In The Vortex

Category: General Weather

  • My Favorite TV Meteorologists are at KCBD

    A recent thread started over on StormTrack about who was everyone favorite mets, so I added a post and thought I would share it here with my readers.

    My favorites are of course the guys I work with all the time.

    John Robison

    Steve Devine

    Cary Allen

    John is the chief met and has been with KCBD since 1983, a year before I even started chasing, and is like the Dick Clark of weather, they guy just doesn’t age much. No matter how bad things get, even when we have had tornadoes about to plow through a town, he’s always kept a calm cool demeanor and never overplays a situation unlike some of the other stations here do with their “run for your live” reporting on thundershowers.

    Steve is our morning guy and also has a very calm demeanor when sever weather is in progress and always enjoys long conversations in severe weather.

    Cary has every bit as much of a storm chaser heart as I do, even if he can’t get out as much as he would like. He only recently returned to KCBD a couple years ago, he had been there before. He also still does stuff for a lot of central Texas radio stations remotely. We have lengthy conversations about chasing stories and the weather of the day.

    While they are all colleagues, I am also pleased to call them friends. Although we are in a smaller market, I think they are as good of a team of weather guys you can find anywhere, which in do small amount contributes to why KCBD is #1 in our market by a HUGE margin. If you ever are in the area, or staying the night, you’ll get your best weather coverage right there on Ch. 11.

    When svr wx is threatening, almost always all three of them are working together on it.

  • The Killer

    It was a quiet night. While the wind had blown ferociously all day long, it had since subsided and things were calm. Maybe too calm.  The stars shown brightly but not bright enough to keep The Killer at bay.  No, this time the deed was going to be done.

    It was about midnight.  All normal folks have since drifted off in their cozy beds for dreams of far off lands and wild adventures.  And was now the time The Killer could do its best work!  The Killer has been threatening to do its work for a couple of weeks now, but this time it knew it was going to succeed in the dastardly doings, sneaking from town to town, killing freely while everyone slept and few knew about its work, and even they were powerless to stop it, despite their earlier warnings The Killer would be on the loose tonight.

    As the wee hours wore on, The Killer slowly slipped southeastward, taking everything in its deadly grip as it went.  Nothing would be spared it thought!  Suddenly, a glint of light began to peak in the eastern horizon and The Killer knew its time was up.  It would soon have to retreat into hiding.  But tomorrow night…  Yes, tomorrow night.  Things will again be perfect and The Killer can once again roam the area and finish the grand work it had begun this night.

    Yes, last night was the first killing freeze this fall for the South Plains area. At least parts of it. Mostly the northwest half of the South Plains and most of the Texas Panhandle.  It was early for some folks, as much as two weeks early.  Just about on time for others.  Temps as low as 26F were recorded by the West Texas mesonet last night.

    It had begun to look like a second spring, with the recent abundance of rain about a week ago and the more recent warm days.  Everything had really greened up and had a growth spurt.   It all looks dull today.  The rest of the leaves on the annual trees should go ahead and fall off, and the grasses will be turning yellow now.  I guess the good side is one more mowing and I can put it away for the winter.

    It’s not over yet.  While the days look to be darn right outstanding for the next week, it’s going to be hiney freezing chilly at night. It may turn out to be even colder tonight than last, and freeze warnings are in effect tonight for the entire area.

    Yes indeed. Winter is just around the corner.