at MMPUS

[Lurch]

Selig demanded the roof be opened immediately!

[Gizzmonic]

The guys at the NWS Houston office got a big laugh out of this comment when I forwarded it to them.

I got excited for a minute, but now I'm disappointed...no snow in sight!

[Limey]

Also, I found the snow to be eerily quiet and peaceful.  Must be the fact there's all this movement around you, but it doesn't make a sound.  I guess I'm just not used to it.  Of course, now that the sun is out and the snow is melting, it's a muddy mess.

Snow is always eerily quiet and peaceful.  It's a natural absorbent of sound, so when it's falling without wind, it's quiet.

[Limey]

Now that you mention it...the coldest I have ever been in my life was in Odessa in late March.  It was 40 with the wind blowing 40 mph...miserable.

The coldest I've ever been was Summer in San Francisco.  I'm not being an erudite-douche, it's actually true.  July in SF was fucking freezing.

[Limey]

Snow at MMPUS

Lots of snow in the air...none on the ground.

[BudGirl]

There was a lot of it on the ground in Pearland.

[chuck]

Lots of snow in the air...none on the ground.

Too bad. I was hoping someone would write CUBS SUCK across the outfield.

[astrox]

Not really, I like Christmas - I like hanging out with the family and buying the loudest toys on the planet for my brother's kids.  I just despise cold weather, and for it to snow it must be cold, hence my distaste for snow.  As far as the activities of the co-workers...I could see it if it were either snowing pretty hard (enough for it to stick on your clothes or some such) or accumulating on the ground.

Snow is what makes the cold weather tolerable.

[Billy Zabka]

The little Montessori school my daughter goes to has a policy of "Snow = Instant Recess"

When I was in 7th grade (1993-94) there were some flurries one day in Katy, so they had a fire drill so everyone could go outside.

[Limey]

Too bad. I was hoping someone would write CUBS SUCK across the outfield.

As usual, when Astros fans wanted to have some fun, Bud closed the roof.

[Taras Bulba]

The coldest I've ever been was Summer in San Francisco.  I'm not being an erudite-douche, it's actually true.  July in SF was fucking freezing.

Mark Twain agreed with you.  I don't think he ever used "erudite-douche" in any of his stuff, though.

[Limey]

Mark Twain agreed with you.  I don't think he ever used "erudite-douche" in any of his stuff, though.

...and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the lesser for it, IMHO.

[chuck]

...and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the lesser for it, IMHO.

Not Tom Sawyer. That book takes place in Missouri, upriver from St Louis, and everybody knows that St Louis is filled with douches with no erudition whatsoever.