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Let it snow, let it snow … No, let it rain, let it rain …

This morning’s agenda included catching up on some recently lost sleep.

Still, I woke about 7 a.m. or so, about the usual time to get up for work. But the waking was most likely due to the loud booms of thunder I heard outside, followed by the sound of rain. I immediate clutched my pillow, turned over and went back to sleep.

There is nothing quite like waking up to the sound of thunder and rain. It calms my soul “right quick like.” It’s like something in my brain which registers with an “Oh yeah, that’s just right.”

The rain lasted on and off throughout most of the day until it kind of slacked off this afternoon. The clouds, some of the dark and stormy-looking ones, nonetheless stuck around. A slight chance of rain is forecast for tonight with showers likely for the next couple of days. The days preceding Christmas might bring some showers although Christmas Day itself we’re in store for a bright, cool day.

We are still almost 30 inches below normal rainfall thanks to this long-hovering drought. We need more days like this one. Obviously we have to take what we get.

I love this climate much more than one which is bitter cold and an area left immobile from blizzard. Dreaming of a white Christmas? Why no, I would much rather have a wet Christmas. But I will settle for a bright, mild Christmas Day book-ended by rainy and stormy days that will move us closer to ending this dreaded drought.

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The time it snowed knee-deep to a Galveston stevedore

Anyone who has read Sebastian Junger’s book “The Perfect Storm,” or have more likely seen the film starring George Clooney adapted from the book, probably understand the title’s meaning. The story tells of the events leading up to the “Great Halloween Nor’easter of 1991” with its title born after a conversation by Junger and Boston National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Case after the weatherman has spoken of just the right conditions converging in order to form “the perfect storm.”

This afternoon I was looking at some snowfall records for my area — on the upper Texas Gulf Coast — and wondered about just what perfect storm had formed that gave this area its greatest snowfall ever and one it hasn’t seen since.

NWS records show that the most snow ever recorded for Beaumont was the 30 inches that fell on Feb. 14-15, 1895. The second greatest was one in 1960 during which 4.4 inches fell. I don’t remember that one because it happened when I was only 4 years old and living about 60 miles to the northeast of where I now live. The third greatest snowfall, though, I do remember. It was in 1973 and was still growing up in my hometown. Beaumont received 3 inches during that January snowfall and since we got so few snows we really didn’t know how to properly measure it. But from what I can remember of it, I’d say it probably was around that depth. I do remember it was my first time to drive in snow. Luckily, the streets were empty that evening.

Now I’m sure you who live where a lot of snow falls during the winter would scoff at even the 30 inch snow. Nonetheless, that is a boatload for this area and it was part of a storm that affected the Gulf Coast all the way to Tampico, Mexico, to Pensacola, Fla. Beaumont and Orange must have been “ground zero” during that 1895 snow because this area seemed to have recorded the most snow with a dusting in northern Mexico on one end to several inches in Florida on the other.

The fact that there has never been a snowfall to equal it has to be somewhat significant in meteorological terms, or so I’d think.

As some seem to believe the liberals push the idea that every aberrant weather event is caused by global warming there nevertheless had to be some extraneous factors going on for a large snowstorm this far South back near the end of the century-before-last. A column I found about that winter storm written about Galveston plus an Internet comment made by a reader advances the idea that the 1895 storm might have indeed been the perfect storm for this area.

A gentleman writing in response to this most interesting column by Galveston weather expert Stan Blazyk on the Galveston County Daily News website surmised that material blasted out of the violent Indonesian volcano Krakatoa might have played a part in this great snowstorm. I have heard of and read about such effects from volcanoes and have seen as much myself from the Philippine’s Mt. Pinatubo’s in 1991.  In fact, the volcano released more aerosols and sulfur dioxide than any other eruption since Krakatoa in 1883.  Pinatubo lowered the global temperature by almost 1 full degree Fahrenheit.

Blazyk said Krakatoa most likely did have an impact on temperatures although an emergence had begun to take place from a cooling trend that had lasted until the middle part of the 19th century. I am naturally skeptical so the fact that the effects from both the cooling trend and Krakatoa happening years apart from massive Southern snow make me wonder if such is possible. Yet, I have to say, probably so, because I am sure anyone knows more than I do about the scientific aspects of the atmosphere.

I would hate to get on the roads with others who are even more cold-weather driving-challenged that myself though I must admit I wouldn’t mind seeing 2 1/2 feet of snow falling on this part of Southeast Texas. That is, I wouldn’t mind it if it required no labor or extreme exercise to get through it on my part. In other words, I wouldn’t mind watching it but little else.

 

 

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So who will be right and will it be colder ‘n a witch’s personality?

Greg Bostwick our local weather guy says a “Blue Norther” is coming. High temperatures could be as low as the 30s. He’s talking snow. But not for here in Southeast Texas. Greg predicts a high of 40 on Tuesday. The National Weather Service says 51 although a low of 37 is expected that night. Who’s right? We shall see. Predicting winter weather in Texas is like teaching cats to march in a parade. Meeeeoooowwww!

