Driving through California's wide range of weather

It's back to work after spending ten days in sunny/cloudy California. We packed 50/50 for this trip, expecting warm weather in southern California, cool weather up north.

Our trip started in Anaheim, where I had a meeting with the boss at Disneyland. (Mickey Mouse owns ABC13.)  The weather was cool in the morning, very warm in the afternoon and cool again in the evening. It's all that dry air; it heats and cools very quickly.

After spending a few days at the park, we rented a car and started driving north. We stopped briefly in Hollywood, just long enough to see the sign on the hill.  We had dinner in beautiful Santa Barbara and eventually stopped in Santa Maria for the night.

The original plan was to drive up Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway. But because of the wildfires, a 30-mile section of the highway was closed around Big Sur. So we took a little detour through the valley.

The TV weather forecasts in California are nothing but numbers, and maybe a quick satellite loop. Most of the weathercast is a series of maps showing the wide variety of temps along the coast, in the mountains and throughout the valley.  During our second day of driving, we experienced the wide range of weather you find in California. We set out wearing sweaters and blue jeans because temperatures were in the 50s. When we stopped at the San Miguel Mission in Alta, California, it was over 100°! By the time we got to Pacific Grove it was in the 60s again.

This was also when we first encountered the marine layer, a low cloud that moves in off the ocean during the night and slowly evaporates during the day. Driving up and down the mountains we also drove in and out of the marine layer, which I found very thrilling. My kids, not so much. They found the rides on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk to be more to their liking

I like to make spontaneous stops on road trips. And there were plenty of opportunities to stop, too many. My wife and I were constantly saying, "We'll have to stop there next time." We did stop, however, at Pescadero State Beach. The view was too wonderful to pass up. And it being a weekday (and workday for most) the beach was empty.  With the high cliffs and raging surf, it reminded me of the final scene in the old "Planet of the Apes" movie; the only thing missing was the half-buried Statue of Liberty.

The GPS system took us through some of the busiest streets in San Francisco on our way to our hotel. You can't help but wonder about the brakes while sitting at a stoplight on a steep hill. We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and down Lombard Street, everything every tourist does.

We spent half a day walking the grounds at Alcatraz. My boys really got into the stories about the criminals that lived there and the few who tried to escape. Too much, perhaps. So to inspire them, we also took in the Exploratorium science museum.

The highlight of the trip, for me and my wife anyway, was a long hike through Muir Woods, just north of San Francisco. The drive to the park is exciting, while walking through the "Ancient Forest" is relaxing. It's easy to lose yourself in the tall trees, literally and figuratively. This is my favorite spot on Earth.

After ten days of travel, we were all ready to go home. And you know you're back in Houston the moment you step out of the plane and onto the jetway-- the famous Houston humidity wraps around you like an old friend.

Weather research at NOAA and NCAR

I've been in Denver three days and finally saw the mountains on Friday. (I can only see a peek of a peak from my hotel room.) A group of us from the American Meteorological Society conference toured two weather research facilities nestled in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies in Boulder, Colorado.

Meteorologists and scientists are currently studying many aspects of weather and climate in the research labs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Many projects focus on climate change, of course. There is also a lot of work being done on weather forecasting models, severe and tropical weather and even space weather. There's some cool things being researched here...and the view is beautiful!

This has been a very full week of learning. Presentations at the conference today explored various topics TV meteorologists may have to explain to their viewers. The AMS refers to this as being the "Station Scientist."

The conference ends Sunday afternoon. That's good, because my notepad is almost full!

American Meteorological Society conference

I'm off to Denver to attend the American Meteorological Society Broadcast Meteorology Conference.

The five-day conference is packed with presentations and workshops focusing on severe and tropical weather forecasting, global warming and other topics pertinent to TV meteorologists. One session will address ways to communicate uncertainty in the forecast.

A day-long class on Wednesday will explore advanced radar systems and applications. On Friday, we're going to tour the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

The AMS requires broadcast meteorologists who've been certified to accumulate continuing education hours to maintain their accreditation. It's one way of staying on top of the science.

New ABC 13 Weather Center is on the air!

Over the past couple of weeks we've been moving into a new weather center. You'll see it when you watch 13 Eyewitness News, along with new areas for news and sports. The company that built our new set said this is one of the biggest projects they've worked on.

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Here's a behind-the-scenes tour of the new weather center. I took these pictures with my camera-phone last Friday as engineers and technicians finished installing all the equipment.

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The basic rule of design and architecture is, "Form follows function." And our new weather center functions very well!  Up front, we have a severe weather desk where we can control MegaDoppler 13 HD. Engineers also installed computers in the top of the desk so we can check changing weather conditions during our live broadcasts.

weatherblog.abc13.com

In our initial design meetings we talked about the need to have multiple workstations and on-air positions. During Hurricane Rita, we were literally tripping over each other. The new weather center is about five times bigger than our old workspace. Now all of our meteorologists can comfortably work at the same time without interfering with each other.

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Some things haven't changed. We still use the tried-and-true chroma-key "green screen" to electronically display the maps behind us during 13 Eyewitness News. But the wall is bigger to accommodate the 16x9 HD weather maps.

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Of course, none of this matters if the forecast isn't accurate. In the new weather center, all the weather data is right in front of us so we can monitor developing storms. Multiple meteorologists can work side by side, analyzing different parts of a storm and collaborating on the forecast. And the various on-air positions are designed to get us on-the-air quickly when you need the information fast. We are committed to being Houston's Severe Weather Leader.

R.E.M. sings about "Houston"

The alternative rock group R.E.M. just released a new CD called, "Accelerate" which includes a song about Houston. The song is about someone who survived Hurricane Katrina.

