April has been drier than normal this year. We’ve seen just 0.22″ of rain at Camp Mabry in Austin. In fact, this month will end up being one of the warmer, drier Aprils on record.

Here’s more from the National Weather Service:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
736 AM CDT MON APR 30 2012

...APRIL 2012 IS BECOMING ONE OF THE DRIER AND WARMER APRILS
OF RECORD...

APRIL 2012 IS SHAPING UP TO BE ONE OF THE WARMER AND DRIER APRILS
OF RECORD FOR AUSTIN...DEL RIO...AND SAN ANTONIO.  THIS IS SIMILAR
TO HOW APRIL 2011 WAS.  THE INFORMATION BELOW APPLIES TO APRIL 1ST
TO APRIL 29TH.  AFTER TODAY...APRIL 30TH...THE FINAL FIGURES FOR
ALL OF APRIL 2012 COULD CHANGE SLIGHTLY.

SO FAR FROM APRIL 1ST TO APRIL 29TH THIS YEAR...APRIL 2012 IS THE
6TH WARMEST AND 6TH DRIEST APRIL FOR AUSTIN MABRY...1854 TO 2012...
THE 12TH WARMEST AND 3RD DRIEST AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM...1943 TO 2012...
THE 8TH WARMEST APRIL AT DEL RIO...1906 TO 2012...AND SO FAR THE
10TH WARMEST APRIL AND A TIE WITH APRIL 2011 FOR THE 2ND DRIEST
APRIL AT SAN ANTONIO...1871 TO 2012 FOR RAIN AND 1885 TO 2012
FOR TEMPERATURE.  THESE FIGURES COULD CHANGE SLIGHTLY AFTER
TODAY...APRIL 30TH.

THE PRELIMINARY LISTS FOR HOW APRIL 2012 COMPARED TO APRILS IN
THE PAST IS LISTED BELOW.  THE DATA FOR APRIL 2012 IS FOR
APRIL 1ST TO APRIL 29TH.

WARMEST APRILS AT AUSTIN MABRY

 1.  76.1 - 2011
 2.  75.9 - 1967
 3.  75.8 - 1893
 4.  74.9 - 2006
 5.  74.4 - 1925
 6.  73.6 - APRIL 1ST TO 29TH...2012
 7.  73.5 - 1972
 8.  73.4 - 2002
 9.  73.2 - 1888
10.  72.9 - 1955 AND 1963

WARMEST APRILS AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM

 1.  76.1 - 1967
 2.  74.4 - 1972
 3.  74.3 - 1954
 4.  74.2 - 2006
 5.  74.1 - 1955
 6.  73.8 - 2011
 7.  73.1 - 1943...1963 AND 1986
 8.  72.8 - 2002
 9.  72.6 - 1948
10.  72.2 - 1991
11.  72.1 - 1981
12.  71.5 - APRIL 1 TO 29...2012

(more…)

As we close the books out on April tomorrow, it appears it will end as one of the driest months since September of 2011 when we received only 0.18″ of rainfall.  This month isn’t much better either, so far we have seen 0.22″ at Mabry and 0.09″ at ABIA.  The good news however, is with some rainfall we can begin to erase some of the effects of a dry April.  In fact, typically April is one of the driest months here in Austin, one in which on average we see about 2.09″ of rainfall.  The better news is that we are heading into May, which historically speaking is our wettest month on average followed very closely by June.  Both months average at least 4.33″ of rainfall.  It should be noted that both May and June have passed before with nothing more than a trace of rain, and have also seen more than 14″ of rain as well.  It appears right now that our numbers for May, might come in between that record low “trace” amount and the normal of 4.36″.  Given that the forecast for the next week looks to be very dry, and the 2nd week of May doesn’t show a lot more promise, we may have a lot of ground to make up the 2nd half of the month in the rainfall department.  Keepin our fingers crossed for the rain though!  Still about 4.44″ above normal for the year, but that number is falling fast.  Another bone dry month could put us back in the red for rainfall in the first week of June.

Below is a chart showing our average rainfall by month.  April is the 10th wettest, May the 1st, June the 2nd.

Another very warm day here in Austin, for the 4th day in a row we cracked the 90 degree mark.  It was the 6th time we hit 90 this month and the 7th time this year, and they are starting to add up.  Once summer arrives, hitting 90-92 would be a welcome thing, however, its April.  Speaking of, does Mother Nature realize its April?  I mean, its in the 90s and its pretty summery muggy too.  So on air you might hear us starting to give not only the temperature, but the Heat Index or “feels like” temp.  So what exactly is the heat index you might ask, well its a “feels like” temperature calculation.  The Heat Index itself takes into account a lot of different variables, but the equation is actually rather simple.  The equation is long, but only requires you to know the relative humidity, and the air temperature.

