Earth is entering a stream of dusty debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, the source of the annual Perseid meteor shower. Although the shower won't peak until August 11th and 12th, the show is already getting underway.
Earth passes through the densest part of the debris stream sometime on August 12th. Then, you could see dozens of meteors per hour.
For sky watchers in North America, the watch begins after nightfall on August 11th and continues until sunrise on the 12th. Veteran observers suggest the following strategy: Unfold a blanket on a flat patch of ground. (Note: The middle of your street is not a good choice.) Lie down and look up. Perseids can appear in any part of the sky, their tails all pointing back to the shower's radiant in the constellation Perseus. Get away from city lights if you can.
There is one light you cannot escape on August 12th. The 55% gibbous Moon will glare down from the constellation Aries just next door to the shower's radiant in Perseus. The Moon is beautiful, but don't stare at it. Bright moonlight ruins night vision and it will wipe out any faint Perseids in that part of the sky.
The Moon is least troublesome during the early evening hours of August 11th. Around 9 to 11 p.m. local time (your local time), both Perseus and the Moon will be hanging low in the north. This low profile reduces lunar glare while positioning the shower's radiant for a nice display of Earthgrazers.
Earthgrazers are meteors that approach from the horizon and skim the atmosphere overhead like a stone skipping across the surface of a pond. They are long, slow and colorful—among the most beautiful of meteors. An hour of watching, may net only a few of these at most, but seeing even one can make the whole night worthwhile.
The Perseids are coming. Enjoy the show.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
South Texas Heat and the Big Country!
THE SUMMER OF 2009 IS SO FAR ON TRACK TO BECOME ONE OF THE WARMER SUMMERS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL TEXAS. THE PERIOD FROM JUNE 1ST TO AUGUST 6TH...2009 WAS THE WARMEST JUNE 1ST TO AUGUST 6TH PERIOD AT AUSTIN MABRY...AND SAN ANTONIO...AND TIED WITH 1980 AND 1996 FOR THE 3RD WARMEST AT DEL RIO.
SO FAR THIS YEAR...THURSDAY AUGUST 6TH WAS THE 47TH 100 DEGREE DAY AT AUSTIN MABRY...THE 39TH 100 DEGREE DAY AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM...THE 44TH 100 DEGREE DAY AT DEL RIO...THE 41ST 100 DEGREE DAY AT SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...AND THE 51ST 100 DEGREE DAY AT SAN ANTONIO STINSON FIELD.
AS FOR AS ABILENE GOES....WE HAVE SEEN 21 DAYS OF 100+ DEGREE TEMPERATURES AS OF AUGUST 7TH. HOWEVER, THIS DOESN'T COME CLOSE TO BREAKING ANY RECORDS. THE WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD OCCURRED IN 1952 WHEN WE HIT 100 DEGREES OR MORE.....43 TIMES!!! THE RECORD FOR MOST CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF 100 DEGREE WEATHER IS 30....WHICH OCCURRED IN 1952 AS WELL.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE HAVE HAD 6 SUMMERS WHERE WE 'NEVER' HIT 100 DEGREES, THOSE YEARS WERE...1890, 1961, 1968, 1975, 1992, AND 2007.
JUST THINK, OUR FIRST DECENT COLD FRONT USUALLY ARRIVES THE THIRD WEEK OF SEPTEMBER. SO THE COOLER WEATHER IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK. WE ALSO HAVE EL NINO DEVELOPING IN THE PACIFIC. WHAT DOES THAT SPELL FOR WEST TEXAS AND SURROUNDING AREAS????? STAY TUNED, THAT WILL BE MY NEXT TOPIC OF DISCUSSION VERY SOON.
SO FAR THIS YEAR...THURSDAY AUGUST 6TH WAS THE 47TH 100 DEGREE DAY AT AUSTIN MABRY...THE 39TH 100 DEGREE DAY AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM...THE 44TH 100 DEGREE DAY AT DEL RIO...THE 41ST 100 DEGREE DAY AT SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...AND THE 51ST 100 DEGREE DAY AT SAN ANTONIO STINSON FIELD.
AS FOR AS ABILENE GOES....WE HAVE SEEN 21 DAYS OF 100+ DEGREE TEMPERATURES AS OF AUGUST 7TH. HOWEVER, THIS DOESN'T COME CLOSE TO BREAKING ANY RECORDS. THE WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD OCCURRED IN 1952 WHEN WE HIT 100 DEGREES OR MORE.....43 TIMES!!! THE RECORD FOR MOST CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF 100 DEGREE WEATHER IS 30....WHICH OCCURRED IN 1952 AS WELL.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE HAVE HAD 6 SUMMERS WHERE WE 'NEVER' HIT 100 DEGREES, THOSE YEARS WERE...1890, 1961, 1968, 1975, 1992, AND 2007.
