A Winter Story

Dalhart Weather Review

By Aaron Graves

Dalhart received another 1.5” of snow on Thursday, Jan. 23, which was a bit more than forecast. It was another dry snow, however. Only 0.01” or moisture was recorded at the airport and reported to the National Weather Service office in Amarillo. 

Still, it was pretty, or so I was told. I rode this snow event out in Lubbock. I made the three hour trip south for family reasons, and I delayed returning until Friday because of a promise I made to myself. “NEVER TRAVEL IN WINTER WEATHER AGAIN.”

I drove through a heavy snow storm on I-27 in this small two door sports car. 

Back at the turn of the century (sounds cool to say that), I found myself on I-27 in treacherous conditions, not once, but twice! The first year, it was ice. The second year, a heavy snow storm. In both cases, I had to creep along to avoid becoming one of numerous cars, vans and semis scattered along the side of the road, laying upside down or on their sides. I even saw a snow plow lose control and spin out.  

Thus, the promise to never travel during a winter event, a promise that I broke a few years later. Again, I set off from Lubbock, this time with my family in tow. Light snow was falling, and the roads looked passable, provided I kept my speed down and was cautious.  It was a good strategy. Unfortunately, other drivers were not as careful. 

Outside of Canyon, the Interstate was covered by a light layer of snow. A white Oldsmobile lost control and began spinning across both lanes of north-bound traffic. Other drivers ahead of me did what they could to avoid hitting him, one car coming within inches. Although I was driving slow, my mental math calculator told me I could not stop before rear-ending the nearest car. 

My only option was either left or right. Either way, however, I would most likely lose control of the van I was driving. So whatever move I made, it had to be a good one. Left had too many obstacles - cars, light posts, signs. To the right, I spotted an opening between sign posts and a nice, flat grassy area. I announced to the family I was “heading for the ditch, hold on”, and tried to gently steer off the road. 

Sure enough, when I hit the grass, the van began to spin. The back end tried to pass me on the left, and we did a complete 360 as I turned into the spin. Everyone screamed! And then, we stopped. 

The van did not flip, and we did not hit anyone or anything. We survived, as did the Oldsmobile and all the other cars that could have been caught up in the carnage. But the lesson was learned, this time for good. It does not matter the amount of snow, traveling in winter weather is dangerous! 

I have not done it since, and I always encourage everyone to check the weather before leaving on a trip. Winter will surprise you, given the chance. 

For the rest of this week, look for highs in the mid 50’s through Friday. Saturday we will drop back into the mid 40s again. Friday will be a bit on the windy side, with gusts up to 25 mph. Overnight lows will fall into the mid to low 20s. No rain or snow is in the forecast. 

Hi and low temps the past week

Jan 20: 56, 26

Jan 21: 67, 20

Jan 22: 48, 25

Jan 23: 30, 0

Jan 24: 55, 4

Jan 25: 60, 29

Jan 26: 61, 29

Panhandle Sunsets

Dalhart Weather Review
By Aaron Graves

A lot has happened since this article appeared in "The County Times Two" newsletter yesterday. The expected winter blast mentioned in the article below did hit, with snow falling in Dalhart today. A total of 1.5" was reported to the National Weather Service office in Amarillo. More on the snow next week...

iPad snapshot of an amazing sunset in Dalhart last week by Mandolin Graves

Dalhart residents were treated to a couple of amazing sunsets during the past week. Hopefully you got to see them. If you did, did you notice that the colors reached their peak after the sun had fully set?

I learned this fact a couple of years ago. A late afternoon thunderstorm had moved on to the east, trailing behind it a sky full of high mammatus clouds. I waited near an open field for the sun to sink low in expectation of an amazing sunset. But as the sun made its way down, nothing happened. The eastern sky remained a dull gray. 

As the top of the sun’s orb slipped below the horizon, I packed up my camera and got in my car, disappointed. I made a U-turn on the highway and gave one last, regretful glance to the eastern sky as I drove away. To my surprise, it had exploded with color. 

Turns out, the curve of the earth combines with air quality and a cloud’s height to make a spectacular sunset, or sunrise for that matter, according to an article by Stephen F. Corfidi of the Storm Prediction Center. The article was originally printed in “Weatherwise” Magazine in the mid 90s, but was recently updated on the National Weather Service website. 

In short, once the sun sinks below the horizon, we are viewing its rays at an angle. These rays have been scattered by small atmospheric particles, so that we are seeing mainly the orange and red wavelengths. These rays reflect off higher based clouds and produce the vivid sunsets. 

“Some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets feature solid decks of middle or high clouds that cover the entire sky except for a narrow clear strip near the horizon,” Corfidi writes. Clouds that are too low will not do the trick. 