I think there are 2 main reasons why we tell people what the Heat Index value is.  First, to make you aware that it might feel warmer outside than the temperature that we tell people it is outside.  Secondly, to warn people that it feels warmer than the air temperature outside.  Okay, so that sounds kinda the same, but it really is important.  When temperatures get warm, your body also heats up, the way we cool off is by sweating.  Sweating is only effective if the air around you is able to accept the sweat and evaporate it off your skin.  This gives your body a cooling effect that helps the heat transfer away from your body to keep your internal temperature where it is supposed to be.  On a very warm day, your body gets warmer faster, you sweat more, and you cool off properly.  Now on a very warm and very muggy day, your body gets warmer at the same rate as before, however when you sweat the cooling process is much different.  When the air around you is very moist, the rate of evaporation is much slower, and therefore does not cool/transfer heat at the same rate, and stays warmer longer.  If the humidity is high enough, your sweat just drips off your body, which has little to no cooling effect, and only continues to take fluids from your body.  If your body’s internal temp stays hot, you will sweat more to try to cool off more.    Since the only way to counter this process is to be prepared for it and stay well hydrated, we warn people about the heat index on sticky days.

Below is a Heat Index chart from the National Weather Service.  Temperatures are listed along the top, and along the side is the relative humidity value.  So on a day like today, with an air temperature of 90 this afternoon and humidity of 40%, that means the Heat Index value would have been 91 according to the chart.  According to the colors on the chart extreme caution should be exercised to avoid heat related disorders if you were outside for a prolonged period of time.

I had just wrapped up work after an interesting evening at a Ron Paul rally at the University of Texas when my phone came alive with texts and Facebook alerts.

“Just saw you on Colbert LOL!!!” one text read.

A Facebook message read, “On the laptop, hear the voice and say, ‘I know that voice.’ Look up. ‘Hey! It’s Josh!’”

Oh no! I love the Colbert Report, but I also know how Stephen Colbert likes to playfully attack journalists from time to time. Please, not me! I can be a good sport but can also be a little sensitive. I’d just have to wait and see when it re-aired later that evening.

I laughed when I saw how harmless it was. As I had figured out by that time, it was referencing a story I’d recently done about a UT student who started his own Colbert Super PAC – Texans for a Better Tomorrow Tomorrow:

Colbert: “Recently a University of Texas student, Paul Benefiel, wrote me, asking for help starting his own Super PAC on his campus. Mr. Benefiel explained his motivation to KXAN, Texas’ News Leader.

Hinkle: “Armed with his own Super PAC to battle other Super PACs, Benefiel’s already setting his sights on Texans like Gov. Rick Perry and Congressman Lamar Smith.”

Benefiel: “There is no better place to start something like this than Austin, Texas.”

Hinkle: “This is the first of Stephen Colbert’s Super PACs to hit a college campus. Now, it’s at the University of Missouri and also Purdue, and it continues to spread to other college campuses nationwide.”

Colbert: “Yes, I’ve planted a seed in Austin, Texas, and I’m sure no one will take what I’m about to say out of context. I want to spread my seed around a lot of colleges.”

A clip of the story, including my standup. I got off easy, and the piece was hilarious. Needless to say, the messages kept coming in, and people seemed to enjoy it. Kind of cool, I guess.

Watch the entire episode. | View the segment. | See the original story below.

  Smoke from agricultural burning in Mexico and Central America is expected to increase across Texas this weekend.  While the concentration will be light, it may be enough to decrease our air quality from the “good” to “moderate” category.  Notice in the graphic below, smoke (in blue) is expected to spread across much of the state by Saturday evening.

Projected Smoke Coverage (in blue) at 7 p.m. Saturday

Here’s the Air Quality Forecast from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality:

Friday 04/27/12
Winds should be strong enough to generate blowing dust in parts of the Panhandle and could possibly raise the daily PM10 AQI into the “Moderate” range in the Lubbock area, with highest concentrations from late morning into the early evening. Satellite imagery indicates light amounts of smoke from agricultural burning in Mexico and Central America moving into the Texas coast this morning but surface concentrations do not appear to be enough to raise the daily PM2.5 AQI beyond the “Good” range. Elsewhere in the state, moderate to strong winds and low incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.

Saturday 04/28/12
Smoke from agricultural burning in Mexico and Central America should increase in South Texas where the daily PM2.5 AQI could possibly reach “Moderate” levels and the smoke will likely spread rapidly northward and northwestward into Central and Southwest Texas in the afternoon and evening. Elsewhere in the state, moderate winds and lower incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.  (more…)

The first-ever National Severe Weather Preparedness Week continues. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have partnered together to raise awareness and save lives.

Today’s awareness topic is weather radio. A NOAA Weather Radio, or NWR, is more than just a radio. It’s a life-saver – broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest NOAA National Weather Service office across a nationwide network of radio stations.

