Wichita Falls Sunday Morning's 8 Degrees Really Feeling Like 2 Below Zero

Saw that which you see above, this Sunday morning, on Facebook. There may be a lot of whining about the current temperature, with the Arctic Blast blasting across Texas, starting yesterday. 

But, the weather whining is well merited, what with just a couple days ago we were being heated into the 70s. It is jarring to go from that pleasant warmth, to how cold it is this Sunday morning, with the wind making 8 degrees above zero really feel like 2 degrees below zero.

The predicted precipitation has not precipitated, yet.

So, no snow or ice.

Yet.

As you can see via the above screen cap, we are at 100% cloud cover currently in Wichita Falls.

Looking out the window that cloud cover looks menacing.

Saturday's walk around Mount Wichita was way too cold.

Any walking outside of my abode today will be taking place in Walmart...

The Predicted Deep Freeze Keeps Getting Colder The Closer The Arctic Blast Gets To North Texas

We are having a heat wave, not a tropical heat wave, a winter Texas heat wave is what we are having, on this second Thursday of the new year.

A heat wave that won't last a full 24 hours, with the high today of 71, before freezing tonight at 24.

The predicted temperatures for the days of the incoming Arctic Blast have been lowered. With the Arctic Blast now arriving on Saturday, with a high of 39, a low of 8, then Sunday we do not get above freezing, with a high of 17, a low of 4, then even colder on Monday, with a high of 16, a low of 3.

We then begin to warm up on Tuesday, with a high of 26, a low of 18.

I saw that which you see below, on Facebook, this morning. Pretty much sums up winter weather in North Texas.

I am hoping the Texas grid does not collapse again, like it did the last time it got as cold as the current prediction...

Arctic Blasts Into Texas Colder Than Predicted

The Arctic Blast blasted in colder than the predictors predicted it would this Sunday before Christmas.

10 degrees.

With the wind making those 10 degrees feel like 4 degrees below zero.

That is cold.

Real cold.

All the faucets in my abode are currently in prevent frozen pipes drip mode.

I suspect there are currently a lot of faucets dripping all over America.

Except in Florida and Hawaii.

Relief from this iceberg is supposed to arrive within 48 hours.

Just in time for this visitor from the Far North I got myself a new highly insulated jacket from Costco.

I have yet to test this highly insulated jacket at the current temperature level. I suspect it will do a mighty fine job of keeping me warm.

If not, I shall make sure when I am in the outer world today that there is never much distance between me and a warm interior space....

Incoming Arctic Blast To Cool 250,179,444 People In 41 States With Dallas Possibly Covered In Ice

Yesterday was the first I heard that an Arctic Blast is bearing down on America from an icy storm generated in the far north zone of the Bering Sea.

The Dallas Observer screencap on the left was captured on Facebook this morning.

The Dallas Observer blog article about this incoming weather event is titled Arctic Blast Threatens Dallas, Weather Forecasters Rejoice.

One of the rejoicing weather forecasters referred to is Pete Delkus, an entity thought by many to be the reigning Weather Drama King  of North Texas.

The Pete Delkus Drama King thing sort of comes through in the Pete Delkus Twitter Tweet which the Dallas Observer included in its Facebook post....

It's on the way!! RT @RyanMaue: Next week's Arctic blast will threaten 41 States and 250,179,444 people---Pete Delkus.

How did Mr. Delkus get such precision for the number of people threatened by this incoming Arctic Blast?

Looking at the AccuWeather 15-day forecast AccuWeather has the Arctic Blast lowering the temperature in the North Texas zone to a couple degrees above freezing, starting next Tuesday.

The Dallas Observer interpretation of the weather forecast has it being an incoming Apocalypse, covering Dallas in a sheet of thick ice, wreaking havoc on the power grid, causing Krogers to run out of bread and other essential vittles, along with traffic frozen to a standstill.

I think the Dallas Observer was having itself a mighty fine time doing its version of being a Weather Drama Queen....

