SPRING  1996

A Weather Research Center newsletter                                                                         Houston,  Texas
THE FIRST ANNUAL WEATHERMAN'S CLASSIC A GREAT SUCCESS

The first annual Weatherman's (or Weatherperson's!) Classic held at the 
Willowisp Country Club on April 15 was a great success.  As a result of 
the beautiful weather, Houstonians should now be convinced that the 
weatherpersons can control the weather, especially when they're playing 
golf!  There was not a cloud in the sky when Houston-area meteorologists 
met for the first golf challenge.  

Local television stations were well represented with both weathercasters 
and news anchors.  They included: Dr. Neil Frank and Kathie Turner (Channel 
11), Gene Norman, Doug Brown and Tom Koch (Channel 13),  Frank Billingsley 
(Channel 2),  Mike Barajas (Channel 26) and Toni Navarre and Cecila Sinclair 
(Channel 51).  The Weatherman's Classic was a fund-raiser to benefit the 
Weather Museum and Education Center, which is being developed by the Weather 
Research Center in Houston.  The Golf tournament helped raise over $5,800 
for the museum.

The results of the golf tournament, a four person scramble, were as follows:  
third place went to the Stewart & Stevenson team of Walter Freeman, Kirk 
Robison and Mark Toon with a score of 62.  There was a tie for first with 
scores of 61 which was broken by hole between the Channel 11 team: Dr. Neil 
Frank, Ron Frank, Joe Duke, and Randy Harris; and a team from ABC Supply 
Company: Don Dalton, Ed McKaughan, Ron Blancett and Arnold Delgado.  First 
place went to the ABC Supply Company Team.   The putting contest was won by 
Don Dalton, longest drive was won by Ron Frank and closest to the pin was 
won by Lee Lockard.

A big thanks to our hole sponsors:  Mid-West Electric Co.; Adam/Gordon 
Insurance; Browning Ferris Industries; Lynn Embrey, P.C.; Helen Freeman-Fine 
Pottery; Forster-Freeman Gallery; Hebinck & Associates, P.C.; Dr. Robert N. 
Gordon; Paul & Martha Freeman; The Weather Channel; West University Bank; 
Greenwood-King Properties, Shirley Westwood;  Houston Chronicle-ThisWeek;  
Donald C. Ruthven, Jr., D.D.S.; Teleport Communications Group; Cisco Systems; 
Houston Cellular; Climate Assessment Technology and Bud Griffin & Associates.


CENTER HAPPENINGS AND PROJECTS

Weather Research Center participated in the Science Engineering Fair once 
again this year.  The Center provides a membership to the best weather 
project.  This year's winner is Dinesh Patel from B.F. Terry High School 
in Rosenberg.

Weather Research Center Board of Trustee, Dr. Robert Simpson, visited the 
enter in May.  Dr. Simpson is a former director of the National Hurricane 
Center in Miami, Florida.

Mike Arellano and Dr. John C. Freeman recently attended the Offshore 
Technology Conference in Houston.

Jill Hasling and Dr. John C. Freeman recently attended the meeting of the 
local chapter of the American Meteorological Society.  The group took a tour 
of the new Transit Center which has combined Metro, Harris County Emergency 
Management and Flood Control.

Plans for fourth annual summer Weather Camps are underway.  Space is limited.  
If you know of any aspiring meteorologists who want to sign up, please tell 
them to do so quickly.  Weather Camp this year will be held on July 9-11, 
16-18 and 23-25.  Please call for times and topics.  The camp is open to all 
students ages 8-18 who have an interest in the weather.

Founding memberships for the Weather Museum are still available.  If you wish 
to become a member of this very elite project, contact the center.

Check out the Center's home page on the World Wide Web.  The staff of the 
center adds new things each week.  E-mail us at wrc@phoenix.net.  Our home 
page is                                                                
	http://www.phoenix.net/~wrc.  Drop by for a visit.