The chorus to "Houston" goes like this:

Houston is filled with promise
Laredo is a beautiful place
Galveston sings like that song that I loved
It's meaning has not been erased

The album is politically charged with other songs about riots in Seattle, a corrupt politician and other fun things.

At least "Houston" offers some hope as it did when evacuees fled New Orleans in 2005.

New jet stream maps on ABC13

We're using some new jet stream maps on 13 Eyewitness News. Instead of just showing a bunch of arrows on a map, we're showing you real data now.

In the sample image to the right, the gray lines indicate the wind flow and the color shading designates the wind speed at about 25,000 feet above the ground. The shades of red and orange represent winds blowing over 100 mph. We overlay the satellite imagery on top of the wind data so you can see the direct effects of the jet stream.

What you'll notice right away, is that the jet stream is not one continuous river of wind. Rather the winds in the upper atmosphere move along in streaks. These powerful bursts of wind play an important role in the intensity and movement of storms crossing country. 

Tell me what you think about the new jet stream maps. Do you like them? Are they confusing? Post your comments below.

Air pollution and weather

Already this spring we’ve had a couple of days when the air pollution has been unhealthy. The amount of pollution released into the air doesn’t change much from day to day. But the weather patterns affect how much pollution collects in the lower atmosphere and whether it makes the air unhealthy to breathe.

High pressure might bring us a sunny sky, but it also produces weak winds. That allows the air to become stagnant. In turn, the sunshine bakes the pollution which creates noxious ozone. Although ozone is invisible, the pollution that creates the ozone gives the sky a brown, hazy appearance.

While pollution is a problem for all of us, it’s especially hard on folks with heart and lung ailments, the elderly and very young. When the air quality becomes unhealthy, avoid being outdoors during the afternoon and early evening hours when pollution is usually worse. Stay indoors where the air conditioner will help filter the air you breathe.

Watch for the "Weather and Health" reports on ABC13 and on our 24-hour weather channel Comcast 315. We report the expected allergy levels, the UV Index and the Air Quality Forecast.

Behind the scenes of the morphing weather video

Several people have asked me how we filmed the "All Weather Man" commercial, now showing on ABC13. 

During the 30-second spot, you first see me walking down a sunny street in a short sleeve shirt, talking about a change in the weather. Suddenly, I change...or rather "morph" and you see me wearing a rain jacket. The weather keeps getting worse with gale force winds and torrential rain. Then just as quickly, the rain stops and I walk back into the weather center, dry and wearing a suit.  All in a day's work!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

The truth is, the whole commercial was shot in a TV studio, in front of a chroma-key "green screen." This is the same method we use to put the weather maps behind me during the news. The color green is electronically removed from the video. For the commercial the green is replaced with shots of Houston. The weather was digitally added during editing.

SPACE

The morphing shot was the most difficult to film. The director had me deliver the lines while walking on a treadmill so the editors could match up my walk and talk. I had to say the lines several times, first dressed in casual clothes and then again while wearing a rain jacket. And the lines had to be delivered exactly the same way everytime. That sequence alone took about four hours to set up and shoot.

SPACE

Then we got to have some fun. The production crew sprayed me down with water to make it look like I was walking in the rain.  When the "weather takes a turn for the worst," they shot the scene using high powered fans and a water sprayer to create the perfect storm. The director kept yelling, "More wind! More rain!" Again we did several takes, over and over.

SPACE

Sure, we could have filmed the commercial outside, using real weather. But it would have taken weeks to shoot. This way the producers could control the camera shots...and control the weather. I got soaked, but everyone else (and all the camera equipment) stayed completely dry.

This was a big time, Hollywood style production. We had a crew of about 10 people working behind the scenes, including lighting and audio technicians, assistants and grips.  It was a lot of fun. But it was work, more for the crew than me!. For my part, there was a lot of standing around and waiting while the camera shot was set and the lights adjusted. And then, "Action!"

All photos from Mike McGuff. Used with permission.

New boss at Houston NWS

Congratulations to Gene Hafele, the new Meteorologist-in-Charge at the Houston-Galveston National Weather Service office! Gene replaces Bill Read who left to direct the National Hurricane Center.

Gene has been the Warning Coordination Meteorologist since 1993. He also worked for about ten years in NASA's Spaceflight Meteorology Group, providing weather guidance for nine shuttle missions.

The media works very closely with the National Weather Service during severe and tropical weather events. Gene will provide stability in the local office and maintain our great working relationship.

Contrails crossing over Houston

On almost any sunny day, you can look up and see contrails crossing the sky.  These "condensation trails" are produced by jets flying across the country. When hot, humid air in the jet exhaust mixes with the cooler air temperatures aloft, the moisture condenses and creates an artificial "cloud."

The length of a contrail and the amount of time it takes to dissipate depends on the weather conditions aloft. If the atmosphere at flight level is humid, the contrail will last for hours; if it's dry, the contrail will dissipate more quickly. Also, since the temperature, humidity and wind vary greatly throughout the atmosphere, contrails can be dashed, jagged, wavy, short, long, fat and skinny. And depending on the direction planes are flying when they pass over Houston, the contrails can sometimes create interesting patterns in the sky, like the "X" you see in the TowerCam snapshot above.

Over the years these patterns have captured the attention of some folks who believe the white streaks are not contrails, but rather chemtrails. Conspiracy theorists believe our government is spraying chemicals, viruses and cancer into the air. Once such believer called the ABC13 weather center last week when the "X" pattern seen above showed up over Houston.

Giving the caller the benefit of the doubt, I immediately checked the flight paths over Houston. The image to the right is from FlightAware and was captured at the same time as the TowerCam snapshot above. The map shows the position of every passenger plane in the air. If you look carefully, you'll see several paths crossing each other in an "X" pattern. (Contrails can be much longer than the lines shown on the map which only indicate position reports received from the planes.)