JUST THINK, OUR FIRST DECENT COLD FRONT USUALLY ARRIVES THE THIRD WEEK OF SEPTEMBER. SO THE COOLER WEATHER IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK. WE ALSO HAVE EL NINO DEVELOPING IN THE PACIFIC. WHAT DOES THAT SPELL FOR WEST TEXAS AND SURROUNDING AREAS????? STAY TUNED, THAT WILL BE MY NEXT TOPIC OF DISCUSSION VERY SOON.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
August Heat and Water Restrictions
KTAB Viewers,
As you have probably heard on August 4th on KTAB News, Mayor Norm Archibald has set water restrictions for the Abilene area. This happens when Lake Ft. Phantom's water level drops to AT or BELOW 5feet from the top of the dam...or FULL POOL.
Full Pool is: 1,635.90'.
Current Lake level is at 1,630.85'
We are now 5.05' BELOW full pool
For more information on the current watering restrictions, go to:
http://www.abilenetx.com/WaterUtilitiesDept/yearround.htm
For frequently asked questions about water restrictions, go to:
http://www.abilenetx.com/Press/documents/WaterConservationfaqs_000.pdf
For more information on Texas lake levels, go to:
http://wiid.twdb.state.tx.us/ims/resinfo/BushButton/lakeStatus.asp
So, this being said…. looks like the Big Country will be in a prolonged period of hot and dry weather through most of the month of August, as an upper level high (sinking air) will be entrenched overhead. Afternoon highs will reach the century mark through the end of the week. After Friday, the ridge of high pressure shifts east briefly into the southeastern parts of the United States, bringing a more east-southeast flow in the upper levels off of the Gulf of Mexico. This will allow any disturbances or tropical development to head into the parched areas of South Texas, bringing some WELCOME relief to their ongoing drought. This brief pattern shift will also bring our humidity levels back up a bit in the Big Country and the Heartland, dropping afternoon highs back to near normal through the weekend and into early next week.
The extended forecast through mid August….look for near normal temperatures with afternoon highs in the mid to upper 90’s, with morning lows in the low to mid 70s.
I will also keep you all informed on the latest information on the developing El Nino, or warming waters in the Pacific Ocean, on KTAB News at 5, 6 and 10 though the coming months.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Hello Big Country and welcome to my NEW blog - Texas Weather and Beyond! This is my first posting and I hope you enjoy! I thought I would share a story with you all.
Once upon a time, there was a six year boy (we'll call him Boo) who was scared to death of thunderstorms. Boo grew up in a middle class neighborhood in North Dallas. He had one older brother and an older sister. His father was a violinist in the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and his mother was a stay at home mom.
One Spring day back in 1972, on his way home from school, he was gazing out the car window and noticed big puffy clouds building in the western sky. Boo became concerned and asked his mother, "Mommy, are we going to see thunderstorms and tornadoes today? The sky is starting to look funny again." His mother, not wanting to scare her son said said, "no honey we're only supposed to see a few rain showers this evening." Boo was relieved. He hated thunderstorms and especially tornadoes.
After arriving home, Boo went out to play tackle the man with the ball with his neighborhood friends in his front yard. About an hour went by, when all of the sudden a loud BANG came from the distance. "That's thunder", Boo told his friends. "My mommy said we would only see rain showers this afternoon. Why is the sky green? Somethings not right! We all better go inside now." As Boo was running towards his front door, his mother was already on the porch to greet him. " I guess I was wrong" his mother said. "It looks like we may see some thunderstorms today." "Harold Taft (chief meteorologist for KXAS in the metroplex) just cut into programming and said that thunderstorms are moving in and that it may be a rough afternoon. We better go inside for a while." Boo was starting to get a bit scared. He asked his mother, " when is daddy going to be home. Just then, the front door opened. "Daddy's home", be exclaimed. He always felt safe when his father was home. "Looks like we have some bad weather coming son. We all need to stay indoors for a while" said his father.
While waiting for the storms to arrive, Boo's mother decided to she would start to cook dinner. Boo's brother and sister were hanging out in their rooms and his father went to change out of his work clothes. It couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes, when all of the sudden a loud siren starting to blow outside. "What's that load noise, mommy?" Boo's mother did not answer right away, she immediately yelled for Boo's father and turned the television's volume up. "A Tornado Warning has been issued for Dallas County. Residents in Northwestern Dallas County need to head to their safe zone immediately. A tornado is now on the ground, five miles southwest of Farmers Branch moving northeast at 30mph. Please seek shelter immediately." They all new, when Harold Taft said take shelter, you needed to heed his advice. Boo's father overheard Harold on television. He quickly came down their hallway and shouted, " Everyone in the station wagon, now!" So, they all ran outside and piled into their station wagon. Boo's father quickly drove behind their house and pulled their vehicle into a cement covered parking garage. Boo was confused! He was always taught to stay at home and seek shelter in an interior room when there was a tornado warning issued. But, he said nothing to his father. He just gazed out the back window of their station wagon, petrified, as he saw the F-2 tornado roaring down a nearby street about a mile away. After the tornado had passed, Boo's family drove back home. Everyone survived this event, but Boo's life had changed.