Hurricane season is just around the corner.  All of your plans for your 
families and businesses should be complete.  If you need any information, 
contact the center.


THE WEATHER MUSEUM AND EDUCATION CENTER - UPDATE

Phase 1 of the project to raise funds for the Weather Museum and Education 
Center is almost complete.  There is just over $6,300 needed to be raised.  
This will hopefully be completed by June 15, allowing the Center to purchase 
the property to house the Weather Museum and Education Center.  Phase 2 will 
start in July to raise funds to renovate and remodel the building and to 
build the exhibits.  If you would like to contribute in some manner, please 
contact the Center in order to participate.  The chart below shows the 
breakdown of funds:
<br>
<a href="mus.gif>Chart</a
<br><br>

Phase 1 was kicked of with a challenge grant from Houston Endowment of 
$50,000.  The staff of the center has spent the several months raising the 
funds to meet this challenge.  The chart above represents the various areas 
were the funds have been raised and shows the remaining funds that need to 
be raised.  If you know of any one who would like to make the Weather Museum 
a reality, please let us know.

1996 NORTH ATLANTIC HURRICANE OUTLOOK:
TEN NAMED STORMS; FIVE TO HURRICANE STRENGTH

Unlike last year, the upcoming hurricane season should be less active, that 
according to   research meteorologists Jill F. Hasling and Dr. John C. 
Freeman.  They indicate that the 1996 North Atlantic Hurricane Outlook 
calls for ten named tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Basin, with at least 
five strengthening into hurricanes.  Last year, there were 19 named storms; 
with 11 reaching hurricane strength.    

In addition, the section of the United States Coast which has the highest 
risk of experiencing a tropical storm or hurricane is the east coast from 
Georgia to North Carolina where researchers say there is a 90 percent 
probability of a tropical cyclone striking.   The second highest probability 
of landfalling storms is the west coast of Florida which has a 70 percent 
chance of experiencing a storm.  Rounding out the Gulf Coast, Texas has a 
40 percent chance probability while the coast line from Louisiana to Alabama 
has a 60 percent chance. 

However, each year every section of the United States coast has a chance 
experiencing a storm and residents who live along the coast are reminded to 
prepared regardless of what predictions may indicate.  The outlook issued by 
the Center is based on the Orbital Cyclone Strike Index (OCSI).  The Index 
was developed in 1985 as prediction tool to determine which part of the 
United States coast line has the highest risk of experiencing a storm.  The 
Center has been making predictions using this index since 1986.  During the 
past ten years, there have been only two years (1987 and 1992) when the 
cyclones did not strike in the areas with the highest probability; but 
rather struck in the sections of the second highest probability.

Last year's outlook indicated the west coast of Florida had a 70 percent 
chance of experiencing a tropical cyclone.  This verified with the visits 
of  Hurricanes Allison, Erin and Opal.  Texas also had the second highest 
risk with a 70 percent probability and was answered with Tropical Storm 
Dean. 

Of interest to the offshore operators, there is a 90 percent chance of a 
storm to occur this summer in the Gulf of Mexico.   

The names for the 1996 hurricane season are: 

Arthur, Bertha, Cesar, Dolly, Edouard, Fran, Gustav, Hortense, Isidore, 
Josephine, Kyle, Lili, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky 
and Wilfred.

DRY WEATHER FOR HOUSTON CONTINUES

The first four months of 1996 have been one of driest ever with only 4.34 
inches of rain falling at Houston's Intercontinental Airport.  Normal 
rainfall for the first four months is 13.38 inches.  This is the lowest 
rainfall amount in the past 11 years (see graph below).  Unfortunately, 
it usually takes a tropical storm or hurricane to break such a drought.
<br>
<a href="raintot.gif>Graph</a
<br>
THE LONE STAR STATE HAS THE HIGHEST OCCURRENCE OF TORNADOES 

With the release of the movie Twister making such an impact at the box 
offices recently, Texans should be aware that the Lone Star State is ranked 
first in the nation as having the highest number of tornadoes reported.  
From 1950-1995, Texas reported 5,722 tornadoes which resulted in 478 
related-deaths, this according to the National Weather Service's Storm 
Prediction Center.   Oklahoma was ranked second with 2,379 tornadoes and 
389 deaths.   
 