Air free of large dust particles and other pollutants help make for brilliant colors. Thus, late fall and winter are usually when we see the best sunsets. In addition, higher-based clouds needed to reflect the sunlight are usually associated with a passing weather disturbance. “When viewed at sunrise,” Corfidi continues, “a sky of this type implies that the weather is likely to deteriorate as the mid- and upper-level moisture continues eastward. At sunset, of course, the opposite is true, hence the saying ‘Red sky at night, traveler's delight; Red sky in morning, traveler take warning.’”

Here is a link to the entire paper. It is worth the read. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/corfidi/sunset/

WINTER RETURNS: “Old Man Winter will give us all a slap in the face on Thursday,” reads the forecast discussion from the National Weather Service office in Amarillo. Dalhart’s high on Thursday will stay below well freezing after a strong cold front blows through. Likewise, the overnight low will plummet below 10 degrees. A 20% chance of light snow is in the forecast, with little accumulation expected. 

However, the effect of the cold front will be short-lived. For this weekend, the high on Friday will climb back into the mid 40s, and then back to 60 by Sunday. Overnight lows will return to the mid 20s. 

Remember, though, that this article is written a day in advance of the newsletter, so this forecast is dated. Please keep an eye on the weather as we approach Thursday by logging onto www.weather.gov. 

The cold front will briefly interrupt a second week of pleasant, almost spring-like weather. Last Sunday’s high reached 69 degrees, with calm winds and clear skies. We did have a couple of blustery days, with winds gusting near 40 mph. 

Snow geese flying overhead at Lake Rita Blanca

BIRD REPORT: The warmer temps have thawed out Lake Rita Blanca, allowing the geese and ducks to once again congregate on its surface. A large group of Northern Pintail ducks were spotted near the dam. At the boat ramp, Mallards and Wigeons dominate, along with white Snow Geese, which seem to be more numerous than the darker Canadian Geese. A flock of Red-winged Black Birds also made an appearance. 

We enjoyed a warm Sunday afternoon by the boat ramp, where a group of Snow Geese came up to the shore and just stayed put. Most Snow Geese are white with black wing tips, but there are some with darker coloring on their body and wings. These were once thought to be a separate species called the “Blue Goose”, but are now considered a “blue morph” of the Snow Goose. 

"Blue morph" snow goose

Around town, grackles, pigeons, doves, House Sparrows, and the occasional Northern Flicker woodpecker are common. These birds are seen year round.   

To talk weather and birds, you can reach me at thirtyguitars@yahoo.com. Please follow me and check out more photographs on Facebook at “Dalhart Cloud Chasing” or on Google Plus at “Aaron Graves (Dalhart Cloud Chasing)”. 

Hi and low temps the past week

Jan 13: 56, 20
Jan 14: 46, 21
Jan 15: 55, 17
Jan 16: 51, 28
Jan 17: 54, 15
Jan 18: 61, 23
Jan 19: 69, 23

Warm Temps and Blue Skies

Dalhart Weather Review (and bird report)    By Aaron Graves

Amazing the difference a week makes. Back on Jan. 6, we endured a low of 7 degrees. That’s cold! So cold I saw a hitchhiker holding up a picture of his thumb. So cold my dog was wearing my cat to stay warm. So cold that I stuck my head in the freezer just to warm my ears up. 

Fast forward only six days, and wow! We reached a high of 71 degrees on Jan. 12. That’s bikini weather in winter! Since the last snow event, skies have been clear, blue, and warm. Perfect weather, except for the occasional windy day, and it looks to stay that way through the weekend. (See forecast below)

The only weather event to speak of was a cold front on Sunday Jan. 12 that kicked up the dust. Dalhart recorded a peak gust of 44 mph at the airport, according to the National Weather Service office in Amarillo. Once the front passed, winds blew steady between 20 and 30 mph. 

What, exactly, is a cold front? The name “front” comes from the battlefield, as in “the front line.” It is the leading edge of a mass of cold air that is replacing a mass of warmer air. Thus, the high on Monday was about 15 degrees cooler than the high on Sunday, thanks to the cold front. 

Cold fronts usually announce themselves with a band of clouds, a drop in temperature, and a change in wind speed and direction. If enough moisture is in the air, a cold front can help generate rain and snow during the winter. During springtime, a cold front can spark a long line of heavy to severe thunderstorms. Why? 

Since cold air is denser and heavier than warm air, a cold front is like a bulldozer. It replaces warm, moist air by scooping it up and over itself, which can trigger rain, snow, or thunderstorms if conditions are right.

