Power Outage

On June 24, 2019, about 730 PM, the power went out.  We were experiencing an electric storm, and rain and hail, so this was not so unusual.  I was using the laptop, and although it was fully charged, I shut if off.  I moved into the living room and read for quite a while. I did not need a light, I just opened the blind.  

As it became dark, I dug out my flashlights.  I have an emergency light, that takes 6 D cell batteries, and everytime I replace them, the next time I try to use the light, the batteries are dead. So, I was able to continue reading by flashlight.

I have 2 camp lights, one fueled by propane, the other fueled by white gas.  I hate to use them inside, for several safety reasons:  the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and the fire danger. If the cats got scared and started jumping around and knocked a lamp over, that would be a real problem.  I also have a battery powered camp light, which is not very bright and takes several strange batteries.  So, I dealt with flashlights.  I also pulled out a fresh package of batteries, in case the flashlights needed a re-charge.

As I was reading, I fell asleep.  I woke up about 9 PM, and was not at first sure if it was still evening or I had slept through to the next morning.  It was evening.  I could tell by the cell phone, and the sun setting in the west. 

After about an hour and a half, the power came on momentarily, and then went out again. What was really frustrating about that was the houses across the street to the north, and across the alley to the south had electric power.  

The power came on in my house about 10 PM. 

That was a somewhat surreal experience.  I have been through power outages before, and they are always a little surreal.  One of the good things in this day and age, is that I can check the outages on the Lubbock Power and Light website. I can also call them, and their automated line will indicate if if they are aware of the power outage in our area, and provide a call back when the outage is repaired.  I asked for the call back, but never got it.  I don't care,, the power was restored. 

So, I  decided I want a table top battery powered lamp, although power outages are few and far between. 

Weird Weather

I have already commented on the stormy weather that was predicted for this area, and which we have been experiencing.  Today/'s weather was really weird.  It was in the mid 60s most of the morning and early afternoon.  It was cloudy, dark, and gray. I ran errands early afternoon, and did not realize how cold the wind was.  I was filling up the car with gas, and wishing I had worn a light jacket, although I had  on a thermal shirt and another over shirt.

So, I did my weekly shopping. Which takes about 45 minutes.  As it did today.  When I left the store, the weather had changed drastically: the clouds were gone, it was sunny, and about 20° warmer.  Wow!  That was amazing.

About 2 hours later,  the clouds returned, the temperature dropped about 20° and the wind picked up again.  There was some light drizzle in the air, but nothing significant.  I have not seen any lightning tonight, nor heard any thunder, and so far, there has been no rain. 

Early Evening Rain, Late Evening Thunder

Last night, we had an early evening rain.  It was almost more of a mist or drizzle than a rain, but it persisted.  Later, in the evening, there was lightning and thunder to be heard.  Today, it was obvious that the drizzle or mist really turned into a good amount of rain, which we needed seriously. 

A Slight Rain

There were spotty showers in the area tonight, and it got dark late afternoon.  I could see lightning and hear thunder, but it was protracted without rain, until finally we had a good but brief shower.  The kind of rain we needed.  Yeah, rain!

Storm

The meteorological predictions for  8/8/18 included that we might get some storms  that night or 8/9/18. We have not had really measurable amounts of rain since last October. Earlier on 8/8/18, I was doing yard chores and walked into a backyard that was heavy with humidity, and experiencing the classical "calm before the storm." Absolutely no wind moving. That was before sunset.  I have been sitting at the computer looking out a north facing window, and for an hour or more, have been watching the lightning.  About 11:15 PM on 8/8/18, the lightning started. I checked several times and there was no rain.  About 11:45 PM, the thunder was audible. I checked and it looked like we were on the receiving end of a good, drenching rain.

We have to remember that because of the length of time we went without rain, the ground in this part of the world has dried up and, because of it's heavy clay content, packed down. That is to say that a deluge rain will just run off the hard packed soil.  What we really need is "just a gentle rain."  We are receiving a rain that is somewhere between "just a gentle rain" and a deluge so we should receive some real benefit from the rain, if it lasts long enough.

A Beautiful Storm

The certainty of a rain/thunderstorm last night was small, but a line of storms formed to the west of Lubbock, and blew through above, through and below us. The night air cooled down enough that when I arrived home from the Westwinds Concert, shortly after 9 PM, I shut off the air conditioner and opened the bedroom windows. I should have opened up more windows to set cross currents, but I am so forgetful these days, I was afraid I would forget to close them.  

Late in the night, maybe about 11PM or later, I heard the thunder, and saw the flash of lightning.  The rains came, off and on for 2 or 3 hours. There was some hail in the area, but if my house was hit, it was pea sized or smaller.  

It was a beautiful storm, and my coworkers today commented upon the same!

Viewing Christmas Lights

This evening I went out looking at Christmas lights.  There are various places in town that are good spots.  A few blocks west of my house, on 59th Street, there is  house that has a light show that is coordinated with music.  I saw that a couple of weeks ago.  Tonight, I went to Ransom Canyon, which is a small community to the east of Lubbock, in the Yellowhouse Canyon.  This was formed by the North Fork Double Mountain Fork Brazos River. 

