STORM SIGNALS
Summer 1998, Vol. 48
CONTENTS
This edition of Storm Signalswas printed by AMOCO, Texas City, Texas, as a service to the citizens of Southeast Texas and the upper Texas coastal area.
THE HEAT IS ON!!!
By Charles Roeseler
The late spring and early summer of 1998 will go down in history as one of the hottest and driest periods for Southeast Texas in recorded weather history. Numerous weather records have been tied or broken across the region and a summary of these records for the months of April, May, June and July will be listed.
An upper level ridge of high pressure has been situated over the central plains since late April. This feature has blocked rain producing systems from reaching Southeast Texas. In addition, this dome of high pressure has allowed temperatures to warm well above seasonal normals. As stated above, this has been the driest April through July in recorded weather history for interior sections of southeast Texas. The Houston metropolitan area has received only 5.79 inches of rain since April 1st. The normal rainfall for the April-July period is 17.01 inches. Other April through July periods comparable to 1998 include:
| 1937 | 6.39 inches of rainfall |
| 1915 | 6.60 inches of rainfall |
| 1932 | 7.14 inches of rainfall |
| 1901 | 7.36 inches of rainfall |
Conditions are even more arid in the College Station area. Only 2.00 inches of rain have fallen at Easterwood Field between April 1st and July 30th. The normal rainfall for the same time period is 14.15 inches, only 14 percent of normal. Rainfall in Columbus (Colorado County) for the April through June period has totaled 3.16 inches and rainfall for April through July period in Crockett (Houston County) has totaled 1.40 inches. Only areas along the coast received any significant rain totals as a tropical disturbance moved onshore June 28. Areas from Galveston to Palacios received between six and nine inches of rain June 28th and June 29th. If not for this tropical moisture, coastal counties would be suffering the same fate as their interior brethren. May monthly rain totals (0.11 inches) were the driest on record for College Station. Houston recorded its second driest May with rainfall accumulations of 0.04 inches (record is a trace in 1937). The College Station area followed May with an even drier June as only a trace of rain was recorded at Easterwood Field. This was the driest June in recorded weather history for this area.
Droughts and record heat tend to go hand and hand and 1998 was no exception. The thermostat was turned to hot in May and has yet to be turned to cool. Record high temperatures were set across the region. Houston's average daily temperatures for May (78.7) ranked 5th and June (85.5) ranked 2nd while the 86.6 degree average daily temperature in July tied for the third highestaverage temperature for the month. May also had the warmest average maximum temperature of 90.3 degrees. June had the third highest average monthly maximum of 95.1 degrees (behind 1980/ 96.3 and 1902/ 96.2) and the 2nd warmest average monthly minimum of 75.9 degrees (76.1/ 1906). The trend continued in July as the average monthly maximum temperatures were the second warmest in history (98.1) only behind 1980/ 99.4.
Conditions remained hot in the College Station area as well. Easterwood Field recorded the warmest average monthly temperature for May (79.4), June (86.7), and July (101.0 ). July 1998 will be remembered as the hottest July in recorded history. Using 100 degree days as a benchmark, July 1998 has had 28 100 degree days. July of 1980 had 24. The region has also set a new record for consecutive 100 degree days with 27 in a row as of August 1st. It seems entirely possible that the duration of 100 degree days will continue through the first week of August. The record for number of 100 degree days for a season is 58 days set in 1917. The number of 100 degree days for the 1998 season is currently at 38 days (through July 31) and counting. The 107 degree high temperature on June 14th was the highest temperature ever recorded in College Station for the month of June. The Houston area has also had an unusually high number of 100 degree days. Through July 31st, sixteen 100 degree days have been recorded, still behind the thirty-one 100 degree days which occurred in 1980. The 103 degree high temperature at Intercontinental Airport on July 31st has been the warmest temperature recorded this year and the 102 degrees on June 14th was the second warmest day ever recorded in June. Although individual months in 1998 have not been record breakers...taken collectively this has been the warmest May through July in city history. The average daily temperature during this period has been 83.6 degrees. The normal temperature expected for this period is 79.2 degrees and in 1980 it was 83.2 degrees. Since May 1st, temperature records tied or broken include 5 new records at Galveston, 19 new records at College Station and 28 new records at Houston. Numerous other records have been set across the region...but for the sake of brevity will not be included. To summarize, IT'S HOT!!!