Knowing this helps meteorologists forecast the weather. By measuring temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and air pressure across the country, forecasters can pinpoint the location of cold fronts and discern the direction they are moving. If the air ahead of a front has all the right ingredients, forecasters know stormy weather is a possibility for that area. 

As for the rest of this week, expect high temperatures to reach the mid 50s to near 60 through Sunday. Overnight lows will continue near 20. At the time of this writing, no rain or snow was in the forecast. Expect breezy conditions on Thursday. 

For you bird enthusiasts, Mallard Ducks and American Wigeons are numerous at Lake Rita Blanca now that the surface of the lake has thawed out. Keep your eyes peeled, however, for other duck species, such as the Northern Pintail (which I last spotted before the cold weather set in). Snow Geese and Canadian Geese are everywhere. Eagles and various hawks continue to hang out in the trees. 

The American Kestrel pictured was spotted last week just east of Dalhart along a farm road. A kestrel is a small falcon that is often seen hovering in mid-air like a hummingbird. They have striking blue and orange feathers. 

To report any weather (or bird) news, such as wind damage or snow and rain totals, email Aaron at thirtyguitars@yahoo.com. Please follow Aaron on Facebook at “Dalhart Cloud Chasing”, or on Google Plus, "Aaron Graves (Dalhart Cloud Chasing)".

Hi and low temps the past week:

Jan 6: 32, 7
Jan 7: 52, 18
Jan 8: 40, 21
Jan 9: 60, 16
Jan 10: 55, 30
Jan 11: 63, 21
Jan 12: 71, 40 

Fourth Snowfall and Eagles at The Lake

Dalhart Weather Review
By Aaron Graves

Eagles are reported at Lake Rita Blanca. This one was in the
old tree next to the boat ramp, enjoying his breakfast.

While the eastern part of the nation fell into a deep freeze, Dalhart enjoyed light snowfall Saturday and Sunday. A total of 1.5” of snow was reported to the National Weather Service office in Amarillo. It was rather dry, however, with little real moisture content. Thus, only a trace of precipitation was recorded. Still, this makes the fourth snow event for the season, with a total of 11” since Nov. 21. 

Along with the snow last weekend came the bitter cold, with a low of 7 degrees early Monday morning. And, believe it or not, it is the temperature that determines how much moisture the ground benefits from during a snow event. 

“A good average number is that about a foot of snow is equivalent to one inch of water,” explains the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M on their website. It continues, “but this number is highly variable, and in particular is strongly dependent on temperature.  If the temperature is above freezing, an inch of liquid might correspond to six inches of snow. This is called wet snow. If the temperature is around 30 degrees, ten inches of snow might equal an inch of rain. And if the temperature is only 10 degrees Fahrenheit, it might take 18 to 24 inches of snow to equal one inch of liquid water. This is called dry snow, or powder snow.”

December 2013 ended with an average high of 47.2 degrees and an average low of 18.5 degrees. We had 6 days during the month when the temperature never got above 32 degrees, and only 2 days when the overnight low did not fall below freezing. Our overall average temperature for the month was 32.8 degrees, which was 1.6 degrees cooler than the 30 year average. 

We enjoyed 6.5” of snow in December, which translated into 0.21” of moisture. This is 0.33” below the 30 year average. We received 7.84” of precipitation for the entire year of 2013. Our 30 year normal is 17.61”.  

January has an average precipitation total of 0.54”. Hopefully, this pattern of frequent snow events will continue, and bring us more moisture. 

Through the weekend, high temps will get into the mid 50s, with no rain or snow in the forecast. A 20% chance of rain mentioned in the newsletter version of this column has dried up for our area. 

Hi and low temperatures the past week

Dec 30: 51, 16
Dec 31: 57, 22
Jan 1: 54, 23
Jan 2: 49, 15
Jan 3: 64, 23
Jan 4: 44, 20
Jan 5: 24, 11

Eight eagles, several ravens, and a coyote were visible on the surface
of Lake Rita Blanca after a recent freeze. Eagles have been visible most
mornings at the lake, either on the ice or in the trees around the lake.

Over at Lake Rita Blanca, just south of town, the eagles are in full force right now. They are large birds, the adults have white heads and white tales. Younger eagles are just as large as the adults, but have brown feathers streaked with white. 

When the lake is frozen, you can spot several eagles on the ice feeding on fallen geese. Smaller birds you see with the eagles are usually ravens. They have been visible from the boat ramp. Both photos in this week's column have come from that area of the lake. However, if you drive back to the dam, you can also spot eagles up in the trees at the back of the lake. 