A Drizzly Swim Before Today's Arctic Blast Blew Cold In To Texas

In the picture you are looking north at the northern part of the security fence which protects me from intruders and helps create the illusion I live in a minimum security prison.

This morning when I woke up my computer I saw that the outer world was being heated to 51 degrees. I was expecting the outer world to be colder, what with the predicted Arctic Blast.

When I exited my abode soon after the sun began its daily lighting job I was surprised to find the path to the pool to be damp. And then I realized a light drizzle was drizzling.

This light drizzle must have been the predicted rain which was predicted to precede the predicted Arctic Blast.

The drizzle was so light I really could not say I was swimming in the rain this morning. I could say I was swimming in a strong wind, making for a wind chill factor that did feel a bit chilly. I did three cycles out of the pool into the warm-up device known as a hot tub before terminating this morning's swimming after about 20 minutes.

By mid-morning the ever more breezy wind had blown away the clouds and brought that aforementioned Arctic Blast to town, dropping the temperature into the 40s, on its way to tonight's freeze.

I strongly suspect I will not be going for my regularly scheduled swim tomorrow morning.

Tandy Hills Hoodoo Destroyed Before Incoming Arctic Blast Deep Freeze

I was shocked today, shocked I tell you, to discover that the Tandy Hills Hoodoo has been destroyed.

Sometime between when I saw the Hoodoo on Saturday and did not see it today, the Tandy Hills Hoodoo was toppled.

I saw no evidence of who it was who may have perpetrated this act.

Was this Hoodoo hoodlumizing behavior the destructive act of yet one more Mormon Boy Scout troop run amok?

I doubt it.

Whoever it was who decided to topple the Tandy Hills  Hoodoo scattered its pieces, making re-assembly by Mother Nature, are whoever it was who brought about the Hoodoo, difficult.

Changing the subject from Hoodoo heartbreak to my favorite subject. That being the weather.

As you can see via the graphic generated by my computer based weather monitoring device, currently the outer world, at my location is being heated to 71 degrees.

But, a BIG CHILL is on its way. An Arctic Blast is scheduled to blast into town tomorrow, bringing with it a low of 29. As in freezing.

When I moved to Texas, way back in the last century,  I remember the first of what were to be many shocks was the shocking weather.

I left Washington with rain downpouring. I arrived in Fort Worth, well, actually Haslet, to the strongest downpour I'd ever seen, with ditches flooding, water puddled in copious amounts. I did not realize Fort Worth and North Texas got rain that made Western Washington's infamous rain seem like a drizzle by comparison.

Arriving to heavy rain was a mild shock compared to what happened next.

A week after my arrival in Texas I was at the now long gone Riscky Rita's in the Fort Worth Stockyards. When I exited my vehicle, in a t-shirt, to walk to Riscky Rita's, the temperature was in the 70s. It felt very warm to my then acclimated to Washington in winter, self.

Whilst enjoying a lengthy visit with the Riscky Rita Tex-Mex buffet I noticed a strong wind had begun blowing. Exiting Riscky Rita's I was shocked to find that the temperature had plummeted, rendering a t-shirt insufficient outerwear.

I remember thinking to myself, I thought I was moving to a warmer, drier climate, and now this?

That night the temperature dropped to 15 degrees. We did not know what to do about the pool's water circulating system, or how to turn off the water to the barn. It seemed a disaster in the making.

But, by morning, all got worst, when I woke up to see the first ice storm I'd ever seen.

It was shocking. I'd never seen anything like it. Everything covered with a thick coat of ice.

A few days later the outer world was back being heated into the 70s. Thus was my introduction to Texas weather......

An Early May Arctic Blast Makes For A Chilly Texas

Supposedly when the Arctic Blast makes its predicted arrival in the D/FW zone we will know it has arrived because the temperature will drop 15 - 20 degrees in about a half an hour.

20 degrees colder than the current temperature would be 28 degrees, if my math is correct.

Freezing in May?

When is that much promised Global Warming ever going to arrive?

I remember way back in May of 2000 I had driven up to Washington to attend a funeral. On the way back to Texas, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, I was quite surprised to learn I could travel no further south due to the freeway being closed due to snow. One could not head south, east or west from Cheyenne. This had the motels getting full. I got the next to last room at a Super 8.