Although coastal sections have not recorded the same level of hot temperatures as inland areas, temperatures are still averaging 3 to 4 degrees above normal levels. Isolated showers which developed along the seabreeze have brought occasional relief from the heat but scattered showers this year have been rather infrequent.
Climatological normals indicate that temperatures slowly begin to decline around August 6th for the Houston area and August 12th for Galveston and College Station. Overnight lows drop a degree, but it's a start. Climatological temperatures begin a regular decline to more tolerable levels by early September.
A table displaying average maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall for the summers of 1998, 1980 and a "normal summer" will be presented for the cities of Houston, Galveston, College Station, Crockett and Columbus. 1980 has won the battle and will retain most of the July high temperature records, but 1998 will win the war and will likely become the hottest and driest stretch of summer weather this region has endured.
| HOUSTON | COLLEGE STATION |
GALVESTON | CROCKETT | COLUMBUS | |
| 1998 AVG MAX | |||||
| MAY | 90.3 | 91.2 | 82.7 | 87.4 | 91.9 |
| JUNE | 95.1 | 98.0 | 88.3 | 96.2 | 98.4 |
| JULY | 98.5 | 101.0 | 89.5 | 100.5 | NA |
| 1998 AVG MIN | |||||
| MAY | 67.0 | 67.5 | 72.9 | 66.8 | 65.1 |
| JUNE | 75.9 | 75.3 | 79.2 | 74.5 | 72.7 |
| JULY | 74.6 | 76.1 | 80.7 | 76.8 | NA |
| 1998 RAINFALL | |||||
| MAY | 0.04 | 0.11 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| JUNE | 2.87 | TRACE | 9.43 | 0.30 | 1.33 |
| JULY | 1.65 | 0.73 | 0.21 | 0.20 | NA |
| 1980 AVG MAX | |||||
| MAY | 87.0 | 82.5 | 80.2 | 83.3 | 85.5 |
| JUNE | 96.3 | 94.1 | 85.4 | 92.1 | 94.1 |
| JULY | 99.1 | 100.3 | 88.5 | 99.0 | 101.2 |
| 1980 AVG MIN | |||||
| MAY | 67.5 | 65.6 | 71.2 | 63.1 | 63.9 |
| JUNE | 73.9 | 72.6 | 78.2 | 70.5 | 69.8 |
| JULY | 75.6 | 74.6 | 80.0 | 73.4 | 71.7 |
| 1980 RAINFALL | |||||
| MAY | 5.63 | 5.25 | 7.44 | 7.35 | 6.39 |
| JUNE | 0.92 | 0.09 | 0.44 | 1.99 | 0.54 |
| JULY | 1.57 | 0.19 | 3.85 | 5.09 | 0.90 |
| 30 YEAR AVG MAX | |||||
| MAY | 84.6 | 84.0 | 79.8 | 83.7 | 85.3 |
| JUNE | 90.1 | 90.3 | 85.0 | 89.7 | 91.2 |
| JULY | 92.7 | 93.8 | 87.3 | 93.4 | 94.7 |
| 30 YEAR AVG MIN | |||||
| MAY | 64.4 | 65.0 | 71.8 | 61.4 | 63.8 |
| JUNE | 70.6 | 71.0 | 77.2 | 68.1 | 69.3 |
| JULY | 72.4 | 73.4 | 79.2 | 70.9 | 71.1 |
| 30 YEAR RAINFALL | |||||
| MAY | 5.24 | 4.80 | 3.59 | 4.38 | 5.50 |
| JUNE | 4.96 | 3.68 | 4.44 | 3.68 | 4.10 |
| JULY | 3.60 | 2.29 | 3.96 | 2.95 | 2.88 |
HEAT WAVE
A National Problem
Heat kills by taxing the human body beyond its abilities. In a normal year, about 175 Americans succumb to the demands of summer heat. Among the large continental family of natural hazards, only the cold of winter - not lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or earthquakes - takes a greater toll. In the 40-year period from 1936 through 1975, nearly 20,000 people were killed in the United States by the effects of heat and solar radiation. In the disastrous heat wave of 1980, more than1,250 people died.