There could be a real concern about contrails, however it has nothing to do with our government trying to kill us. The man-made cirrus clouds could block sunlight during the day and hold in the heat at night. As air traffic increases in the future, more studies will need to be done to determine if contrails cause a general cooling or warming of the atmosphere.

As always, you can post your comments below.

Lights out Houston!

Have you ever looked at our beautiful skyline at night and wondered whether somebody is really working late in all those offices? Truth is, some of the lights around town are on all night even when nobody's there.

This Friday, commercial property owners, managers and tenants are being asked to shut off the lights when they leave for the day.  According to organizers of Lights Out Houston, "by eliminating just 50% of the lights routinely left on overnight and on the weekends, we can save 8.4M KW-Hours annually. That equals to almost $1 million annually."

Astronomers have been trying to get us to shut off the lights for years. We can't see the stars over Houston because of light pollution. From space, it's easy to pick out large cities because of all the lights, many which are aimlessly pointed toward the sky where the light (and energy) is wasted.

No one is asking you to shut off lights that keep your home and neighborhood secure. But look around your office and your house. If you don't need the lights on, shut them off. Didn't your Dad always tell you that?

Today is Earth Day. Try Something New!

I did something scary this weekend: I rode my bike to the store.

I just needed a few things and in honor of Earth Day, I decided to try and bike it. So I put on a backpack and my helmet and set off to maneuver through the traffic. That's the scary part-- traffic.

It's not a long trip; I only live about four city blocks from the store. And honestly, all the drivers I encountered left me plenty of room as I peddled along, going a fraction of their speed.

However, I made up time in the parking lot. I could move much more quickly than the big lumbering SUVs most people were driving. I was cautious while passing through the rows of parked cars, knowing most drivers backing out would be looking for cars, not bikes.

I was in/out of the store and back home in no time. An added bonus: I used my backpack to carry the things I bought, saving a grocery bag.

It worked so well I tried it again Sunday night. I needed a cable for my computer. So once again, I hopped on my bike and peddled off to the store.

I could get used to this! The second trip was easier than the first. And I'm sure if I do this more often, I will get accustomed to cars zipping around me. And if more people start biking, the folks driving cars will get accustomed to sharing the road with bicyclists.

What are YOU doing for Earth Day?

Celebrate Earth Day at the Weather Museum

Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22 and the John C. Freeman Weather Museum will celebrate with a day of family fun.

The date also marks the second anniversary for the Weather Museum, the nation’s first and only museum dedicated to weather. 

The doors will be open from 10 AM to 7 PM and admission is free on that day. The Weather Museum, is located at 5104 Caroline Street in the Museum District.

Houston E-Cycles for Earth Day

The second ABC13 E-Cycle Drive was another huge success...thanks to YOU!

I don't have specific numbers.  But from the looks of it, you donated as much, if not more, electronic waste as last year. Folks dropped off their old computers, laptops, monitors, printers, cell phones, fax machines and computer mice. We also have a huge pile of power cords now.

Everything you donated will be taken apart and reused. As a whole your old computer and e-waste probably isn't worth anything. But the individual components have value and can be reused. Even the smallest capacitors and resistors can be reused.

Special thanks also to all the volunteers who helped unload the e-waste from cars as they drove through the ABC13 parking lot. Crews will be working into the night to separate the waste, pile it on palettes and prepare it for shipping to the recycling center.

I hope the spirit of the day stays with you. During a special program that aired from 9-10 AM Friday morning, Casey Curry and I gave you lots of ideas on how to "stay green" every day. 

Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22. Let's celebrate!

E-cycle Drive at ABC13

We want your junk!  Well, not all of it. Just the old electronic junk that's collecting dust in your attic or garage.

ABC13 will host an E-Cycle Drive this Friday, April 18.  Stop by the KTRK studios on 3310 Bissonnet anytime between 6 AM and 2 PM.

We’ll take your old computer monitors, keyboards, mice, routers, printers, fax machines, power cords and telephones. If you want to E-cycle your old computer or laptop, we ask that you erase or remove the hard drive before you drop it off.

Also, join meteorologist Casey Curry and me for a live Earth Day program from 9-10 AM, Friday morning. We'll focus on clean living!  It's easy to be "green."  We'll show you how.

The Pollen Problem

Over 40 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies according to Earth Gauge, an environmental resource. In the South, trees start to produce pollen in January and continue into the summer. If the weather is mild during the winter months, trees start pollinating early while a late freeze can reduce tree pollen production or even stop a tree from pollinating altogether.  The oak and pine pollen has been a big problem in the Houston area for a few weeks. Now other trees are starting to pollinate which will cause even more sniffling and sneezing.

The weather isn’t helping. Gusty winds raise the pollen count by spreading more pollen in the air. And rainfall has been scarce. A heavy shower will wash the pollen out of the air and initially the pollen count will drop.  But timely showers can also spur growth of trees and grasses which will make the pollen count go back up later on.

There are some things you can do to relieve your suffering if you have seasonal allergies. Avoid going outdoors during the early morning hours when trees usually emit pollen.  Keep your windows closed to keep the pollen out of your home. And when you’re driving, keep the car air conditioner set to recycle the inside air.

Weather modification in China

The forecast should be 100% accurate for the upcoming summer Olympics in China. That country spends $60 to $90 million dollars annually to change the weather.  And they claim to be successful.

According to a recent article in Technology Review, between 1999 and 2008 Chinese officials declared a 30,000 square mile area a "hail-free zone" and produced enough rain to fill China's second largest river four times over.

How do they do it? Using two airplanes and a series of twenty rocket launch sites engineers seed developing clouds with silver iodide and dry ice to produce rain. The Weather Modification Office hopes to flush the rain out of the clouds before they reach Beijing and the 91,000 seat open-air stadium which will host many of the Olympic events.