I doubt we will be getting any snow in Texas from this Arctic Blast.

This morning whilst in the pool a very light drizzle precipitated. And speaking of the pool. The pool was way less cool than the air, so much so that the temperature differential created the illusion that the pool was heated.

Snow Is Forecast For The Super Bowl With A New Arctic Blast Heading To North Texas On Tuesday

It is first Sunday of the 2nd month of 2011. It is also the first day of February that has started above freezing.

The Super Bowl starts up in around 9 hours and 32 minutes. The Dallas Morning News conveniently has a Super Bowl Countdown Clock on their home page.

I've not seen a Super Bowl Countdown Clock on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's home page. But, unlike the Dallas paper the Star-Telegram's home page is pretty much all about the Super Bowl.

As you can see via the view from my patio viewing platform, most of the snow and ice has melted.

However, snow is in the forecast for today. I really don't see that happening.

But, the National Weather Service has issued one of its SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTS. And in that statement we learn that another Arctic cold front will be arriving in North Texas on Tuesday, putting us back in the Deep Freeze and bringing with it more sleet and snow. The SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT is below, all in capitals, which I've mentioned before is Internet-speak for shouting. The National Weather Service should no better than to shout.

...WINTRY PRECIPITATION LIKELY WEDNESDAY...

A STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH NORTH TEXAS TUESDAY NIGHT...BRINGING A GOOD CHANCE OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES ON TUESDAY AND MOVE EAST ACROSS OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS ON WEDNESDAY. WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION WILL AFFECT MUCH OF NORTH TEXAS TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. THE PRECIPITATION WILL START AS RAIN OR FREEZING RAIN...AND MAY TRANSITION TO SLEET AND SNOW. SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE BELOW FREEZING DURING MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION EVENT...WHICH WOULD RESULT IN ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE AND SNOW.

THIS SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS TO TRAVEL. IF YOU ARE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS NORTH TEXAS OR SURROUNDING AREAS ON WEDNESDAY...CHECK THE LATEST FORECASTS BEFORE DEPARTING.

Tonight Battling Wal-Mart Grackles While Thinking Of The Super Bowl Buffet If The Ice Storm Gets Real Bad

The Grackle takeover of the Eastchase Wal-Mart and Sam's Club continues.

I was at Wal-Mart just as the light of the sun was dimming for the day.

Around 6.

Wal-Mart was super busy with what looked like panicked people stocking up on supplies due to the incoming Arctic Blast which starts arriving sometime in the wee hours.

I believe rain is expected at first, followed by sleet by the time the sun returns, Tuesday morning, followed by snow.

So, tomorrow may be a Snow Day in North Texas. I know I won't be going to school. That's for sure.

I did not do any panicked food buying in anticipation of an Ice Storm. I can walk to an Albertsons and a Krogers across the street from my abode. And several restaurants, including the best Chinese buffet I've been to in the D/FW Metroplex, with the very odd name of Super Bowl Buffet.

I do not know if the Super Bowl Buffet is having anything special on the buffet for the Super Bowl.

The Non-Freezing Last Morning Of The First Month Of 2011 With An Arctic Blastl Heading To North Texas With A Wind Chill Below Zero

Looking out my viewing portal at the dawn of the last day of the first month of 2011 which has arrived 6 degrees above freezing.

If the weather prognosticators are to be believed this will be the last morning, for awhile, that will not be well below freezing, as we are heading into one of the most significant cold spells in North Texas in many years.

Just in time to greet football fans arriving for Sunday's Super Bowl.

Thunderstorms may be booming later today.

Strong winds will be blasting in Tuesday night, bringing the Big Chill, with the wind chill plunging to below zero.

Yesterday, when I saw all the temporary Super Bowl structures built on the former parking lots that surround the Dallas Cowboy Stadium, the first thing that crossed my mind was what if those things get blasted by a windstorm.