And these are the direct casualties. No one can know how many more deaths are advanced by heat wave weather - how many diseased or aging hearts surrender that under better conditions would have continued functioning.
North American summers are hot; most summers see heat waves in one section or another of the United States. East of the Rockies, they tend to combine both high temperature and high humidity although some of the worst have been catastrophically dry.
National Weather Service Heat Index Program
Considering this tragic death toll, the National Weather Service (NWS) has stepped up its efforts to alert more effectively the general public and appropriate authorities to the hazards of heat waves - those prolonged excessive heat/humidity episodes.
Based on the latest research findings, the NWS has devised the "Heat Index" (HI), (sometimes referred to as the "apparent temperature"). The HI, given in degrees F, is an accurate measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity (RH) is added to the actual air temperature.
| Air °F |
Relative Humidity % | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 70 | 75 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 95 | 100 | |
| 140 | 125 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 135 | 120 | 128 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 130 | 117 | 122 | 131 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 125 | 111 | 116 | 123 | 131 | 141 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 120 | 107 | 111 | 116 | 123 | 130 | 139 | 148 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 115 | 103 | 107 | 111 | 115 | 120 | 127 | 135 | 143 | 151 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 110 | 99 | 102 | 105 | 108 | 112 | 117 | 123 | 130 | 137 | 143 | 150 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 105 | 95 | 97 | 100 | 102 | 105 | 109 | 113 | 118 | 123 | 129 | 135 | 142 | 149 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 100 | 91 | 93 | 95 | 97 | 99 | 101 | 104 | 107 | 110 | 115 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 144 | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 95 | 87 | 88 | 90 | 91 | 93 | 94 | 96 | 98 | 101 | 104 | 107 | 110 | 114 | 119 | 124 | 130 | 136 | . | . | . | . |
| 90 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 90 | 91 | 93 | 95 | 96 | 98 | 100 | 102 | 106 | 109 | 113 | 117 | 122 | . | . |
| 85 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 93 | 95 | 97 | 99 | 102 | 105 | 109 |
To find the HI, look at the Heat Index Chart above. As an example, if the air temperature is 95 degrees F (found on the left side of the table) and the RH is 55% (found at the top of the table), the HI - or how hot it really feels - is 110 degrees F. This is at the intersection of the 95 degree row and the 55% column.
IMPORTANT...Since HI values were devised for shady, light wind conditions, EXPOSURE TO FULL SUNSHINE CAN INCREASE HI VALUES BY UP TO 15 degrees F. Also, STRONG WINDS, PARTICULARLY WITH VERY HOT, DRY AIR, CAN BE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS.
| Heat Index/Heat Disorders | |
| Heat Index | Possible heat disorders for people in higher risk groups |
| 130 degrees or higher | heatstroke/sunstroke highly likely with continued exposure |
| 105 -130 degrees | sunstroke, heat cramps or heat exhaustion likely and heatstroke possible with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity |
| 90 -105 degrees | sunstroke, heat cramps and heat exhaustion possible with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity |
| 80 - 90 degrees | fatigue possible with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity |
Summary of NWS's Alert Procedures
The NWS will initiate alert procedures when the HI is expected to exceed 105 degrees to 110 degrees F (depending on local climate) for at least two consecutive days. The procedures are:
Assist state/local health officials in preparing Civil Emergency Messages in severe heat waves. Meteorological information from Special Weather Statements will be included as well as more detailed medical information, advice, and names and telephone numbers of health officials.
