Significant Weather Events

Another Gulf of Mexico low-pressure system causes strong winds and winter precipitation on January 19, 2008

...WINTER STORM SYSTEM WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SNOW AFFECTS THE AREA...

ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF STRONG SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS
MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO BROUGHT WIDESPREAD
RAINFALL...SOME WINTER PRECIPITATION...AND NUMEROUS REPORTS OF
STRONG WINDS TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA FROM
LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY.

AS WITH THE PREVIOUS GULF LOW A FEW DAYS PRIOR...RAINFALL WAS
SEEN AREA WIDE WITH THIS SYSTEM...WITH MOST LOCATIONS SEEING
BETWEEN A HALF INCH AND 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL. HOWEVER...AS
ARCTIC AIR BEGAN TO FILTER INTO THE REGION ON SATURDAY
MORNING...RAIN BEGAN TO MIX WITH SNOW AND SOME SLEET ACROSS
NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF SNOW WERE
RECEIVED FROM INTERIOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS INTO CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE HIGHWAY 190
CORRIDOR. ALTHOUGH SNOW FELL RATHER INTENSELY FOR BRIEF PERIODS
OF TIME...LITTLE MORE THAN A LIGHT DUSTING WAS SEEN ON ELEVATED
SURFACES AS TEMPERATURES REMAINED SEVERAL DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING.

IN ADDITION TO THE PRECIPITATION...A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT
ASSOCIATED WITH THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE GULF PRODUCED
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS IN THE COASTAL WATERS AS WELL
AS ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE I-10 CORRIDOR. SUSTAINED WINDS AND
GUSTS TO GALE FORCE WERE COMMON OFFSHORE...WHILE A LINE OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOPED WELL OUT INTO THE GULF EVEN
PRODUCED SOME WIND GUSTS OVER HURRICANE FORCE IN THE FAR OUTER
COASTAL WATERS.

BELOW IS A LIST OF SOME PEAK WIND AND WAVE MEASUREMENTS FROM
LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY JANUARY 18-19 2008 FOR INLAND AND
OFFSHORE WEATHER REPORTING STATIONS IN THE NORTHWESTERN GULF
OF MEXICO:

SITE              LOCATION              PK SUST PK WIND PK WAVE
                                          WIND    GUST    HEIGHT
----------------------------------------------------------------
GARDEN BANKS 72   150 SW AMELIA LA         -    100 MPH
EUGENE ISLAND 281 82 S BURNS POINT         -     80 MPH
EUGENE ISLAND 330 105 SW AMELIA LA       55 MPH 71 MPH
FGBL1             111 SSE SEA RIM TX     51 MPH 56 MPH
MARSH ISLAND 268 63 S NEW IBERIA LA     41 MPH 52 MPH   9 FEET
HIGH ISLAND 263   88 S SABINE PASS TX    41 MPH 48 MPH
BUOY 42362        131 SSE AMELIA LA        -     47 MPH
BUOY 42035        39 SSW SEA RIM TX      38 MPH 47 MPH   8 FEET
BUOY 42019        146 SSW AMELIA LA      38 MPH 45 MPH 14 FEET
MRSL1             42 SW NEW IBERIA LA    36 MPH 44 MPH
HEBERT`S MARINA   15 SSW LAKE CHARLES LA   -     39 MPH
SABINE PASS       SABINE PASS TX         30 MPH 38 MPH
SEA RIM ST PARK   10 WSW SABINE PASS TX 28 MPH 36 MPH
LAKE CHARLES ARPT LAKE CHARLES LA        28 MPH 36 MPH
SE TX REG ARPT    PORT ARTHUR TX         26 MPH 36 MPH
LAFAYETTE ARPT    LAFAYETTE LA           26 MPH 36 MPH
NEW IBERIA ARPT   NEW IBERIA LA          28 MPH 35 MPH
CALCASIEU PASS    2 S CAMERON LA         26 MPH 33 MPH
SALT POINT        SALT POINT LA          20 MPH 29 MPH