87-year-old Wilma Nelson of Woodward, Okla., recently experienced the power of a NOAA Weather Radio when a devastating tornado struck her town of 12,000.

“I thought, ‘I’d better get out of here,’” she told CBS News, saying that when her NOAA Weather Radio woke her up, she moved quickly into a closet that she had “all prepared” in advance. Nelson’s granddaughter-in-law, Janelle Semmel, said that the advance outlooks and warnings issued by the National Weather Service saved lives. “We took it very seriously, because of the buildup that they had been talking about all week of the chances of storms that we had here,” she said.

Here in Texas, which experiences tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, and other severe weather, every family should strongly consider buying a weather radio. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, but the one chosen should be able to give you all the information you need in the way you need it. Your local Weather Forecast Office can provide assistance programming your radio.

Locally, weather radios are available in most H-E-B stores, and thanks to KXAN’s partnership with Midland Radio and H-E-B, they are available now at a discounted price. If you don’t find one in your neighborhood H-E-B, check area discount and electronics stores. (more…)

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor was released Thursday morning.

There is little change over the Hill Country. Severe drought stretches over Gillespie, parts of Blanco and Burnet counties. The area of no drought east of Austin shrunk in the past week. It now only includes Caldwell, Bastrop and Lee counties.

So what does this mean for our summer?

For one, it means we need more rain. April has been drier than normal with only 0.22″ of rain falling at Camp Mabry in Austin. We need May and June to be near normal, especially over the Highland Lakes watershed, to keep the lake levels from falling further.

The summer lake outlook was one topic at the LCRA’s annual meteorologists day Wednesday.

When Lisa Rebstock “saw the news that something was coming” toward her home just south of Fort Worth, Texas, she knew that she had just moments to spare. The mother of two wasn’t used to Texas-size severe weather, having grown up in Massachusetts, but with the help of her husband, Ben, a native Texan, she made sure one key element was checked off her list well in advance of the tornado that destroyed her home on April 3, her disaster survival kit.  Lisa had the kit with her in the bathroom where she and her two young daughters safely rode out the storm.

“I had baby bottles, I had diapers, I had snacks, flashlights — everything I needed,” she told NBC’s TODAY. “And we used a lot of that stuff in that kit. Thank God I had it planned and thank God we got in there in the time we did.”

Lisa’s actions represent just what it takes to be a Force of Nature. In addition to having a plan of action when severe weather strikes — and alerting others via cell phone or social media — it’s vital that you have a disaster emergency kit prepared well in advance and ready-to-go when disaster strikes.

A disaster supplies kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency. You may need enough food, water and other supplies to last for at least 72 hours, in case local officials and relief workers cannot reach you immediately after a tornado or other severe weather hits. You could get help in hours or it might take days.

Additionally, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even a week, or longer. Your supplies kit should contain items to help you manage during these outages.

As part of National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, NOAA, FEMA and The Weather Channel are urging people to “Pledge to Prepare.” When you Pledge to Prepare, you will take the first step to making sure that you and your family are prepared for severe weather.  These include developing a family communications plan, putting an emergency kit together, keeping important papers and valuables in a safe place, and getting involved.

For more information on how you can participate this week and increase both your and your community’s preparedness check out www.ready.gov/severeweather. A digital toolkit for the week is available here.

NOAA, FEMA launch first National Severe Weather Preparedness Week April 22-28

As the nation marks the first anniversary of one of the largest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are teaming up during this week to save lives from severe weather by encouraging the public to know your risk, take action, and be a force of nature by taking proactive preparedness measures and inspiring others to do the same.

In late April last year, tornadoes raked the central and southern United States, spawning more than 300 tornadoes and claiming hundreds of lives. That devastating outbreak was only one of many weather-related tragedies in 2011, which now holds the record for the greatest number of multi-billion dollar weather disasters in the nation’s history. (more…)

Gregg Popovich never seemed too enamoured about the teams overall record as long as they were positioned well for the post season.  That was as more about the rest of the his players than their record and seeding, that’s the only explanation for leaving Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli at home for a road trip to Utah a couple of weeks ago.  But even with his cautious handling of the “big three”, the Spurs are still the top seed in the Western conference after Monday’s 124-89 win over Portland in their final regular season home game.  Now the question is what do they do on their final two game road trip with a chance to claim the best record in the NBA, right now they are tied with Chicago.  If history means anything, the “big three” will get a heavy dose of bench for their games at Phoenix and Golden State.

The Spurs aren’t just winning, they are destroying their opponents.  In their current eight game win streak they are averaging 116 points per game and winning by an average margin of 16 points per game.

So how will that translate into the only thing that matters, their run for a 5th NBA title since 1999, we’ll find out over the next couple of months.