How Heat Affects the Body
Human bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, by losing water through the skin and sweat glands, and - as the last extremity is reached - by panting, when blood is heated above 98.6 degrees. The heart begins to pump more blood, blood vessels dilate to accommodate the increased flow, and the bundles of tiny capillaries threading through the upper layers of skin are put into operation. The body's blood is circulated closer to the skin's surface, and excess heat drains off into the cooler atmosphere. At the same time, water diffuses through the skin as perspiration. The skin handles about 90 percent of the body's heat dissipating function. Sweating, by itself, does nothing to cool the body, unless the water is removed by evaporation - and high relative humidity retards evaporation. The evaporation process itself works this way: the heat energy required to evaporate the sweat is extracted from the body, thereby cooling it. Under conditions of high temperature (above 90 degrees) and high relative humidity, the body is doing everything it can to maintain 98.6 degrees inside. The heart is pumping a torrent of blood through dilated circulatory vessels; the sweat glands are pouring liquid - including essential dissolved chemicals, like sodium and chloride - onto the surface of the skin.
Too Much Heat
Heat disorders generally have to do with a reduction or collapse of the body's ability to shed heat by circulatory changes and sweating, or a chemical (salt) imbalance caused by too much sweating. When heat gain exceeds the level the body can remove, or when the body cannot compensate for fluids and salt lost through perspiration, the temperature of the body's inner core begins to rise and heat-related illness may develop. Ranging in severity, heat disorders share one common feature: the individual has overexposed or overexercised for his age and physical condition in the existing thermal environment. Sunburn, with its ultraviolet radiation burns, can significantly retard the skin's ability to shed excess heat. Studies indicate that, other things being equal, the severity of heat disorders tend to increase with age - heat cramps in a 17-year-old may be heat exhaustion in someone 40, and heat stroke in a person over 60. Acclimatization has to do with adjusting sweat-salt concentrations, among other things. The idea is to lose enough water to regulate body temperature with the least possible chemical disturbance.
Cities Pose Special Hazards
The stagnant atmospheric conditions of the heat wave trap pollutants in urban areas and add the stresses of severe pollution to the already dangerous stresses of hot weather, creating a health problem of undiscovered dimensions. A map of heat-related deaths in St. Louis during 1966, for example, shows a heavier concentration in the crowded alleys and towers of the inner city, where air quality would also be poor during a heat wave. The high inner-city death rates also can be read as poor access to air-conditioned rooms. While air-conditioning may be a luxury in normal times, it can be a lifesaver during heat wave conditions. The cost of cool air moves steadily higher, adding what appears to be a cruel economic side to heat wave fatalities. Indications from the 1980 Texas heat wave suggest that some elderly people on fixed incomes, many of them in buildings that could not be ventilated without air conditioning, found the cost too high, turned off their units, and ultimately succumbed to the stresses of heat.
Preventing Heat-Related Illness
Elderly persons, small children, chronic invalids, those on certain medications or drugs (especially tranquilizers and anticholinergics), and persons with weight and alcohol problems are particularly susceptible to heat reactions, especially during heat waves in areas where a moderate climate usually prevails.
Know These Heat Disorder Symptoms
Heat Safety Rules
About 175 people die in this country every year due to excessive heat. When the Heat Index gets above 90 then it is time to take some precautions:
Modernization of the Houston/Galveston National Weather Service
By Bill Read
Meteorologist in Charge
The final steps in the Modernization and Associated Restructuring (MAR) of the National Weather Service (NWS) have been taking place in 1998. Two significant systems, the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) and the NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) Console Replacement System (CRS) are in the process of being deployed to 120 Weather Forecast Offices nationwide. Tied to the deployment of these systems are adjustments in forecaster staffing and eventually realignment of service responsibilities at all 120 offices.