Darkening Skies

Yesterday and today, the sky grew dark in the early evening.  There were storms, and last night, there was thunder and lightning.  So, it delayed the Texas Tech vs. Arizona State Football game.  There was very little rain at my house, but heavy showers in various parts of the city, including at AT&T Jones Stadium.  But the showers were short lived.

Tonight, I heard thunder. There are severe thunder storm warnings for counties west and northwest of Lubbock, moving into Lubbock.  

I went out late afternoon to run some errands.  When I left home, there was no wind.  About 15 minutes later, the wind picked up, but then died down again. Some 3 hours later, things are on hold.  We shall see what these storms produce.  

Rain today!

Overnight, a much needed storm blew in and I could hear the thunder and see the lightning. It was a good heavy soaking rain, not a deluge, but a solid rain.  There was standing water in various parts of town, and I did not hear about it, but possibly some local flooding in the areas that flood http://www.kcbd.com/story/36016494/localized-flooding-causes-issues-for-drivers.  I did not drive around after work to look, but the rain stopped late morning, the sun came out and started drying things out.

Listening to the weathercast tonight, many places received 2-5 inches of rain today, and storms are moving back in tonight.  The problem is that our ground is already soaked, so more soaking rain can cause flooding, and the storms are moving very slowly, which will also contribute to flooding.

Rain storms

We have been in a pattern of weather that includes storms at night, with thunder, lightning, winds, sometimes hail, and rain. The first one came through last Thursday night. I stayed up late because I wanted to see the storm, but it came through so late, and I became so tired, I went to bed. I woke up, heard the thunder, and saw the lightning, but did not hear the run. But rain it did. There was evidence of the rain in the morning. 

The pattern has continued almost every night, and every night, I wake up briefly to hear the thunder and see the lightning, but I do not hear the rain.

Last night, the storm blew in much earlier, well before 10 PM.  I heard the lightning, saw the thunder, and could see the rain out the window, but could not hear it on the roof.  Tonight, I was going home about 7:30 PM and the winds were picking up, so much so that there was a cloud of dust to thse south.  The storms came through a little later, closer to 10 PM.  I could hear the thunder, see the lightning, and see the rain, but not hear it.  

I am thinking that in years past, I have heard the rain.  I wonder if my hearing loss is in such a range that I no longer hear it.  Whatever, it is weird. But I am so thankful for the rain. 

The one thing this storm has done is to either stop the fireworks displays, or drown them out. And, the same for the illegal fireworks in the neighborhood. 

Weather

Wednesday night, Thursday morning, a storm blew through Lubbock.  I was asleep, and unaffected, but evidently there was a lightning show and rain.  When I woke up, there was evidence of rain in the back yard. I was pleased.  I do not think it was much rain, but something is better than nothing.

Thursday night, at 5 PM the sky was cloudless. By 7:15 PM, clouds were moving in. By about 11:45 PM the lightning was moving in. We shall see how much rain we get. 

Storms

Originally, there was a small percentage chance of storms in our area, but as the evening has progressed, that chance has increased.  Now, I can see to the north the lightning of the storm, and hear the thunder. Checking the front porch, there is no rain yet, but the smell of ozone is very strong, which is to be expected with the lightning.

Intermittent Rain

We have been in a pattern of intermittent and scattered rainstorms the last few days.  They are not only intermittent and scattered, but of varying duration and amounts.  Yesterday, we got some rain in the area, but I could not tell that it was very much.  This afternoon, the clouds were building again, and about an hour ago, it started getting very dark. I had been cleaning and had some trash piled in the yard. A while ago, it got dark, and the wind picked up. I decided it was time to take the trash to the dumpster.  When I did, there were some sprinkles. The dirt in the alley had marks on it from raindrops.  These kinds of marks show up when we get intermittent and light sprinkles.  Sort of what I thought. Not 10 minutes later, the rain started and the wind increased even more. It was a downpour with lots of rain and some pea sized hail. The downpour lasted about 10 minutes, then tapered into sprinkles. I heard some thunder, but did not see any lightning.

Rain in Lubbock Today

We knew it was supposed to rain in Lubbock today.  When I left for work, as I travelled to work, it was still very dark, and the closer I got to work, the more lightning I saw. I did not hear thunder until I was actually walking in the parking lot.  It was not too loud.

What was eeriest was that it stayed dark until well after 8 AM.  That gave me a strange feeling.

It rained off and on throughout the day. Sometimes it was light rain, sometimes it was heavy. There was some street flooding, not unusual. 

We can almost always use rain in Lubbock.  It was cold today, I believe the high was 55° today. It is suppose to be in the 80s tomorrow.

This is not unusual for this time of year.  Transition from one season to another in Lubbock is generally a series of fluctuations.  No different this year. 

Restless Cats

Tuesday afternoon, I took off work to get my phone fixed.  Because it had needed to be charged, I left it home that morning, and swung by my house on the way to Sprint https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=sprint locations in lubbock&tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:4&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=33541709,-101898445,2467&tbm=lcl&rldimm=10685836465911700353 to to get the phone fixed.  The landscape people were at my house, mowing, edging, trimming, and making a lot of noise. When I went into my house, I was greeted by two unhappy cats.  Unhappy because they do not like the outside noise.  Taki, who has become my guard cat, was lying near the front door, ready to announce any intrusion (but not pounce; if the door is opened, she runs away!)

