The Weather Blog

Arthur Kicks Off Early Start to Hurricane Season

Early this morning, Hurricane Hunters flew into an area of disturbed weather off the Yucatan Peninsula and found an area of low pressure at the surface.  They also found sustained winds of 40 mph as the center of circulation was just to the northwest of Belize and southwest of Cozumel.

This tropical system stems from the remnants of Alma, the first Pacific named storm.  The left over moisture and circulation has crossed over into the Caribbean, which led to the formation of Tropical Storm Arthur earlier today.  This is the first name in the Atlantic Basin so far this year.

Officialy, Hurricane season does not get underway until tomorrow (Sun, June 1st).  Arthur is expected to provide heavy rains to the Yucatan Peninsula and drift slowly to the west over the next few days.

If you'd like to track Arthur and get the latest coordinates, remember to check out our Hurricane Center.  There, you can find the most up-to-date coordinates, pressure, wind speeds, and so much more.

Hurricane Season Starts Sunday!

Hard to believe another hurricane season is upon us. Once again, the official forecast from NOAA calls for a slightly above average season with 3-5 major hurricanes possible. Here at KTRE, we work hard at providing you with the latest tools to stay one step ahead of the weather. I am glad to announce we have upgraded our Live Doppler 9 Hurricane Center and it is ready to help you track any tropical troubles. It works like our interactive radar and allows you to follow the path of a hurricane, look at satellite data, and look back at past storms like hurricane Rita. So as the tropics heat up, turn to the Live Doppler 9 Hurricane Center for the latest information! We would also love to hear what you think of the new Hurricane Center so email us your comments to weather@ktre.com. 

Severe Weather Update 3:40 PM

Severe Thunderstorm Warning now in effect fro Angelina, Nacogdoches, San Augustine, and Shelby counties until 4:30 PM. These storms will be near Woden and Etoile around 4 PM. Heavy rain, penny size hail, and gusty winds over 60 mph are expected. The individual storms are moving northeast at 15 mph while the line is sagging southward. We still expect the storms to weaken this evening. 

Severe Weather Update 3:10 PM

The outflow boundary just moved through here at the KTRE studios and the winds continue howling in from the north. At the airport in Nacogdoches, winds are gusting over 40 mph and the temperature dropped some 20 degrees in a matter of minutes! First will come the wind, then the rain. Stay inside until the storms have passed.

Severe Weather Update 2:45 PM

A complex of storms continues pushing south into deep East Texas. The storms are below severe limits but a Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 7 PM. You can expected heavy rain, lightning, and gusty winds as the storms roll in. The trend is for the storms to diminish later this evening but we will continue tracking them. At least some of us will see some much needed rain, and that is always a good thing.

What is Heat Index?

Even though it is not summer yet, it feels like it across East Texas. This week we have talked a lot about heat index temperatures but what does that mean? Well, the heat index is calculated from the air temperatures and the relative humidity or dew point values. The chart on the left is a table to help determine the heat index. This temperature is what it feels like outside. Because it is so humid, the body has to work harder and sweat more to cool off. This can be dangerous! Anytime the heat index gets over 100, you need to be careful if you plan to be outdoors for an extended period of time. Drink lots of water and take frequent breaks. This is a busy weekend for BBQ's and hitting the lakes so just be careful. It does not look like we will get a break anytime soon.

Tornado Outbreak in the Plains

Tornado Alley is living up to its name today across the central parts of the United States. Numerous tornadoes have caused damage and deaths. For more information, check out the guys at www.severestudios.com. They have storm chasers with live cams on the storms. You can also find this link on our weather page.

NOAA Predicts Near Normal or Above Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center today announced that projected climate conditions point to a near normal or above normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin this year. The prediction was issued at a news conference called to urge residents in vulnerable areas to be fully prepared for the onset of hurricane season, which begins June 1.

“Living in a coastal state means having a plan for each and every hurricane season. Review or complete emergency plans now - before a storm threatens,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Planning and preparation is the key to storm survival and recovery.”

The Climate Prediction Center outlook calls for considerable activity with a 65 percent probability of an above normal season and a 25 percent probability of a near normal season. This means there is a 90 percent chance of a near or above normal season.

The climate patterns expected during this year’s hurricane season have in past seasons produced a wide range of activity and have been associated with both near-normal and above-normal seasons. For 2008, the outlook indicates a 60 to 70 percent chance of 12 to 16 named storms, including 6 to 9 hurricanes and 2 to 5 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale).

An average season has 11 named storms, including six hurricanes for which two reach major status.

“The outlook is a general guide to the overall seasonal hurricane activity,” Lautenbacher said. “It does not predict whether, where or when any of these storms may hit land. That is the job of the National Hurricane Center after a storm forms.” 

Dean, Felix, and Noel Retired From List of Storm Names

The names Dean, Felix, and Noel, three of the most devastating storms of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, were retired by members of the 30th Session of the World Meteorological Organization's Regional Association IV Hurricane Committee during its annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. 