The majority of the system and staffing changes have already occurred at our office. Before going into detail on those changes, a brief review of all that has happened before in this transition. Plans for the MAR of the NWS were approved n 1989. The key elements of the plan were new observing technologies (the NEXRAD doppler radar system (WSR-88D), Automatic Surface Observing System (ASOS), Next Generation of Geostationary Satellites (GOESNEXT)), new workstation technologies (AWIPS, CRS, Supercomputers) and consolidation of field offices and staff from over 250 offices to around 120 offices. For most offices, this process would entail relocation of facilities, moving of existing staff, and either increase or reduction in end state staffing.
For our area, the MAR resulted in a consolidation of the Houston office, with a staff of 9, and the Galveston office, with a staff of 5. Our current facility in League City was occupied in October 1990 by the Houston Office staff from Alvin, where they had been located since 1977. This office received one of the first WSR-88D systems in January 1992. A significant increase in meteorologist and technician staffing also occurred in 1992, bringing the staff compliment to 20. After a lengthy familiarization period with the system, the WSR-88D was commissioned as the official radar for this area in March, 1994. With that came the consolidation of the Galveston Office with Houston along with assumption of short term warning and forecast responsibility for 23 counties in southeast Texas and the adjacent coastal waters. Staffing increased to 23 with that consolidation.
The ASOS systems and GOESNEXT satellites have been deployed periodically since 1992. Most of the ASOS systems are commissioned with the last still to go at Hobby airport and in Palacios. No service or staffing changes were associated with the arrival of these systems.
The rest of the changes associated with MAR are tied to the AWIPS. Our AWIPS arrived the week of July 27th. Staff training was conducted between August 3rd and August 14th. The next article gives details on AWIPS. The NWR CRS is scheduled to be installed later this summer or early in the fall. Initially, the system will continue to be programmed manually by staff on duty. Eventually the NWR broadcast will be automated using text to voice technology. Major benefits from CRS will include instantaneous broadcast of critical warning information, constant monitoring and updating of routine information, and freeing up of staff time for critical analysis and forecast operations during severe weather.
Staffing changes are underway associated with the delivery of AWIPS. Staffing level will increase to 27, which includes an increase in 5 forecaster positions. Service changes include full responsibility for the public and the coastal marine forecasts. Also, all long term watch and warning responsibility for flash flood and winter weather will become our sole responsibility. Tornado and Severe Thunderstorm Watches remains the responsibility of the Storm Prediction Center, while Hurricane and Tropical Storm watches and warnings remains with the National Hurricane Center. Preparation for this transition will occur over the next 3 to 6 months with official transfer of responsibility planned for early in 1999.
AWIPS arrives at NWSO Houston/Galveston!
by Lance Wood
On July 27th 1998, a new computer system called AWIPS (Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System) was installed at our office. It allows for the latest in computer technology to be available to National Weather Service personnel. It is the last step of the National Weather Service's decade long modernization program and is accompanied by an increase in staffing and responsibility.
The user interface with AWIPS are 5 Hewlett Packard workstations, each consisting of two graphics monitors and a text monitor. Data processing and display capabilities available with this system are a major improvement over the previous computer environment within the office. AWIPS essentially pulls everything together; ending the need for multiple systems to compose a forecast or warning. For example, this nationwide system taps into 120 Doppler radar systems and 264 automated ground observation systems. Now forecasters and hydrometeorological technicians are able to overlay satellite, radar, numerical model, and observational data on the same screen. This allows for a quicker and more accurate evaluation of the meteorological environment. The forecaster is able to overlay current surface observations, lightning data, or satellite imagery with numerical model output to evaluate the validity of the model in question. Discrepancies between different forecast models are also quickly detected, speeding up the entire forecast process.