If it gets windy during daylight hours I think I'll go hang out on the Stadium Wal-Mart parking lot to watch what happens live.

In the meantime I am not going swimming this morning.

Warning: DEEP FREEZE & SNOW AHEAD IN NORTH TEXAS JUST IN TIME FOR THE SUPER BOWL

This afternoon the National Weather Service issued one of their "SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTS" all in CAPITALS, which in Internet speak indicates one is shouting.

Apparently our recent bout of balmy warm weather in North Texas will be coming to an end by Monday night with the arrival from cold Canada of an Arctic cold front.

Snow is possible on Wednesday, with a chance of significant white stuff falling on Friday. Friday is the day of some of the Super Bowl Parties that I have not been invited to. With many more on Saturday. That I have also not been invited to. Followed by Sunday's biggest Super Bowl Party of all. The actual game. Which I may watch on TV.

Methinks Mother Nature is conspiring with the Powers That Be to deliver an icy punch that probably was not what the NFL was looking for when they agreed to come play a game in Jerry Jones' shiny new stadium.

Below is the National Weather Service message in its shouted entirety....

...WINTRY WEEK AHEAD FOR NORTH TEXAS...

AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTH TEXAS MONDAY EVENING... AND SWEEP THROUGH ALL OF NORTH TEXAS BY MID-MORNING TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL THROUGHOUT THE DAY TUESDAY...WITH AFTERNOON READINGS DROPPING INTO THE TEENS IN AREAS NORTHWEST OF FORT WORTH. ALL OF NORTH TEXAS IS EXPECTED TO BE BELOW FREEZING BY TUESDAY EVENING. THE NORTHWESTERN HALF OF NORTH TEXAS MAY REMAIN BELOW FREEZING UNTIL FRIDAY.

FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL IMPACT MUCH OF NORTH TEXAS ON TUESDAY. THE ACTIVITY MAY TRANSITION TO SNOW LATE IN THE MORNING NORTH OF I-20. A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM BRECKENRIDGE...TO MINERAL WELLS...TO GAINESVILLE...WHERE ACCUMULATIONS OF SLEET MAY EXCEED 1/2 INCH. ADDITIONAL ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATION MAY OCCUR JUST SOUTHEAST OF THE WATCH AREA AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED TOMORROW FOR MORE OF THE AREA.

GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH THE FRIGID TEMPERATURES TO PRODUCE WIND CHILLS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. WIND CHILLS MAY FALL BELOW ZERO TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN HALF OF NORTH TEXAS.

SNOW FLURRIES WILL BE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY...WITH A CHANCE OF MORE SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ON FRIDAY.

DURING EXTENDED OUTBREAKS OF COLD WEATHER...IT IS ALWAYS ADVISABLE TO BE PROACTIVE AND PROTECT EXPOSED PIPES WITH INSULATING MATERIAL...AND TO LEAVE A WATER FAUCET SLOWLY DRIPPING OVERNIGHT. OUTDOOR PETS SHOULD BE PROVIDED APPROPRIATE SHELTER...AND RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO DRESS IN LAYERS TO AVOID THE IMPACTS OF COLD TEMPERATURES AND WIND CHILLS. ANYTIME TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL BELOW FREEZING...TURN OFF AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS. SPRINKLER SYSTEMS RUNNING IN SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES CAN CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS.

An Almost Sub-Zero Hike On Fort Worth's Tandy Hills

I now know what it is like to hike the Tandy Hills Natural Sanatorium Area when the wind is blowing hard making the 21 degree temperature feel like 3 degrees.

I overheated. I shed a layer. Then get chilled. Then add back a layer.

I started out with knitted fingertip less gloves. Those were quickly replaced by ski gloves. Getting the ski gloves off to take a picture and then back on brought, back deja vu memories of using the ski gloves to actually ski where there are actually mountains.

I don't know how many calories get burned whilst out in such extreme temperatures doing such extreme activity, but looking at the picture, it appears I don't look anywhere near as fat a Fat Boy as I was yesterday. I'm a real fast dieter.

