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COLD TO RAINY

From: zackshields
Description:

Another taste of Winter this morning with lows in the 30s. Most of the freezing temps happened north and west of Austin for the second straight morning.

The next storm system is coming into view. It is spinning west of California and will take aim on Texas as we wrap up the work week.

This will be a direct hit on us. It won't be like Sunday night when the rain was in and out of here. Expect multiple rounds of rain on Friday with a few storms that will stay below severe limits.

Here is what the computer model is showing. Enjoy the sunshine today because the clouds march in tomorrow.

The rain will soon follow late Thursday night into Friday.

The rain will be heavy at times and since we will get waves of rain the totals will add up.

The models are showing totals on the high end.

So the bottom line....Sunny today, cloudy tomorrow and rainy on Friday so we will trade in our jackets for some rain gear.
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2 days ago
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VIDEO OF LEONID SHOWER

From: zackshields
Description:

If you missed the Leonid meteor shower because it was too cold or too late. Don't worry because I found some YouTube video of the event. I think you will like it. Enjoy! On the first one make sure you pay attention 20 seconds in.

Here is some more video.
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3 days ago
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LEONID METEOR SHOWER

From: zackshields
Description:

If you can brave the cold weather, there will be a great show going on in our night sky...the Leonid meteor shower.

This year's Leonid meteor shower peaks tonight. If forecasters are correct,the shower should produce a mild but pretty sprinkling of meteors over North America followed by a more intense outburst over Asia. The phase of the Moon will be new, setting the stage for what could be one of the best Leonid showers in years.

We're predicting 20 to 30 meteors per hour over the Americas, and as many as 200 to 300 per hour over Asia," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "Our forecast is in good accord with independent theoretical work by other astronomers.

Leonids are bits of debris from Comet Tempel-Tuttle. Every 33 years the comet visits the inner solar system and leaves a stream of dusty debris in its wake. Many of these streams have drifted across the November portion of Earth's orbit. Whenever we hit one, meteors come flying out of the constellation Leo.

It's just a coincidence. This year, Mars happens to be passing by the Leonid radiant at the time of the shower. The Red Planet is almost twice as bright as a first magnitude star, so it makes an eye-catching companion for the Leonids:

Courtesy: NASA
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4 days ago
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1ST FREEZE OF YEAR

From: zackshields
Description:

Rain is gone and now the Winter-like chill will take over.

The latest cold front has made it in. It produced a tiny line of showers overnight.

Since the rain formed right on top of us the totals were low.

Behind the front it will feel totally different...mostly sunny, much cooler and breezy.

Tonight with the winds relaxing and the clear/dry conditions in place, raditional cooling will be

in high gear allowing temperatures to tumble quite a bit.

Here is what the model is showing for lows tomorrow morning.

Some spots in Hill Country will have a light freeze so freeze advisories have been posted.

Get ready for a taste of Winter.

Freeze warning for Llano and Gillespie Counties. Freeze watch that will turn into warning for San Saba and Mason counties.

Keep jackets handy for the next few days.
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4 days ago
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Cooler Weather Coming!

From: scottprinsen
Description:

A winter chill has developed over the Rockies this weekend, and some of that chill is moving into Texas right now. As of this afternoon, the cold front is in the Texas Panhandle and moving south...

Temperatures behind the front were in the 20s and 30s today, while ahead of the front we saw highs in the 70s. A few showers were seen east of Austin, but as the front gets closer overnight, showers and a few thunderstorms are expected.

Rain totals are not expected to be very high, generally half an inch or less. The highest totals should be east of Austin.

Expect clearing behind the front for Monday morning... with a sunny, breezy and cooler afternoon. Monday's highs will only be in the 60s!

Several chilly nights are ahead... and for Hill Country residents, we could see a light freeze Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning...

Areas around Junction and just to the west of our Texas Hill Country are already under a freeze watch for Monday night.

A warming trend is expected for the second half of the work week... but a few disturbances may bring us a few showers Friday through Sunday of next weekend. Highs next weekend look to be in the 70s.

Enjoy the cooler weather... it's almost here!