An interactive warning program will allow the forecaster to evaluate loops of radar data and draw a box over a geographical area which is likely to experience severe weather. Once the box is drawn, a warning is automatically generated which lists cities and towns in the path of the storm. This graphical warning interface will allow for more accurate and timely warnings.
A future upgrade to the system called LDAD (Local Data Acquistion and Dissemination) will allow for the inclusion of local data networks from around Southeast Texas. An example of valuable data that will be imported into AWIPS is the Harris County ALERT system rainfall and stream stages. The local data sets will serve to further enhance the forecaster's ability to accurately assess the local meteorological environment, allowing for the production of detailed products for use by emergency management. The flexible design of AWIPS will allow for the latest technological improvements to be added to the system into the next century. This flexibility will ensure that the National Weather Service will be able to continue to improve upon it's goal of protecting life and property.
| The NWS is the primary source of weather forecasts for the nation, and the only official source for severe weather watches and warnings. |
NOAA Weather Radio
By Don Oettinger
NOAA Weather Radio, the voice of the National Weather Service, is a public service provided by the National Weather Service in cooperation with various local agencies. Our office provides programming for four transmitters in Southeast Texas located in Galveston, Houston, Bay City, and College Station. NOAA Weather Radio features a continuous, 24 hour a day broadcasts of weather information including severe weather watches and warnings, local, extended, and marine forecasts, current weather conditions for the region, climatological data, and public service announcements.
Late this summer we will receive a new system, NOAA Weather Radio 2000, that will allow us to broadcast weather information faster and more effectively than before. Weather products will be broadcast to the public as soon as they are issued and will be removed from the program cycle as they expire, keeping the broadcast "fresh" at all times. This automated system will allow forecasters more time to monitor weather conditions and help reduce human error by eliminating manual programming.
NOAA Weather Radio 2000 will feed directly into the Specific Area Message Encoder (SAME) system which enables those with Weather Radios with the SAME capability to receive warnings specific to their areas. It will also be possible to program messages to air at certain times without the need to program manually.
An integral part of the new radio system is an automated computer voice. This will be a noticeable change from the current radio broadcasts. With the rapid advancement in technology, the Weather Service already has plans in place to improve the voice quality of NOAA Weather Radio 2000. This new system will be implemented slowly with the computer voice capability used first for the station identification. Gradually other products will be added. As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.
1998 HURRICANE SEASON
Is This Our Year?
By Joshua Lichter
June 1st marked the official beginning of the 1998 Atlantic Basin Hurricane season. The Texas coast has gone eight consecutive years without a land falling hurricane. The last time the Lone Star state saw a hurricane was in 1989 when two hurricanes (Chantal and Jerry) made landfall along the upper Texas coast. The longest dry spell on record is eight consecutive years...from 1972 to 1979. With no hurricanes during the 1997 season, we tied that all time record. If we have no Texas land falling hurricanes this year, we will break that all time record.
The first tropical depression of the year began on the morning of July 27th when Tropical Depression One formed in the far Eastern Atlantic Ocean several hundred miles off the west coast of Africa. On the evening of July 28th, the National Hurricane Center upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Alex. Alex did strengthen with 50 mph sustained winds during the last two days of July, but weakened back to minimal tropical storm status due to some shear. Alex continued to move to the west northwest through August 2nd when strengthening shear dissipated the system several hunderd miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.
So is this the year we break our hurricane drought? The peak of the hurricane season is September 10th, and it doesn't officially end until November 30th. Even though we have yet to see a Gulf of Mexico system this year, there is still plenty of time left in the 1998 season. With the ongoing development of colder waters off the west coast of South America (La Nina conditions), tropical cyclone formation in the Atlantic basin becomes more favorable. With more systems developing, the likelihood increases for more land falling tropical storms or hurricanes somewhere along the coast of the United States. The Texas coast...and maybe the upper Texas Coast...just may become one of these land falling locations.