Boo now had become infatuated with weather, he started watching Harold Taft (the first on-air meteorologist in Texas) every night at 6:15pm, on Dallas' local news. He even asked his parents if he could have his own weather radio for his seventh birthday. His wish was granted several months later. And from that day forward, Boo carried that weather radio everywhere he went. He even got grounded from listening to his new radio for a week, just for carrying it to school when his parents told him not to.....twice!
As the years rolled by, Boo continued his fascination with weather. Almost 27 years later to the day, Boo graduated from Texas A&M with a B.S. Degree in meteorology at the ripe old age of 33.
SO, THE MORAL OF THIS STORY IS......IF THERE IS ANYONE YOU SHOULD TRUST FOR THE MOST ACCURATE FORECAST IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, IT'S DAN EDWARDS, HE'S ONLY BEEN WATCHING TEXAS WEATHER FOR 37 YEARS!
Once upon a time, there was a six year boy (we'll call him Boo) who was scared to death of thunderstorms. Boo grew up in a middle class neighborhood in North Dallas. He had one older brother and an older sister. His father was a violinist in the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and his mother was a stay at home mom.
One Spring day back in 1972, on his way home from school, he was gazing out the car window and noticed big puffy clouds building in the western sky. Boo became concerned and asked his mother, "Mommy, are we going to see thunderstorms and tornadoes today? The sky is starting to look funny again." His mother, not wanting to scare her son said said, "no honey we're only supposed to see a few rain showers this evening." Boo was relieved. He hated thunderstorms and especially tornadoes.
After arriving home, Boo went out to play tackle the man with the ball with his neighborhood friends in his front yard. About an hour went by, when all of the sudden a loud BANG came from the distance. "That's thunder", Boo told his friends. "My mommy said we would only see rain showers this afternoon. Why is the sky green? Somethings not right! We all better go inside now." As Boo was running towards his front door, his mother was already on the porch to greet him. " I guess I was wrong" his mother said. "It looks like we may see some thunderstorms today." "Harold Taft (chief meteorologist for KXAS in the metroplex) just cut into programming and said that thunderstorms are moving in and that it may be a rough afternoon. We better go inside for a while." Boo was starting to get a bit scared. He asked his mother, " when is daddy going to be home. Just then, the front door opened. "Daddy's home", be exclaimed. He always felt safe when his father was home. "Looks like we have some bad weather coming son. We all need to stay indoors for a while" said his father.
While waiting for the storms to arrive, Boo's mother decided to she would start to cook dinner. Boo's brother and sister were hanging out in their rooms and his father went to change out of his work clothes. It couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes, when all of the sudden a loud siren starting to blow outside. "What's that load noise, mommy?" Boo's mother did not answer right away, she immediately yelled for Boo's father and turned the television's volume up. "A Tornado Warning has been issued for Dallas County. Residents in Northwestern Dallas County need to head to their safe zone immediately. A tornado is now on the ground, five miles southwest of Farmers Branch moving northeast at 30mph. Please seek shelter immediately." They all new, when Harold Taft said take shelter, you needed to heed his advice. Boo's father overheard Harold on television. He quickly came down their hallway and shouted, " Everyone in the station wagon, now!" So, they all ran outside and piled into their station wagon. Boo's father quickly drove behind their house and pulled their vehicle into a cement covered parking garage. Boo was confused! He was always taught to stay at home and seek shelter in an interior room when there was a tornado warning issued. But, he said nothing to his father. He just gazed out the back window of their station wagon, petrified, as he saw the F-2 tornado roaring down a nearby street about a mile away. After the tornado had passed, Boo's family drove back home. Everyone survived this event, but Boo's life had changed.
Boo now had become infatuated with weather, he started watching Harold Taft (the first on-air meteorologist in Texas) every night at 6:15pm, on Dallas' local news. He even asked his parents if he could have his own weather radio for his seventh birthday. His wish was granted several months later. And from that day forward, Boo carried that weather radio everywhere he went. He even got grounded from listening to his new radio for a week, just for carrying it to school when his parents told him not to.....twice!
As the years rolled by, Boo continued his fascination with weather. Almost 27 years later to the day, Boo graduated from Texas A&M with a B.S. Degree in meteorology at the ripe old age of 33.
SO, THE MORAL OF THIS STORY IS......IF THERE IS ANYONE YOU SHOULD TRUST FOR THE MOST ACCURATE FORECAST IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, IT'S DAN EDWARDS, HE'S ONLY BEEN WATCHING TEXAS WEATHER FOR 37 YEARS!
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