Members of the committee, which includes representatives from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center, can remove names associated with storms that cause significant loss of life and property. These names will not be used again because of the wide spread destruction caused by these storms.

The committee issues a list of potential names for tropical cyclones every six years and for 2013, Dean, Felix, and Noel have been replaced with Dorian, Fernand, and Nestor. Since tropical cyclones were first named in 1953, 70 names have been retired, the first two being Carol and Hazel in 1954.

Courtesy of http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov

Tornadoes from Wednesday

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT CONDUCTED STORM SURVEYS IN BOTH RUSK COUNTY AND WOOD COUNTY FROM STORMS THAT OCCURRED ON WEDNESDAY MAY 14 2008 AND FOUND 2 EF1 TORNADOES AND A SIGNIFICANT STRAIGHT LINE WIND EVENT.

AN EF1 TORNADO WITH WINDS OF 105 TO 110 MPH OCCURRED IN RUSK COUNTY FROM 930 AM CDT TO 940 AM CDT ON WEDNESDAY MAY 14 2008. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 500 YARDS WEST OF COUNTY ROAD

1798 WHERE A MANUFACTURED HOME WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE HOME APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED WHEN THE WINDS SWEPT UNDER THE HOME...LIFTED IT OFF ITS FOUNDATION AND SLAMMED IT INTO THE GROUND THEREBY CAUSING THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE TO FAIL. THE WINDS THEN SCATTERED THE DEBRIS AND HOME CONTENTS UP TO 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE HOME. NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED ALONG COUNTY ROAD 4183 AS THE TORNADO TRACKED EASTWARD. A LARGE BARN WAS COLLAPSED ON THE WEST SIDE OF COUNTY ROAD 4182 AND A SHED WAS DESTROYED BY A FALLING TREE ON THE EAST SIDE OF COUNTY ROAD 4182.

NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD. THE TORNADO CROSSED FM 839 SNAPPING TREES AND KNOCKING DOWN POWERLINES. TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED ALONG CR 461 INCLUDING ONE TREE THAT FELL ON AN OUTBUILDING CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE. THE TORNADO LIFTED SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS EAST OF COUNTY ROAD 461 AND WAS ON THE GROUND A TOTAL OF 7 MILES AND WAS 300 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED WITH THIS STORM.

A SIGNIFICANT STRAIGHT LINE WIND EVENT WITH WINDS OF 90 TO 100 MPH AND AN EF1 TORNADO WITH WINDS OF 95 TO 105 MPH OCCURRED IN THE COMMUNITY OF WINNSBORO TEXAS IN WOOD AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES BETWEEN 1250 AM AND 1255 AM CDT THURSDAY MAY 15 2008. THE EF1 TORNADO TRACK STARTS ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF WINNSBORO ALONG HWY 11 AND TRACKS EASTWARD CROSSING GREENWOOD STREET WHERE A MOBILE HOME SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE TORNADO CONTINUED EASTWARD CROSSING HWY 37 WHERE SEVERAL LARGE TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. THE TORNADO HEADED EASTWARD CROSSING FM 1448 SNAPPING AND UPROOTED A FEW TREES BEFORE LIFTING. THE PATH WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES LONG AND 100 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT AND APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A BOOKEND TORNADO THAT FORMED ON THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS THAT MOVED THROUGH THE TOWN OF WINNSBORO.

THE NWS SURVEY IN WOOD AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES ALSO FOUND WIDESPREAD DAMAGE DUE TO STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OF 90 TO 100 MPH THAT OCCURRED FROM APPROXIMATELY 1250 AM CDT THROUGH 115 AM CDT. NUMEROUS HOUSES WERE DAMAGED THROUGHOUT WINNSBORO AND SURROUNDING AREAS FROM FALLING TREES. SOME OF THEM SEVERELY DAMAGED. AND AS A RESULT OF THE HUNDREDS OF TREES DOWNED...WATER LINES INTO THE AREA WERE BROKEN AND POWER OUTAGES WERE WIDESPREAD. NUMEROUS CARS WERE ALSO SEVERELY DAMAGED IN WINNSBORO DUE TO FALLING TREES.  SEVERAL CATTLE WERE KILLED WEST OF WINNSBORO NEAR THE HOPKINS AND WOOD COUNTY LINE AT SOME DAIRY FARMS DUE TO FALLING TREES AND SEVERAL CATTLE ARE STILL MISSING ACCORDING TO FARM OWNERS. A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF TREES WERE ALSO DOWNED IN HOPKINS COUNTY ALONG COUNTY ROADS 2408...2403...AND 2407 JUST NORTH OF THE WOOD AND HOPKINS COUNTY LINE. EAST OF WINNSBORO...NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED IN WOOD COUNTY ALONG HWY 11 AND FM 852 INCLUDING THE TOWN OF PERRYVILLE WHERE TREES WERE DOWNED AROUND THE FIRE STATION AND AROUND SEVERAL HOMES. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED WITH EITHER THE TORNADO OR STRAIGHT LINE WINDS EXCEPT FOR THE CATTLE THAT WERE KILLED.