Dr. Gray's latest predictions for the 1998 season, issued Ausust 6th, calls for 10 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 2 intense hurricanes For those of you looking ahead, Dr. Gray and his team say the 1999 season will be more active than normal.
Your Houston/Galveston National Weather Service meteorologists will continue to keep you informed on any tropical cyclone threat for our area. We advise you to keep posted on the latest tropical weather information by listening to NOAA Weather Radio, local television or radio, The Weather Channel's Storm Watch section at ten till every hour, or accessing reliable internet sites.
| Alex | Bonnie | Charley |
| Danielle | Earl | Frances |
| Georges | Hermine | Ivan |
| Jeanne | Karl | Lisa |
| Mitch | Nicole | Otto |
| Otto | Richard | Shary |
| Tomas | Virginie | Walter |
Houston Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (AMS)
By Robert Van Hoven
The newly elected officers are:
| President | Aaron Studwell (713) 207-1222 |
Vice-President | Robert Van Hoven (281) 337-5074 |
| Treasurer | Doris Rotzoll (281)483-1041 |
Secretary | Charles Roeseler (281) 337-5074 |
The first meeting will be held on Thursday, September 17th. Time and place will be determined by the end of August. Please call one of the officers listed above or using the internet, go to the Houston AMS Homepage for the latest on upcoming meetings.
The past several months has been very active and quite fruitful for the local Chapter with a lot of activities taking place. The following is a condensed summary of events provided by Cecilia Sanvido (our former President).
1997 Houston AMS Meetings Re-Cap
September 1997
Speaker: Gene Mcmullen of City of Houston, Bureau of Air Quality Control
Dinner: Ninfa's at Gulf Freeway
Location: City of Houston Bureau of Air Quality Control
October 1997
Speaker: Dr. John Freeman on El Nino and Orbit of the Sun
Dinner: California Pizza Kitchen
Location: Transtar Building
November 1997
Speaker :Jim Price of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
Lunch: Marathon Oil Tower Cafeteria
Location: Marathon Oil Tower
December 1997
Speakers: Charles Roeseler and Kent Prochazka on Vertically Integrated Liquid Density Studies and WSR-88D Radar capabilities
Dinner: Pappasito's at Gulf Freeway
Location: National Weather Service Office in League City
January 1998
Speaker: Mr. Jim Bruseth of Texas Historical Commission on La Salle shipwreck
Dinner and place of meeting: HESS Building at Westheimer
February 1998
Other: Career Seminar at Texas A&M University
February 1998
Speaker: Dr. Bernard Meisner on hurricane forecast models
Dinner and place of meeting: Steak and Ale near Beltway 8 and Highway 59
March 1998
Speaker: Chuck J. Mueller - Manager Policy Coordination and Development at Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. Talked about "Recent Revisions of the Ozone State Implementation Plan for the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Non-Attainment Area"
Dinner and place of meeting: Rice University Ley Student Center
March 1998
Other: Houston AMS members judged at Houston Regional Science Fair
April 1998
Speaker: Dr. Dave Morris of River Forecast Center in Fort Worth on the National Weather Service hydrological operations
Lunch and place of meeting: National Weather Service Office in League City
May 1998
Speaker: Lew Fincher on the 1943 Houston/Galveston Hurricane
Dinner: Bennigan's by Southwest Freeway near Kirby
Location: KRIV FOX 26 Television Studio
Other: Toured FOX 26 studios, and honored science fair winners
Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN)
EMWIN Houston Transmitter moves to new location
By Gene Hafele
The coverage area for EMWIN Houston's 1200 baud data broadcast will expand considerably this month after installation of a new, higher powered VHF transmitter on top of the Exxon Building in downtown Houston. Currently, the datastream is broadcast from a 60 watt transmitter near U.S. 290 and Loop 610, which feeds an antenna about 175 feet above ground level. The new transmit power will be 250 watts, with the antenna more than 600 feet above ground level. As a result of the change, it should be possible to receive the EMWIN broadcast in all of the counties which border Harris County.
