National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Dangerous Heat Continues in the Central and Southern U.S.; Severe Weather and Heavy Rain in the Northern Plains

Dangerous, prolonged heat is expected across portions of the Central and Southeast U.S. through July. Scattered severe thunderstorms are expected over parts of the northern Plains into the upper Mississippi Valley today, with damaging winds and large hail as the primary threats. Heavy rainfall could lead to areas of flooding across the northern Plains, Upper Midwest, Southeast and Southwest. Read More >

 

About ZHU

 

Houston ARTCC   

 

The Houston (ZHU) Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) is located at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air en-Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) in Houston, Texas. Four National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists staff the office. Our hours of operation are from 5:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. daily.

The ZHU ARTCC is one of 21 ARTCC's over contiguous United States and encompasses an area approximately 276,866 square nautical miles extending from the Texas Big Bend area eastward to the Alabama/Florida state line including a large portion of the Gulf of America north of 24 degrees North latitude. Within the Houston Center area, there are 22 FAA control towers, 16 approach control facilities, 3 flight service stations, 87 major airports and 15 military fields. This center handles approximately 2 million aircraft operations a year or about 6000 per day.

Our main responsibility is to provide up to the minute weather information to FAA Supervisors and the ZHU Traffic Management Unit (TMU). The CWSU meteorologists issue two products, the Center Weather Advisory (CWA), which is an aviation weather warning for thunderstorms, severe icing or turbulence, and low IFR ceilings and visibility. The Meteorological Impact Statement (MIS) is a 2-12 hour forecast for weather conditions, which are expected to impact ARTCC operations.

 

Meteorologist in Charge

 

David Tucker - MS Geoscience Mississippi State University 
 
Staff Meteorologists

 

Eric Zappe - BS Meteorology Texas A & M University

 

Leslie Heindel - BS Meteorology University of North Dakota

 

Eric Petry - BS Meteorology Western Illinois University