They have a big challenge ahead of them. August is the rainy season in China.

Photo from Technology Review.

How does your garden grow?

Over Spring Break, my sons and I put in a garden. It's not very big, about 36 square feet. But there's enough room for one tomato plant, three pepper plants, two rows of onions and some radishes and carrots. It was my oldest son's idea. He helps take care of the garden and conservation site at school and he's wanted to dig up the dirt at home for awhile now.

Having grown up in the Midwest, I have some experience with gardens. Everybody in Prairieburg had a garden. We'd eat fresh vegetables all summer long. My grandma kept a glass full of sweet onions on the kitchen table for snacking. (I preferred cookies.) And during the hottest time of the summer, my mom would spend days canning tomatoes and pickles which we'd eat all winter.

I'm not expecting to get enough vegetables out of our little garden patch to can or even give away to neighbors. With a little luck, some sunshine and periodic showers, I'm hoping we produce some memories that will last a lifetime.

Spring ahead this weekend

You'll lose an hour of sleep this weekend when you set your clocks ahead one hour.

Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 AM Sunday morning, March 9.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended Daylight Saving Time by four weeks, beginning the second Sunday in March and ending the first Sunday in November.

This is also a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. One fire official estimates more than 90 percent of the homes in the U.S. have smoke detectors but about 30% of them don't have working batteries.

Doug Brown retires

Long time weatherman Doug Brown is hanging up his barometer this week, completing a 50 year career in television. A remarkable accomplishment. Prior to coming to KTRK in 1975, Doug also worked at KWTV in Waco and KHOU in Houston.

Off-air Doug is the same friendly, folksy person you saw on TV. He is a good friend and a trusted member of our weather team. We will miss him.

As you probably know from watching Doug on-air, he likes climate statistics. What you probably don't know is that those statistics came from meticulous, hand-written weather records Doug kept for several decades. He could find a weather factoid in his notes faster than the rest of us could look it up on the computer.

Not that Doug was afraid of computers. Anytime I scheduled some computer training for the weather staff, Doug was right in there. When he started in TV, weathercasters were using markers on a wall-map. So Doug appreciated all the work computers did for us, how they made our job easier.

Now, he really gets to enjoy the easy life. Doug said he plans to spend time with family, do some traveling and cooking. His forecast looks sunny.

Congratulations Doug!

Groundhog Day at the Weather Museum

The nation's only weather museum will celebrate Groundhog Day on Saturday with special appearances from the Houston Zoo and Downtown Aquarium. Isis, a small African cat from the aquarium will look for her shadow at 10 AM, followed by Tuck the armadillo at 11 AM. According to folklore, if the animals see their shadow we'll have six more weeks of winter. If they don't see their shadow, get ready to sweat.

All the fun takes place at the John C. Freeman Weather Museum, 5104 Caroline Street in Houston Museum District. Admission is free this Saturday from 10AM to 4PM. While you're there, check out some of the cool weather exhibits like the TV weather studio and the tornado chamber!

Tracking Santa Claus!

For more than 50 years, the North American Aerospace Defense Command has been tracking Santa Claus as he travels the world on Christmas Eve. The federal agency monitors the sky for natural and man-made threats, such as missiles, jets, spacecraft, comets and meteorites. But one night a year, NORAD uses their advanced technology to track Santa.

The tradition started in 1955 when a Denver area Sears store published an ad with a special Santa hot-line. But the phone number printed in the ad was wrong and rang the NORAD Commander-in-Chief's office. Colonel Harry Shoup told his staff to check the radar and sure enough, there was a blip showing Santa's location!

Over the years the Santa telephone hot-line was replaced by the Internet which now allows for real-time tracking of Santa's sleigh, no matter where he is.

In case you missed the link above, click here to track Santa.

Merry Christmas from ABC13 Eyewitness Weather!

Houston A.M.S. Chapter visits ABC13

The Houston Chapter of the American Meteorological Society stopped by ABC13 for a visit. Members toured the newsroom, control room, studio and the weather center, of course.  I explained how we use a network of 15 computers to help manage data, create weather graphics and produce a live weathercast. I also talked about the science behind our MegaDoppler13 radar and our exclusive FutureTrack computer model.

There was a lot of discussion about how the job of broadcast meteorologists has changed over the years. In addition to our on-air responsibilities, our forecasts are now available on several other platforms, including the Internet and GSTV.

According to the Chapter website, members are "meteorologists and scientists working for many different types of industry, government, private and media."  However membership is open to "everyone and anyone who is interested in weather and weather-related topics." Dues are only $10 per year.

Cutting the cost of hot water

Now that the temperatures have dropped, the furnace is kicking on more often. And your water heater is probably working overtime too, especially if it’s in your garage or attic. Earthgauge, an environmental resource, estimates a water heater can account for about a quarter of your home energy use.

Wrapping your water heater tank with an insulating blanket will reduce heat loss and cut your water heater costs by almost 10%. Considering a water heater blanket costs less than $20, you’ll recoup the cost in just a few months. Insulating the hot water pipes running from the water heater can also save you money. Once you have everything wrapped, try lowering the water heater thermostat a few degrees. Dropping the hot water temperature just 10 degrees could save you 3-5% on your energy costs.

Desperate Housewives Tornado Warning

Why does Hollywood have such a tough time talking about the weather? Perhaps, it's because the weather is always so nice in California where the writers, actors, directors and producers all live. It's a place where it's unlikely a powerful tornado will touch down, except if you live on Wisteria Lane.