Exxon Corporation U.S.A. is making space available for the transmitter and antenna under a $1.00 per year lease to the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD). A dedicated telephone circuit provided by the Harris County Office of Emergency Management (HCOEM) will carry the EMWIN signal to the transmitter site from its origination point in HCAD's computer center at 2800 North Loop West.
The EMWIN installation in Houston has become one of the most sophisticated in the United States, and now features simultaneous download from both GOES-8 and GOES-10, as well as insertion of Houston area doppler radar and cloud to ground lightning strikes within a 300 mile radius of Houston.
EMWIN Houston broadcasts 24 hours per day. Reception of the datastream requires a VHF scanner or receiver capable of tuning 150.435 MHz, a 1200 baud EMWIN demodulator, and a Windows 95 computer running either WeatherNode or RealEMWIN software. Additional technical information may be requested by e-mail to emwin-houston@hcad.org, or by phoning 713-957-7486. Voice mail messages may be left if no one is available to take the call.
In addition to HCAD, HCOEM, and Exxon, other enties which cooperate in making the Houston broadcast available include amateur radio operators who participate in the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), the Adjutant General of Texas, Zephyrus Electronics, and the Weather Channel.
WHAT IS EMWIN?
As an integral part of its mission, the NWS recognizes the need to provide the emergency management community with access to a set of basic NWS warnings, watches, forecasts, and other products at no recurring cost.
EMWIN is now evolving into a fully operational and supported NWS service, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other public and private organizations. EMWIN is a suite of methods of making available a live data stream of basic weather data, and providing access to stored sets of basic un-enhanced data, using a variety of techniques and technologies. Each method has advantages and disadvantages over the others, hence this multi layered approach to enable multiple methods of availability.
EMWIN's present methods in use for disseminating the basic data stream include:
Currently in southeast Texas there are two radio re-broadcasts currently available. The Houston EMWIN re-broadcast mentioned above and the second in the Bryan/College Station area. In Bryan/College Station the NWS is working with KEOS FM radio station (89.1 MHZ) to rebroadcast the data on their FM subcarrier (67 KHZ). Similar to the Houston rebroadcast you must have a receiver capable of receiving the 67 KHZ signal along with demodulator and WEATHERNODE software to display the data stream. The transmitter is currently at 100 watts located on a 200 foot tower. Their broadcast coverage covers all of Brazos county along with portions of the surrounding counties (Robertson...Burleson...Grimes...Madison) with an outside antenna. Plans are underway at KEOS radio station to increase the power of the transmitter to 1000 watts. With this increase in power the effective area coverage should also increase.
For further information on EMWIN including a list of Vendors you can contact our office or use the Internet to access the following addresses:
| While the NWS uses many state-of-the-art technologies, meteorologists still depend heavily on some traditional sources for important weather data, including radiosondes carried by weather balloons and manual river observations. |
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
---Gene Hafele---
Name: Gene Hafele
Office: NWS Houston/Galveston (HGX), League City, TX
Position: Warning and Coordination Meteorologist
Favorite Movie: "Lethal Weapon(s) 1-4"
How long have you been with the NWS? 24 years
Personal Info
Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
Birthday: November 29, 1950
Other: Married with 3 kids
Duties
Other
What have been some of your career highlights here at HGX?
The establishment of closer and stronger relations with EMCs acrossSsoutheast Texas, the successful implementation of a pager system as a notification method for severe weather. Also the expansion of the local Hurricane Workshop to include vendors, theme/topic specific videos, a permanent sponsor and location for the event.
What is you favorite type of weather?
Hot and dry, with all the hurricanes on the east coast.
When was the last time you cleaned your office?
February 1997
Filler Facts: The National Weather Service
| The NWS is the primary source of weather forecasts for the nation, and the only official source for severe weather watches and warnings. |
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