A really strange thing about the Tandy Hills today. I was on the same trails yesterday, when it was in the 40s. I did not pick up much mud on my hiking boots. Today the temperature was near zero, yet the ground was not frozen, for the most part, and it was oozing mud. A lot of mud. Some strange geological occurrence, I'm sure, that Jovo the Scientist could likely explain, but which just left me perplexed.

When I was done with my Chill Therapy I took the Beach Street route back to my abode, so that I could check on the Trinity River Water Thieves. Nothing going on there today. But speaking of that operation, yesterday's blogging about that operation (click on the Trinity River Water Thieves link to go there) generated one of my favorite Anonymous comments in a long time.

I suspect the Anonymous comment was penned by Fort Worth's corrupt Mayor Mike Moncrief or one of his lackeys. Lord knows he has a lot of lackeys. All on the Gas Driller Take.

The comment from the Anonymous Mike seemed, quite honestly, to have no clue what he was talking about. I felt it was rather reactionary and that Anonymous could benefit from educating himself a bit more on the subject about which he was pontificating.

I'll blog about the Anonymous comment from Mayor Mike (or one of his lackeys) later, but I've got some other stuff to do and writing that blogging will be my treat for getting the other stuff done.

Talk to you later. And you missed a real good Tomato Soup, BBQed Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast & Cherry Tomato Sweet Chili Walnut Salad for lunch.

Making Soup To Warm Up The Arctic Blast Blue Norther That Is Freezing Texas

It is 9:38 AM. As you can see in the screenshot from WeatherBug, which is saying it is 20.3 out there, with the wind making for a Wind Chill Factor of 5 degrees.

BRRRRRR.

I had me a night. Usually I go to bed early. Last night I did not turn out my reading light til a half hour past midnight. I tossed and turned til past 2:30 AM.

And then the nightmares started up, waking me up over and over again.

I slept in til almost 7. That rarely, if ever, happens.

I've dug out my long underwear and ski gloves and other seldom used cold weather gear. I'm going to go hiking the Tandy Hills today.

I am on a soup diet due to my sloth related unsightly weight gain. Yesterday I made Cream of Broccoli Soup. There is some of that left over, but today I wanted Tomato Soup, so that's what I made. I don't know why anyone would buy pre-made soup, due to it being so fast and easy to make homemade, much healthier, soup.

Lunch is around 2 this afternoon. Don't be late.

One Last Tandy Hills Hike Before The Arctic Blast & My Friday Bro-Date

That is the Wednesday, 5 in the afternoon, view of a Tandy Hills Natural Area trail, looking north towards the incoming Blue Norther Arctic Blast from Canada.

I'd not been back to the Tandy Hills since Saturday's incident of being chased up the hills by a Wild Woman with such ferocity that I was sore all over for days.

I heard on the radio, on my way to the Tandy Hills, that with tomorrow's high wind and 15 degree temperature, the wind chill factor will make it feel like zero.

We are at 48 now at 6 pm. The Arctic Blast should arrive soon.

I returned to my abode via Beach Street again. And saw some interesting stuff in the Beach Street/Trinity Trails/Gateway Park Trinity River Water Stealing Operation Zone. I'll get to that in a subsequent blogging.

On a Tandy Hills related note. On the recently concluded Survivor Samoa's final tribal council, Brett asked Mick what they would do on a bro-date. Everyone cracked up. I'd never heard that term before. And have wanted to use it ever since I heard it.

So, today I made a bro-date for Friday to go hiking on the Tandy Hills. This bro-date is a real mystery bro. I know no photo taking of the mystery bro will be allowed. He protects his identity. Which is part of what makes him a mystery bro.

I also did not get a good picture of the Queen of Wink on Saturday. When she saw my camera aimed her way she artfully got herself not pictured, in the face-wise. Due to myself hating having my picture taken, I never bug anyone to look at the camera for me.

Now, my bro-date told me not to wait for him if he does not show up at the appointed time. I have never been stood up on a bro-date before, due to this being my first bro-date. So, the mystery bro better show up. Unless it's too cold. I'll try to understand.