I found myself laughing during some of the more "dramatic" parts of Desperate Housewives last night. The nosy/neighborly Bree took time to prepare storm kits for her friends, complete with flashlights and bottled water. The new family on the street put tape on the windows, like we used to do before a hurricane.  And throughout the whole episode the wind blew faster and faster, with nary a drop of rain or flash of lightning.

The set decorators got it right with the final shot, however, perhaps the most realistic moment in the show. Debris was scattered everywhere, as it should be. The lumber and building scraps you see in the shot were salvaged from other movie sets that were being torn down. Household items were bought at thrift stores and scattered along Wisteria Lane. The only building damaged during filming was Mrs. McCluskey's house. All other damage was simulated.

You can watch the full episode online. But it could be awhile before you find out what happens after the storm.  Apparently, the conclusion to last night's cliffhanger was suppose to kick off a run of new episodes which haven't been written yet because of the writers' strike.

New HD map of Antarctica

A new set of high definition maps of Antarctica are expected to aid research and exploration.

The maps were compiled using 1100 Landsat images taken of the frozen continent over the past three years. NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Science Foundation and the British Antarctic Survey collaborated to create the new maps.

Image courtesy USGS

Holiday gift ideas for weather fanatics

Tis' the season for holiday shopping. If you're stumped on what to buy the weather fanatic in your house, here are some ideas:

Weather Station New models are completely wireless and use solar energy to power the remote thermometer, hygrometer and electronic rain gauge. Some use symbols on the display panel to forecast the weather based on air pressure.

 

Barometer Just like your grandpa used to have. This old-style weather instrument monitors the air pressure and indicates fair or stormy weather ahead.

 

Galileo Thermometer This beautiful conversation piece accurately shows the current temperature using weighted, colored bulbs suspended in a glass tube.

 

Sun Dial Every garden should have a sun dial. It not only looks good...it works, too!

 

Compass For travelers and adventurous people, a compass will lead them home again.

 

Wind Chimes Your neighbors will love these. Don't bother with the tiny chimes; go for the big, long gongs!

 

Wind Vane If I had a barn, I'd have a wind vane stuck on top. Fancy metal wind vanes can be expensive, however.

 

Whirlygigs Cheaper than wind vanes, these comical wind toys are sure to bring a smile.

 

Books Your favorite bookstore is stocked with books on weather and the environment. You'll find coffee table picture books, scientific analysis and opinion books and lots of children's books.

To find these weather gifts online, start with Google. If you have any other suggestions, click the comment option below.

Happy Holidays!

Your personal Thanksgiving travel forecast

The number one question we get this time of year is, "What's the weather going to be this week in
    (fill in the blank  .

A personalized travel forecast is just a click away!  Go to our website www.abc13.com and click on the weather page. In the upper right corner you'll find the "Personal Forecast" option. Just enter the zip code or name of the city you'll be visiting.

And have a safe trip!

Tree planting time in Houston

Even though our local garden nurseries are starting to set out holiday decorations, there are still plenty of trees, shrubs and flowers available. And this is the perfect time for planting. Roots will have a chance to grow and become established before the harsh heat and humidity return next summer.

There about 110 different types of trees in the Houston area. In addition to providing shade, trees also absorb pollution and reduce water runoff during our heavy thundershowers.  But over the past 30 years, the number of trees in town has decreased. A study conducted in 2003 showed trees only cover about 17 percent of the land in residential areas and about 7% of the land in commercial and industrial areas. You can help keep your yard cool and our city looking great by planting a tree this fall.

Change your clocks this weekend

You'll get an extra hour of sleep this weekend. Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 AM Sunday. Set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed Saturday night. This is a week later than last year. The change in days was mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. DST now runs from the second Sunday in March through the first Sunday in November.

Most computers will automatically adjust to Central Standard Time, provided you've been updating the software on a regular basis. Microsoft does have a help page for those who need assistance setting the clock on their computer.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends you also change the batteries in your smoke detectors this weekend. The "Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery" campaign has been saving lives for over 20 years. The group says three children per day die in house fires. Even though 96% of American homes have smoke detectors, 19% do not work due to worn or missing batteries. "Having a working smoke alarm in your home doubles your chances of surviving a home fire."

Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend!

It won’t be quite as dark for trick-or-treaters this year. The sun doesn't set until 6:40 PM…an hour later than it did last Halloween. Last year we were already back to Central Standard Time and the sun set at 5:40 PM. Beginning this year, Daylight Saving Time lasts through the first Sunday in November. We’ll set our clocks back this coming Saturday night. By the way, idea of "saving daylight" was first proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784.

Great morning for a Walk

My family and I participated in the Walk Now Autism at Reliant Stadium Saturday morning. The weather was perfect: sunny and cool!  By my count a few thousand people helped raise funds and awareness of a disorder that strikes 1 out of 150 people.  It was very heartwarming to see family teams walking together, many wearing personalized t-shirts in support of an autistic child.

Before the walk several speakers, including Houston Texans special teams coach Joe Marciano, told the crowd about their own experiences with Autism.

Signs along the route reminded walkers that every 20 seconds another person is diagnosed with Autism, the disorder is more likely to strike boys, and the number of people effected by Autism Spectrum Disorders continues to climb.

For more information about Autism, visit the Autism Speaks website.

Tonight's Low: 18°C

Does that sound cold? It's not. 18° Celsius is equal to 64° Fahrenheit. And while that is cooler than it has been, it's still a little warmer than our average low.

Beginning today you'll see the temperature in Celsius on the weathercasts during 13 Eyewitness News. It will be included every day, along with the temperature in Fahrenheit, when we show the current weather conditions in Houston and Galveston.

We are not trying to convert people to the metric system! Rather, it's the other way around. Houston is an international city. There are lots of people from around the world moving here, working in our energy and technology companies, and visiting our renowned hospitals. We hope this helps them transition to our city. Furthermore, kids learn the metric system in school. This will be one way they can apply their knowledge everyday.