Of local interest, Harris County, Texas, has experienced 154 tornadoes since 
1950 with 37 such storms considered significant (F2 or stronger on the Fujita 
intensity scale of F0-F5).  

SIGNIFICANT HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS TORNADOES 1950-1973

YEAR    MONTH          DAY         INTENSITY       FATALITIES    INJURIES
				  FUJITA SCALE
1950    FEB             11              3            1               12
1960    FEB             17              2            0               3
1961    SEP             11              3            0               22
1964    MAR             19              2            0               0
1964    MAR             19              2            1               2
1966    JUN             18              2            0               0
1967    SEP             21              2            0               3
1969    SEP               8             3            0               0
1970    OCT             27              2            0               0
1971    MAR               9             2            0               4
1971    JUN             20              2            0               20
1971    JUL             29              2            0               8
1973    FEB             13              2            0               1
1973    APR             26              2            0               0
1974    JUL             14              2            0               0
1974    AUG             29              2            0               0
1974    OCT             28              3            1               7
1974    OCT             31              2            0               0
1974    OCT             31              2            0               1
1977    DEC             13              3            1               35
1978    MAY             29              2            0               0
1978    JUN               6             2            0               0
1979    SEP             18              2            0               1
1983    FEB               9             2            0               3
1983    MAY             20              2            1               5
1983    MAY             20              2            1               7
1983    MAY             20              2            1               2
1984    DEC             31              2            0               53
1986    FEB               5             2            0               0
1986    FEB               5             2            0               0
1986    FEB               5             3            2               0
1992    NOV             21              2            0               6
1992    NOV             21              2            0               5
1992    NOV             21              3            0               0
1992    NOV             21              2            0               6
1992    NOV             21              4            0               15
1994    APR             15              2            1               20


Since 1950 there have been 11 deaths and 288 reported injuries in Harris 
County due to tornadoes.  The year with the highest number of tornadoes was 
1983 when 30 twisters occurred in the county.  Hurricane Alicia spawned 12 
twisters on August 17-18 and  another 11 tornadoes occurred during a severe 
weather outbreak May 20-21.  

Following is a table indicating the number of tornadoes per year (greater 
than seven) since 1950:

	     Year            Number of Tornadoes reported in Harris County
   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
	     1983                                    30
	     1992                                    10
	     1979                                     8
	     1972                                     8
	     1970                                     8

The chart below gives the months which tornadoes have occurred in Harris 
County.  The record month continues to be May with 29 tornadoes since 1950.    

Harris County ranks first in the total number of tornadoes observed from 
1950 to 1994 with 154 tornadoes.  Elsewhere in the state,  second place is 
held by Hale County (Plainview area); third place, Jefferson County (Beaumont 
area); fourth place,  Lamb County (Plainview area) and fifth place Nueces 
County (Corpus Christi area).

Knowledge is the best way to survive a tornado.  Following are a few of 
safety tips:

Before the threat of any tornado:
Conduct tornado drills each season before the first tornado hits.

Have disaster supplies on hand (flashlight, batteries, portable radio, 
first aid kit, food, water and necessary medicines.
Develop an emergency communication plan.
Do not seek shelter in a mobile home.

When a tornado threatens:
If at home, go into an interior room away from windows.
If at work or school, go to an interior hallway, avoid wide-span areas 
     such as auditoriums or gyms.
If outdoors, lie in a ditch or low-lying area.
If in a car, never try to outrun a tornado.  Get out and seek shelter.

Know the meaning of watches and warnings:
A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop.
A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted.  Respond quickly!