Scott Prinsen
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5 days ago
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freeze.gif

From: scottprinsen
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5 days ago
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From: scottprinsen
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5 days ago
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ASTEROID NEAR-MISS

From: zackshields
Description:

A newly discovered asteroid designated 2009 VA, which is only about 7 meters in size, passed about 2 Earth radii (14,000 km) from the Earth's surface Nov. 6 at around 16:30 EST. This is the third-closest known (non-impacting) Earth approach on record for a cataloged asteroid. The two closer approaches include the 1-meter sized asteroid 2008 TS26, which passed within 6,150 km of the Earth's surface on October 9, 2008, and the 7-meter sized asteroid 2004 FU162 that passed within 6,535 km on March 31, 2004. On average, objects the size of 2009 VA pass this close about twice per year and impact Earth about once every 5 years.

Asteroid 2009 VA was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey about 15 hours before the close approach, and was quickly identified by the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge MA as an object that would soon pass very close to the Earth. JPL's Near-Earth Object Program Office also computed an orbit solution for this object, and determined that it was not headed for an impact. Only thirteen months ago, the somewhat smaller object 2008 TC3 was discovered under similar circumstances, but that one was found to be on a trajectory headed for the Earth, with impact only about 11 hours away.

Don Yeomans, Paul Chodas, Steve Chesley
NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office
November 9, 2009
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1 week ago
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UT FOOTBALL (11/7/09)

From: scottfisher
Description:

UT VS. UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

(more pix at bevoblvd.com)
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1 week ago
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Rain Totals & Hurricane Ida

From: scottprinsen
Description:

Welcome rain and not-so-welcome fog greeted Central Texas on Sunday. Most of the fog had lifted by midday, but that's about the time the rain moved in. The rain was fairly widespread... with some places picking up over an inch. Check out the rain totals as of 7pm Sunday...

An upper low to our west was pulling tropical moisture up from the Gulf and through Central Texas. The rain will be with us through Sunday evening as the upper low moves overhead. Rain should end Monday morning, with some peeks of sun late in the day.

Sunny and seasonal weather is expected through the rest of the week with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. Most of our computer models show an unsettled weather pattern next weekend. We will keep temps in the 70s, with increasing chances of rain Saturday in to Sunday.

The other big weather story of the week will be the future track of Hurricane Ida. Here is the latest on the storm from the 6pm Sunday update from the National Hurricane Center...

Ida has the chance to stengthen further through Monday morning. After that, colder water and wind shear should weaken the storm somewhat. Right now, the official forecast track shows Ida as a category 1 hurricane just offshore from the northern Gulf coast by Tuesday morning...

Note the orange line around Ida... that's the outer edge of tropical storm force winds which could be felt from New Orleans to Mobile to Panama City Tuesday morning. The hurricane force winds should remain offshore and close to the center of the storm.

From here, Ida is expected to turn a little more east of due north and make a landfall somewhere in Alabama or the Florida Panhandle Tuesday evening. She should be near hurricane strength at that time, then weaken once inland. The forecast track then shows Ida moving east and continuing to weaken over southern Georgia and northern Florida Wednesday into Thursday.

Ida is forecast to drop 6 to 10 inches of rain near and around the storm track from Louisiana to Florida! Of course, check in with FOX 7 and myfoxaustin.com for the latest on this storm through the week!

Scott Prinsen
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1 week ago
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ida track.jpg

From: scottprinsen
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1 week ago
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ida curr.jpg

From: scottprinsen
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1 week ago
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11-8 RAIN.jpg

From: scottprinsen
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1 week ago
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SUNSET PHOTO CONTEST

From: zackshields
Description:

I had the honor of being a judge for the Oasis Sunset Photo Contest. I had a blast and met some great people. I had a tough time picking out the winners because there were so many good photos. I recommend going to this event next year. There is fun for the whole family. Here is look at the winners. These photos are copyright.

The grand prize winner was Travis Simon.

Adult 1st place: Dan Goodwin

Adult 2nd place: Karen Turner

Adult 3rd place: Ron Peregrim

Senior 1st place: Linda Shepard

Senior 2nd Place: Richard Allen

Senior 3rd place: Geneva Petitt

Youth 1st Place: Cameron T.

Youth 2nd Place: Nat Jacks

Youth 3rd Place: Wayne Passailaigue

Congrats to all the people who took part in this photo contest.
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2 weeks ago
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grandprize.JPG

From: zackshields
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2 weeks ago
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The third hurricane of the season has formed near Central America. A hurricane in November is a rare event. Only 37 of them have popped up in this month since 1900. Only 4 have hit the U.S. All of them have ended up in Florida. There is a chance that Ida, if she can get out of Central America alive, will migrate northward into the Gulf by next week.

Here is the latest statment from Hurricane Center.