The suggestion came from one of our viewers. H.O. from Katy sent me an email last month and I posted the idea here on the Houston weather blog. The feedback was overwhelmingly favorable.

We always appreciate hearing from our viewers so whether or not you like the idea, let us know!  Post your comments below.

Today's date, by the way, is 10/10 which has been unofficially designated International Metric Day since the metric system uses multiples of ten to designate length, weight, speed, etc.

My air conditioner is tired

Saturday afternoon my wife woke me up from a nap to tell me the air conditioner wasn't working. "It's 80 degrees in here!" she said.

Tom, my trusted repairman, gave me the bad news today. The compre$$or is shot. And if I'm going to replace it with a new high-efficiency system, Tom says I should also replace the in$ide evaporator coil$. I don't have too many other choices. Ironically, the same A.C. unit  went out on me two years ago this week. It chugs along all summer, trying to keep us cool and just when the weather starts to turn, it gives out. It's tired.

The cool front moving through tonight will only drop our temperatures a few degrees. We'll be cooling off to "normal" with highs in the upper 80s instead of the low 90s. But another push of cool air toward the end of the week should make it feel a lot better, with cooler mornings and lower humidity.

By then my new air conditioner will be installed. And I won't need it.

Creation Station: Do it yourself weathercast!

A company called RipRoar is selling a toy that allows you to create your own TV weathercasts. That's not what they're promoting. The Creation Station is being marketed to teens who want to make their own videos. But everything you need to create a TV weathercast is included! You get the camera, editing software and your very own green-screen! Our secret is out.

For those who don't know, we use this same technology to put the weathermaps behind us at ABC13. We stand in front of a green-screen when we do the weather. The weathermaps, MegaDoppler13 HD, Towercam, etc., are added electronically by the control room. To see where we're pointing we look at monitors positioned off to the side, just out of camera view. This process is called "chromakey."  The chroma (color, green in this case) is keyed (or cut) from the picture and replaced with video from another source.

You'll need weathermaps, of course. You can find plenty of these on the Internet. Simply arrange your maps in Power Point and video tape yourself in front of the green-screen. You're on-the-air!  Let me know if you try this. Better yet, send me the edited video and I'll post it here on the Houston weatherblog!

Tonight's Weather...in Celsius?

A viewer from Katy wrote to me this week suggesting we give the temperature in Celsius as well as Fahrenheit during our weathercasts.  He pointed out that "Houston is in many ways an international city." Many of our current residents and visitors are from other countries where Celsius is used.

I'll admit, at first I was against the idea only because our maps are pretty full right now. But we wouldn't have to show the Celsius temp on every map. Couldn't we just show it on the current conditions graphic? There's room, as you can see by the test image to the right.

But is this something viewers want? I've been working in TV weather for almost 25 years and this is the first time someone has requested the temperature in Celsius. I need your input. Please post your comments below. If enough people like the idea, we'll try it out.

Texans Cheerleaders cheer for the weather!

Three Texans Cheerleaders were in the studio last week taping a promo for our high school football website. There's an unwritten rule that we can't ask visiting celebrity guests for autographs or photos because they come to the studio to work. But they asked me if I'd take a picture with them!  Hey, I'm all for making the viewers happy. So, of course I agreed to take a picture with the cheerleaders. (I'm taller than I look on TV, but they're shorter than they look on the field.)

Ashley, the cheerleader on my left, said she liked my "moves." She was talking about the hand gestures I use during my weathercast. I never thought of them as "moves." But if she likes them, I guess I'll keep doing whatever I'm doing.

Eyewitness Weather is now LIVE!

A couple of weeks ago we quietly made the transition to a new mega-sized weather system that gathers and displays all data live...and in High Definition! Our old computer system required each graphic to be rendered before we went on the air, which depending on the data, could take several minutes...for each graphic.

Here's the advantage of live data: just the other night while I was on-the-air I heard the alarm go off indicating a new statement had been issued by the National Hurricane Center. The next graphic in my weathercast happened to be the one showing the position of the hurricane. And there it was! The data was updated LIVE! This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "This just in...."

Our new system was designed by WeatherCentral, one of the largest weather companies in the world. It includes a network of eight computers that work together to gather satellite and radar data, surface and upper air readings, computer models, hurricane and severe weather reports, and more! We had to build a special server rack behind the news set to hold all the computers.

You might have also noticed that ABC13 meteorologists now interact with the data live, on-air. We can actually run the computer while standing in front of the camera! Using patented technology, the computers map our body and places the mouse at the tip of our finger. We click special buttons on our remote control to left click or right click, just like we would if we were sitting in front of a computer.

There are several other new features coming. Stay tuned!

Near Record Traffic on abc13.com!

WOW!  The web department tells me we registered 3.3 million pageviews on our website during the flooding on Thursday, August 16!  That's the second highest total for any ABC owned television station. (The record was set by KTRK the day before Hurricane Rita made landfall in 2005.)

Most people were tracking the storms online with MegaDoppler13.

THANK YOU for making ABC13 your choice for local news and weather coverage: on-the-air and on-line.

Remembering Marvin Zindler

Every night before Marvin would file his reports, he'd sit in the weather center and talk to us while he waited for the studio crew to call him to the set. He'd share his thoughts about the stories in the news that day or whatever was concerning him and of course, we'd talk about the weather.

I remember one night when he tried to tell Ed Brandon that he should start wearing a wig. Ed just rolled his eyes. He knew you couldn't win an argument with Marvin. One night he didn't like the tie I was wearing and he gave me a long lecture on proper TV attire, suggesting I should try and dress more like him. I think he was serious.

