Texas has been known for extremes. Why way back when I was kid growing up in Pennsylvania, I went to the movies (cost a whole quarter) and watched extremely bad guys get caught by extremely good guys in the extremely great state of Texas. Although I had been in a lot of different states (from Colorado and Montana to Maine and south to Florida, I had never been to Texas. I was in my late 30’s when I finally got to see Texas; flew into Houston for a job interview. Was extremely surprised that all I could see from the plane was green trees and lakes and rivers. Hey, what about that old cowboy movie that showed mountains, deserts, and cactus all around Houston? I guess writers take liberties and movie produces make the movies closer to Hollywood, right?
Texas has extremes in everything, from geography to climate. Today, somewhere in Texas you can find just what suits you. Tomorrow, you may have to move to somewhere else. The weather can change in a matter of hours or less. I have seen 30 to 40 degree drops in temperature as a “blue norther” blew threw. When living in the Dallas area, I went to work one morning in shirt sleeves and when I walked out of the building to go to lunch it was freezing.
The most extreme event I know of happened just ten years ago this week. There was a tropical storm (not a hurricane) that came close to Texas and just sat off shore for awhile. In one day, it rained an extreme amount of rain, 37 inches to be exact. I bet that was the most rain in one day since Noah’s time. It cost more in damages than most full blown hurricanes do.
Now we are in another extreme. Since last October until now, this area has been the driest it has ever been since records have been kept, according to the local TV news. I have been complaining about the drought in my area, now I have proof.
And heat, we had two days in a row that it hit 105 degrees. It not only set new records, but smashed the old ones by 7 degrees for those days. 105 degrees in this east Texas humidity feels like?. . .well. . . HOT as H***!!
Weather, geography, ranches, cities, people, industry, NASA, the Gulf coast, deserts, mountains, forests, plains, lakes, rivers, hot, cold, windy, quiet, clear, foggy, tornadoes, hurricanes, and a bunch of really nice days; yes Texas has all the extremes!!
You all have a nice extreme day now, you hear?
Well, like we REAL TEXANS tell the new comer Yankees!! If you don't like the weather,just wait 30 minutes, It'll change!!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Texas!!
Ben, I seem to recall people say that very same thing in Tennessee... and Maryland... and Illinois!
ReplyDeleteBen, you are both correct, just wait a few minutes and it will change, except in the summer when it gets stuck in a rut.
ReplyDeleteHey Ben you were born in Texas, you didn't have a choice, I chose to move here. Even in Yankee land I wore stove pipe boots and cowboy hats.
Doubt that any records for heat will be set around here, but you never know. I heard from an old timer down here that he had seen it at something like 127 degrees in years past. I'm quiet satisfied with the 113s and stuff like that. (I'd be a lot more satisfied if it would stay below 100!)
ReplyDeleteDavid, 127 degrees would not be nice, let's put off breaking that record for a few years. OK?
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