It looks as if all of the rain from Tropical Storm Lee has managed to miss my part (and most of the rest) of Texas. We were really hoping to have a couple of days of the wet, soggy stuff falling on our heads… It didn’t happen that way so I guess it is time to start dragging the water hose back out to the trees in the yard. I am not too worried about the grass yet, but I would hate to see the trees go.
You know it’s been a long hot Texas summer when a morning of breezy 80 degree temperatures feels “cool”. The prognosticators are even threatening us with the upper 50’s by Wednesday morning. When I told my eldest about that, she was talking about having to turn her heat on… I hope she was just kidding.
What is really making the temperatures feel good is the low humidity. My outside thermometer is reading 20%. That isn’t helping the plants… Or the wildfires that the past couple of days of strong winds out of the north are driving across the state.
If you’re hearing news of the Austin-area wildfires and want an update (currently, 350 homes gone), this is a reliable link. The closest fire to us, as of this morning, is about 10 miles. So far, so good here, although today is another red-flag day, with very low humidity, gusting winds, and bone-dry grass, shrubs, and trees. The fire-fighting resources are absolutely stretched to their limit, and Austin is calling in all available fire-fighters.
Sadly for me, my grand-kids have passed along a really “nice” summer cold… so I am not in any condition to enjoy the weather. It is making a nice day for the painters to start working on the outside of the house. Maybe I can get out and take some pictures later…Laboring on Labor Day… What a concept.
Reminds me of all of the years I would go in and start dismantling the stage set after the MDA Telethon would finish at 6pm. It would always give my kids a chance to see Daddy at work on the TV.
Enjoy your Labor Day everyone.
More Texas Drought News:
- Dr. Jeff Masters’ WunderBlog : Lee’s winds fan deadly Texas fires; a dangerous day for Lee’s floods and tornadoes : Weather Underground.
Texas’ unprecedented heat wave and drought turned deadly yesterday when fires fanned by Tropical Storm Lee’s gusty winds swept through East Texas, torching 300 homes near Austin, and killing a woman and her 18-month old daughter who couldn’t escape the flames in Gladewater. At Austin Bergstrom Airport yesterday afternoon, the counter-clockwise circulation around Tropical Storm Lee brought sustained winds of 25 mph, gusting to 31. Lee didn’t bring any clouds or moisture to Austin, and the afternoon high hit 102°, with a humidity of 22%. With the region enduring it’s driest 1-year drought on record, yesterday’s heat, dryness, and winds resulted in extremely critical fire conditions.