When people talk about Marvin, they often reminisce about the first time they met him. I won't forget the last time I saw him. Just a couple of weeks ago Marvin was sitting in the weather center, as usual, but this time he just sat there silently watching the news. I turned and said something like, "Marvin what's wrong, you don't have anything to complain about today?"  He didn't answer. He just shook his head. Yet a few minutes later, there he was on-the-air making a passionate case for someone who needed help. The story he didn't tell that night was that he needed help and it would take a real angel to solve his problem.

Marvin Zindler was a real TV legend, a local icon, a hero to many.  And I got to know him and work with him, one of the greatest pleasures in my career.

Lessons Learned While It's Raining

Sunday evening I sat with my sons on our patio and watched the rain come down. One of them asked why we could feel the raindrops even though we were covered by the roof. Another answered that the wind was blowing around the raindrops. We chatted about  lightning and started counting the number of seconds between the flash and rumble of thunder. After a bit we were able to predict whether the storm was moving closer or moving away.  One of the boys wondered how many gallons of rain water was falling in our yard. Another wondered how deep the puddles were. Then we felt a rush of cool air. Without missing a beat, my youngest looked skyward and said, "Whoa! Do that again God!"

You can't plan moments like this. They just happen. Unfortunately in our busy world they don't happen often enough. We sat there watching the rain for about twenty minutes.

There's a lot of rain in the forecast the next few days. We expect more widespread heavy showers again by Thursday and continuing thru the weekend. I know we don't need the rain; the ground is saturated and some local rivers are above flood stage. But if the kids are driving you crazy because they can't play outside in the soggy yard, take advantage of the rain and use it as a teaching moment. It's time well spent.

Talking Weather on COX Radio Stations

Every few months Mike Mollett, public affairs director for COX radio stations in Houston, invites me in to talk about the weather. I'm used to speaking in 2 1/2 minute segments so given the chance to talk 30 minutes about the weather is something I really enjoy.

Mike is a life-long fan of 13 Eyewitness News. And he's a self-proclaimed "weather nut." My kind of friend!

You can listen this Sunday morning at 6:00 AM on 106.9 The Point and the New 93Q. The same program will also be broadcast at 6:30 AM Sunday morning on 107.5 The New K-Hits and on Country Legends 97.1.

Chevy's Freedom Over Texas

Houston's downtown skyline is about to get lit up again by the largest land-based fireworks show in the nation.  I'm talking, of course, about Chevy's Freedom Over Texas July 4th celebration.  The rain or shine event will certainly go on, but even if not a drop of rain falls between now and then, organizers are already seeking higher ground.

Normally we think of summer droughts altering our plans to pop fireworks because of ultra-dry conditions.  This summer deluge has brought the exact opposite ground conditions, yet the end result is still the same.  Today the City of Sugar Land announced that is will cancel its July 4th celebration because recent rains in Oyster Creek Park have left the ground too soggy.

How do you plan to "weatherproof" your July 4th celebration?

Greetings from Prairieburg, Iowa

The corn is "knee high by the 4th of July," just like the farmers want. And the weather is perfect! Sunny, no humidity, lows in the 50s and highs near 80. I don't remember the weather ever being this nice when I was growing up here.

I'm on vacation this week, taking a break from the Houston heat, humidity and relentless rain. Travis Herzog will be updating the blog when necessary. And Ed Brandon will be making a guest appearance on 13 Eyewitness News at 6 and 10 PM this week.

Prairieburg is too small to appear on most maps. Population: 178. It's just northeast of Cedar Rapids, between Anamosa and Manchester. Yes, they do have running water. But my cellphone doesn't work here. There's no Weather Channel. And the Internet is only available on super slow dial-up. I really couldn't "work" even if I wanted to. Nope. I'm on vacation. You should try it sometime.

New Stamps Feature Pollinators

The United States Post Office is all abuzz with the release of a new series of stamps that are intended to bring awareness to the role pollinators have in preserving our environment.  Available in 20-stamp booklets, each set of four stamps interlock to create a picture that emphasizes the relationship between birds, butterflies, bats, bees and the plants they pollinate.

According to the USPS, "insect-pollinated plants provide us with about one-third of the foods we eat and the beverages we drink. A world without pollinators is a world without strawberries, apples, almonds, berries, and even one-half of the oils in our diet."

The 41-cent stamps are available now at your local post office.

Galveston Nature Preserve Plans

Kudos to Galveston mayor Lyda Ann Thomas and the Galveston Tourism Council for exploring the idea of creating an environmental education center at the city's East End Lagoon. While it probably won't draw Schlitterbahn-like crowds, the proposed project will provide another option for tourists spending time on the island. Thomas' idea is to have a network of trails and bird-watching stations built by 2010.

On the west end of the island, Marquette Land Investments has promised their master planned community will not have a negative impact on the environment. They plan to set aside 362 acres for a nature preserve between 8 mile and 11 mile roads, while also building 4000 homes, a hotel, condominiums and a golf course. This plan has been met with a lot of public opposition. But that didn't keep the Galveston Planning Commission from voting to allow the project to proceed.

There's a lot going on in Galveston these days. New houses, condos and businesses are going up all over the place. It's good to see that some local leaders are trying to preserve some natural beauty to counter the glut of t-shirt shops and neon signs.

Backyard Birds are Disappearing

Urban sprawl and industrial development are responsible for the decline in the number of backyard birds, according to the National Audubon Society. Since 1967 the number of individual species is down by as much as 80 percent! A count of twenty common birds shows the population is down by at least half in the last forty years.

The AP recently reported the West Nile virus is also to blame for the decline in the population of seven species of birds. The virus is spread by mosquitoes and can be deadly for birds.

Birds are part of our fragile ecosystem. They eat insects, help pollinate plants and provide musical and visual beauty to our world.