Along with eagles and ravens, look for Red-tailed Hawks and Northern Harriers, in addition to the large amount of Canadian and Snow Geese. Smaller birds spotted near the lake recently include the White-crowned Sparrow and Meadowlarks (found along the road leading to the dam). I was also able to lay eyes on a Ferruginous Hawk with the past month. 

Intro - and Dalhart Weather Review for January 1, 2014

Greetings from Dalhart, Texas, a crossroads town in the upper left corner of the Texas panhandle. My name is Aaron Graves, former sports editor for the local newspaper and former morning DJ for the local radio station. I now own and operate a music store - Graves Guitar Studio and Music Store - with my wife and two daughters, where I teach a variety of instruments. In my spare time, I enjoy birding and storm chasing.

Well, cloud chasing to be exact. We don't get much of what could be called a storm around here. Besides, I'm not much of a traditional storm chaser anyways. I drive no more than 15 miles out of town for any thunderhead, and I have a phobia of getting hail dents in my Toyota.

Actually, I am a trained Skywarn spotter for the National Weather Service. I enjoy the power and beauty of nature - from a safe distance. Aside from that, my knowledge of weather and photography (and birds) is purely amateur. I do not speak as an expert in these fields by any means, just as an observer.

Until recently, I submitted a weekly article to the local newspaper reviewing Dalhart's weather, but the paper is now under new ownership, with new writers. Thus, I contribute the weather review to "The County Times Two", an all volunteer newsletter for Dallam and Hartley Counties, created and kept alive by Robin Scott - who also came from the local newspaper. In fact, "The County Times Two" has picked up several former newspaper employees. Hey, once you start writing, you can't stop. Must be the ink they use on that newsprint - it gets in your veins. 

If you would like to sign up for your FREE "The County Times Two" newsletter - delivered via email - contact Robin at thecountytimestwo@live.com. 

The purpose of this blog is to post - and sometimes expand on - my weekly weather article. Most of what I write will be in the newsletter. However, a blog is such a nice soapbox - if I ever need one to stand on. 

Happy reading. Here is the Dalhart weather review for this week:

***

Blue skies try to melt remaining snow

Dalhart Weather Review

By Aaron Graves

Snow is still visible in Dalhart, hiding from the sun in the shade of tall buildings, fences, and along north-facing slopes at the lake. Our recent snowfall is creating hope, once again, that the drought might be losing strength. Is it?

Our snowy weather started back on Nov. 21. We picked up trace amounts of snow for a couple of days, then a good 3” on Nov. 24. Another round left a half inch on Dec. 5. Then came Dec. 21, which gave us 6” in a morning till late evening snowfall event. That is 9.5” in just over a month, which equaled 0.41” of actual moisture. 

Compared to the past four years, December 2013 is looking right on average, as the list below shows. Notice, though, that November 2013 was the wettest November in the past 4 years, with 0.85” of precipitation. In the list below, the first number is total snowfall, the second is total precipitation. 

Dec 2013: 6.5”, 0.21”

Dec 2012: 4.0”, 0.31”

Dec 2011: 8.3”, 0.93” 

Dec 2010: 6.0”, 0.25”

Nov 2013: 3.0”, 0.85”

Nov 2012: 0.0”, 0.0”

Nov 2011: 0.0”, 0.10”

Nov 2010: 0.0”, 0.0” 

Unfortunately, the U.S. Drought Monitor map, issued Dec. 24, shows the most extreme drought conditions continue to affect parts of Dallam and Hartley counties. The worst of the worst is found down near Channing. 

The Climate Prediction Center is calling for persistent drought conditions through the end of March 2014, in their latest report issued Dec. 19. Our precipitation chances through March are listed as “Equal Chances”, that is equal chances for above or below average rain and snow. Historically, January, February and March are not wet months for our area anyways. To break the drought, we are going to need above average precipitation. 

One thing we look for in hopes of above average rainfall in our area is an El Nino weather pattern. El Nino, which refers to warmer than average ocean temperatures in the Pacific, can shift weather patterns world-wide. However, NOAA does not expect an El Nino to develop through summer 2014, as revealed in a report issued Dec. 30. 

As for the rest of this work week, expect clear skies in Dalhart most days, with high temperatures near or above the 50 degree mark. Overnight lows will continue to dip near or below 20 degrees. There is talk of possible snow this weekend. Keep an eye on the forecast as we get closer to Friday.  

If you are interested in what the local weather looks like, as well as local wildlife, be sure to visit “Dalhart Cloud Chasing” on Facebook, or Aaron Graves (Dalhart Cloud Chasing) on Google+. 

To report weather events, including rain and snowfall totals, e-mail Aaron at thirtyguitars@yahoo.com.