IDA BECOMES A HURRICANE AS IT NEARS THE COAST OF NICARAGUA... 

SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT IDA HAS STRENGTHENED TO A 
HURRICANE.

AT 700 AM EST...1200 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IDA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 12.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 83.4 WEST OR ABOUT 60
MILES...100 KM...NORTH-NORTHEAST OF BLUEFIELDS NICARAGUA AND ABOUT
85 MILES...135 KM...SOUTH OF PUERTO CABEZAS NICARAGUA.

IDA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH...11 KM/HR...AND A
GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST WITH A SLIGHT DECREASE IN
FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.  ON THE
FORECAST TRACK...IDA WILL MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE EASTERN COAST OF
NICARAGUA THIS MORNING AND MOVE ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN
NICARAGUA AND EASTERN HONDURAS DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...120 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  IDA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
HURRICANE SCALE.  WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AS IDA MOVES INLAND OVER
NICARAGUA TODAY.























Most of the models show Ida moving toward the Southeast. A cold front should 
keep it away from Texas. Of course, we will keep a close eye on it.

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2 weeks ago
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HERE COMES IDA

From: zackshields

Description:

TROPICAL DEPRESSION CLOSE TO TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH...AIR FORCE
PLANE IS EN ROUTE...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE EASTERN
COAST OF NICARAGUA AND FOR THE ISLANDS OF SAN ANDRES AND
PROVIDENCIA. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24
HOURS.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.

AT 100 PM EST...1800 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION ELEVEN
WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 11.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.3 WEST OR ABOUT
65 MILES...105 KM...SOUTHWEST OF SAN ANDRES ISLAND AND ABOUT
100 MILES...160 KM...EAST OF BLUEFIELDS NICARAGUA.

THE DEPRESSION HAS BEEN MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 7
MPH...11 KM/HR...BUT A SLOWER MOTION IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY WITH A
TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST. ON THE FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF THE
DEPRESSION WILL BE NEAR THE EAST COAST OF NICARAGUA THIS EVENING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MPH...55 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. THE DEPRESSION IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM LATER
THIS AFTERNOON AND FURTHER STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED UNTIL LANDFALL.

The winds will near 50 mph before making landfall in Central America. After that the projected path is wide.
The models are all over the place with this system. Some keep it over land and the other half
put it in the gulf next week. We have plenty of time to follow it.
The chances it turns toward Texas is low because we are expecting a storm system to move in
from the west and should push it east.

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2 weeks ago
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NEW PICS OF MERCURY

From: zackshields
Description:

A NASA spacecraft's third and final flyby of the planet Mercury gives scientists, for the first time, an almost complete view of the planet's surface and provides new scientific findings about this relatively unknown planet.

The Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging spacecraft, known as MESSENGER, flew by Mercury on Sept. 29. The probe completed a critical gravity assist to remain on course to enter into orbit around Mercury in 2011. Despite shutting down temporarily because of a power system switchover during a solar eclipse, the spacecraft's cameras and instruments collected high-resolution and color images unveiling another 6 percent of the planet's surface never before seen at close range.

Approximately 98 percent of Mercury's surface now has been imaged by NASA spacecraft. After MESSENGER goes into orbit around Mercury, it will see the polar regions, which are the only unobserved areas of the planet.

Many new features were revealed during the third flyby, including a region with a bright area surrounding an irregular depression, suspected to be volcanic in origin. Other images revealed a double-ring impact basin approximately 180 miles across. The basin is similar to a feature scientists call the Raditladi basin, which was viewed during the probe's first flyby of Mercury in January 2008.

"This double-ring basin, seen in detail for the first time, is remarkably well preserved," said Brett Denevi, a member of the probe's imaging team and a postdoctoral researcher at Arizona State University in Tempe. "One similarity to Raditladi is its age, which has been estimated to be approximately one billion years old. Such an age is quite young for an impact basin, because most basins are about four times older. The inner floor of this basin is even younger than the basin itself and differs in color from its surroundings. We may have found the youngest volcanic material on Mercury."

One of the spacecraft's instruments conducted its most extensive observations to date of Mercury's exosphere, or thin atmosphere, during this encounter. The flyby allowed for the first detailed scans over Mercury's north and south poles. The probe also has begun to reveal how Mercury's atmosphere varies with its distance from the sun.
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2 weeks ago
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Split Sky

From: kkernick
Description:

What a unique photo, the sky was literally split just as it appears in the photo. I wonder what makes that happen.
2 weeks ago
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