You can make your yard more bird-friendly by planting plants that are native to this area, like Viburnum and Southern Magnolias. And keep your bird feeder stocked. If squirrels are an issue, may I recommend a squirrel-proof feeder that will provide hours of entertainment.

Photo by Greg Lavaty, from www.gcbo.org

Radar Used to Fight Global Warming?

An online newsletter "reports" that weather radars could be used to help fight global warming. According to the ecoEnquirer, radars operated in reverse could suck energy out of the atmosphere and reduce air temperatures by as much as three degrees per day! That's some MegaCooling!

If you enjoy reading the Onion you'll like the ecoEnquirer. Writers attack serious topics with an irreverent sense of humor. Other articles reveal that Russia used weather modification to create the record number of hurricanes in 2005 and the Vatican is being sued over "Acts of God."

It's all a parody, of course.

Paris Hilton Weather: Because We Care

We will all remember exactly where we were the minute we heard Paris Hilton was headed back to jail. The "Breaking News" that "everyone is talking about" came as shock to me.  The shocking part was that it was considered "Breaking News" and that the media (including my own station) thinks everyone is talking about Paris Hilton.

So who can blame me for feeling left out of the "Team Coverage" for this non-event? To help viewers completely understand what was at stake here, I decided to create a graphic showing the weather in Los Angeles today....the type of weather Paris Hilton will only get to view now from inside a jail cell.  This was the only part of the in-jail/out-of-jail/in-jail story that was not being talked about!! Now, our coverage is complete.

Let's move along to something that really matters.

Starbucks' Grounds for Gardens

During our Earth Day special in April, a representative from Starbucks came by to talk about their "Grounds for Gardens" project. The coffee shops give away free, used coffee grounds to be used as fertilizer in your garden. You can pick up a bag at any Starbucks. If you don't see the bags set out for the taking, just ask the barista for some. They're happy to get rid of them.

I got about three bags and sprinkled the grounds around my azelea bushes which apparently like the acidic coffee grounds. I probably should have done a soil test first. But I knew my azeleas needed help. They were looking woody and the leaves were yellow. Within a few days of giving them a coffee jolt, my azeleas perked up, new leaves sprouted and old leaves turned a nice, deep green.

To be sure, these are USED coffee grounds intended for the garbage or garden, not your coffee maker.

What's the Weather Man?

Fellow blogger and co-worker Mike McGuff sent me a link to these retro 1950s weather animations.

The weather forecast used to be so simple. No MegaDoppler13. No satellites. No FutureTrack. Yet viewers got exactly what they wanted...the forecast.

Weather Dreams: A Chance of Squirt and Twinkies

First of all, I am a prolific dreamer. I dream almost every night and my dreams are complicated, crazy, wonderful, sometimes scary and occasionally bizarre.

The other night I had a dream that I was sitting on a bench at UofH when I heard a loud scream. I turned and saw a man holding a baby. He was dripping wet and looking up at the sky. I looked up to see what might have fallen on him and that's when I saw this yellow can heading right toward me! I jumped out of the way and the can hit the ground and exploded, sending a gush of liquid all over the place. Then more cans started to fall. People started running and screaming! That's when I noticed these were cans of Squirt soda falling from the sky. And not the new Squirt; the label had the old yellow and green logo. Then suddenly, Twinkies started falling from the sky...with the Squirt!  Someone next to me picked up a Twinkie and started to eat it.  He seemed to enjoy it but I noticed the end of the Twinkie was gray and the freshness date was sometime in 2004. That's when I woke up.

What does it mean!??! Post your comments below.

Loving Lake Livingston

One of my favorite roads in southeast Texas is Highway 2025 between Cleveland and Coldspring. The minute you turn off 59 and head west you know you've left the city. The winding road thru the tall pines of the Sam Houston National Forest is a beautiful drive. Traffic moves a little slower and some folks even wave as you pass by.

Friends from Church invited us to join them at their house on Lake Livingston on Sunday. Although dark clouds occasionally passed overhead, there was no thunder on the lake.  The kids enjoyed several hours of boating, skiing and tubing. I need my arms and legs to do my job, so I just rode along in the boat. It was a wonderful way to spend the day. I could get used to that!

(And the BBQ was great, Juan!)

Wet Holiday Weekend

Take a look at this graphic showing the moisture convergence across Texas Saturday morning. Scary isn't it!?

Is this a bad omen? We already have rain in the forecast thru Memorial Day. Maybe we should add more.

EZ does it

When the weather turns cooler, I try and spend as much time outside as I can. This morning I was up early, out working in my yard. I love mowing, trimming and digging in the dirt. The only thing that frustrates me is trying to get the yard tools started.

The year my wife and I bought our first house I bought a cheap lawn mower. This mower wasn't self-propelled, wasn't a mulcher and didn't have an electronic starter. But it ran. That little mower worked for me for almost 15 years! One day my Dad was visiting and asked if I had ever changed the spark plug or air filter on the mower. Of courese, I hadn't. So we did. And that mower never started again.

After I moved to Houston, I bought a new mower and this time decided to step it up a little. I bought a high-end model. I didn't opt for the electronic starter and probably should have. That mower has never started with less then 10 pulls, even though it says "EZ Start!" right on the case.

My trimmer was even worse; that thing wouldn't start with less than 20 pulls and I paid a lot for that too. So last night I was in the store looking for a new trimmer. One advertised it was "40% Easier to Start!" which I took to mean it started in 12 pulls instead of 20. I didn't buy that one. Instead I bought the cheapest model on the shelf manufactured by a company I have never heard of. It was the only one that didn't claim to be "EZ" anything. This morning I put it together and it started up on the second pull.

I'm going back tomorrow to buy a new leaf blower.

Trees of Life

We hear a lot of complaining about Houston's "urban sprawl&qu