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Thinking skeeters and bumbling Cardinals while my mind is on annual leave

Remain, do I, on annual leave although as warned I still might post and thus it is that I write–strangely.

Skeeters buzzin,’ everywhere. Everyone has a different theory it seems

Perhaps it is the attack of the mosquitoes. I do not know for sure what is behind it. One local newsperson here on the Mosquito Coast of Southeast Texas said that authorities or experts or somebody blamed the skeeters on a recent high tide. What the puck? Don’t we have high tides all the time? Was there a tsunami on the Jefferson County coast when no one was looking?

Besides, it isn’t just us getting bitten by the little f*****s. They are everywhere. Houston. San Antonio. And everyone seems to have a different reason for the swarms. It is sort of like when gas prices spike.

Oh well, keep the DEET handy until the cold front later this week which will supposedly deliver us from evil–mosquitoes.

Tony sez: “Can you hear me now?” Or, eh Tony, who’s the boss already?

The World Series game last night, where the Rangers went up to one game away from taking the championship, was probably the most entertaining baseball game I have seen in years. It wasn’t just the comeback Texas pulled off, but the dazzling miscues made by St. Louis’ manager Tony LaRussa and superman slugger Albert Pujols.

I seriously doubt you will see screw-ups again like that from the Cardinals when they face Texas back in St. Louis. Hopefully though, the momentum train that has left the station in Arlington will chug on through the next game at Busch Stadium III to give the Rangers their first-ever World Championship.

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Rain: Smells good. Bank of America debit card fees: Putrid.

My bank, Bank of America, will begin charging a $5 monthly debit card usage fee on some accounts beginning in January. I had to go to the bank so I asked the person who screens the customers if my account was going to be one of those on which a fee was placed. The bank person looked up my account and said “yes.” That is probably because the charges will mostly fall on its least wealthy customers.

Although I was calm and civil about it, I gave that BOA person a piece of my mind about her company. The linked story above from Bloomberg explains the fee better than I could but in essence it seems that since BOA made such a mess of their affairs recently it decided to take it out on their customers. If you want to see why Bank of America is in so much disarray here is a good explanation. The shorter answer would be “greed.” I am sure some, such as a good friend who works for BOA, would disagree. But that is what I see as the honest answer.

I have experienced other difficulties with my bank over the past seven years during which I have had an account. Actually, I had a checking account with them for almost a year in the late 1980s. That was before “online banking” such as the account I now have. So, I am seriously searching for another financial institution. I use that term instead of bank because I am researching credit unions. We have a ton of those in this area that have been in business for years, so they must have done something right. We shall see.

In the meantime, a few thunderstorms/showers have slipped into Southeast Texas from the lakes area in the north to the coast. A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued until 4 p.m. in east central Jefferson county and western Orange County as well as parts of Cameron Parish, La. The NWS says a storm was detected a short time ago capable of producing winds in excess of 60 mph and dime-sized hail between Bridge City and Vidor. If you don’t live in these areas, I suppose it doesn’t mean much, if anything at all, to you.

There was nothing like that here in Beaumont but we have had some thunder and nice rainfall for a little while. I stepped out to see it rain like I normally do in these drought-stricken days. I also took in the fresh smell of the rain, which like the somewhat different smell before it rains, is a great natural wonder.

My ability to appreciate the smell before, during and after rains all increased — as did the ability to detect other smells and better distinguish different tastes — after I quit smoking.  If you have not smoked as long as I did, for almost 30 years, and quit (11 years next month!) it might be difficult to believe how much cigarettes can deprive a person’s senses.

The work done at the behest of the government by the area’s chemical plants to clean up the air also help somewhat in smelling the floral essence during and after rains. That isn’t always the case. Those days and evenings especially when the area is enveloped by a heavy mist can still make for some stinky air although I would say in general the worst smell still comes from the Mead Westvaco paper mill about 20 miles to the northeast. The mill, which has changed owners a few times, has produced an unfavorable odor for as long as I can remember. That includes during the time when I was growing up and living 40 miles from the plant. I mean, the smell isn’t a continual presence, but does stink on occasions.

But nonetheless, the smell before it rains, when it rains and after it rains are among my simplest pleasures. The redolence depends on where one happens to be at the time such as in an urban setting, for instance, as where I live or in a rural area out in the fields or forests. Certain forms of bacteria can be released from the ground during rain. Odoriferant gases can also rise from trees and plants when rained upon or during extremely humid times. Rain also releases oil from city streets during rainstorms. So if you have an ability to smell, or at least to smell things fairly well, one can detect rain before it even starts sometimes.

A few drops are still falling outside. These rains and the lack of any decent rainfall for, I don’t know how long but too long, make me want the rain to just continue. I would love to see it rain into the night and into tomorrow. Nothing heavy, mind you, just steady. I’m not greedy, like my bank.