Well, when I returned home later in the afternoon, the landscapers were gone, and the cats were serene.

Tonight, about 45 minutes ago, a thunder storm blew in. It started with distant lightning, but the rain and close lightning and thunder followed. I do not believe that there has been any hail, but the winds have been very strong.  The cats are not happy. They have gathered round me, and are running and scampering and trying to find places where they are more comfortable.  This is typical thunderstorm behavior. Usually, eventually, Haiku gets into the cat carrier in the closet, and Taki lies in the very little hallway by the linen closet. Not so tonight. I am not sure what is different. But something is.  What do I know?

A Storm Moves In

It was a hot, clear day.  There were predictions of possible storms, but it has only been since earlier this evening that we knew storms were out there. We could see the clouds in the distance.  And, for several nights this week, we could see the clouds in the distance. Yesterday, we had storm blow in, and the wind did some damage in East Lubbock, and caused a power outage in Slaton. It was mostly wind. But some areas of heavy rain.

Tonight as I sit facing north, I can see the multiple lightning strikes, and hear the thunder. I don't know how long it has been raining, but it has been. This is good. I will not have to water tonight. The severe predictions are for possible wind damage and hail.  

We shall see what the storm brings.

Haiku is not spooked, but Taki is not too happy.  She is in the hallway where she hides when the weather spooks her.  She has now returned to the computer room to join us.  I suspect she is seeking solace during the storm, which now seems to be subsiding.

The Clouds Move In

For the second day in a row, after a clear, hot, sunny day, the clouds have moved in during the late afternoon, and we had thunderstorms.  Yesterday, we had one line of storms blow through.  In addition to thunder, lightning, and downpours scattered in the area, we had high winds in much of the area.

Today, the first wave of storms blew through quickly, and the weather forecasters predicted we might have more, but they did not think so. Well, what do they know compared to Mother Nature?  We had a second set of storms blow through, and these were just as serious if not more than the first set. A third set blew through, but did not produce rain, only thunder, lightning and wind at my house.  Now,  a couple of hours later, there are very scattered clouds overhead, but there is thunder, and some lightning, but in the distance. No rain or wind.

According to the National Weather Service, http://w1.weather.gov/obhistory/KLBB.html, the rainfall totals are minimal (less than an inch.)  While that might not be totally accurate at my house (I no longer have a functional rain gauge), it would not surprise me about how close it is overall.

We can continue to hope for rain intermittently throughout the coming days, as we need the moisture, and it decreases the otherwise very high temperatures. 

A Squall Blew Through Lubbock Today

I usually watch the weather at work, but today, I was really, really busy and just kept my focus on work.  So, I was surprised late in the afternoon to see the storm clouds to the north and east from my office.  I worked  late, and a little after 5 PM, the power went off.

I work in a prison. They "racked up the farm" which means all offenders had to stay put where they were. They announced no one could enter or leave the building, and did a special count. They announced for staff to stay off the elevators. We have emergency power, which kept the emergency lights on, and about 20 minutes after the outage, the power was restored. We have a hospital on sight, and for that reason, as well as public safety issues (keeping the offenders incarcerated) we are a priority sight to restore power.  It rained some.  I watched the storm blow through: there was lots and lots of dust to the east, some thunder and lightning, and out much rain, but some.  It was pretty well dried when I left work a couple of hours later.

The thing about a does squall like that is unless there is serious damage, there is little left over to even indicate it occurred. There was some water in low places on the road, but the ground is hot enough, and the wind strong enough that a couple of hours after the slight rain, there is no evidence of it.

A Storm Tonight

It was grey for much of the day, but the sun came out from time to time and it warmed up, but it was never a bright sunny day.  Late in the day, I sat in the yard: there was shade from the pine trees and the neighbor's tree, and I read outside for a while. Later, I ate dinner outside.  The air was fresh, and as the evening progressed, the breeze made for a bracing night. Not cold, just cool and refreshing.

I decided to move inside a little before it became really dark outside, and within minutes of moving inside, I saw lightning, which would be my cue to move inside, anyway.

The weather forecasters are telling us there is lightning (and thunder) in the area, and rain around Lubbock, but not probably in central Lubbock (which is where I live.)  That is okay, I think, although with the recent heat, rain would help the plants outside.

I can see lightning to the north and east, which is the direction the windows in the computer office face. From the weather maps, the storms are more intense in a band to the south, southwest and southeast of Lubbock.

Let us hope for some rain. 

Weather

Well, we are in an active weather pattern with rain, thunderstorms, and in some areas, hail storms.  Yesterday and today, there were some very dark clouds that built during the day, but no real rain.  Drops. Drizzle.  Tonight, we are predicted for possible storms after 10 PM and before 3 AM.  About 10 PM, I started seeing lightning to the north, but the worst of the weather has been to the north and east all day, and that seems to be continuing tonight. We may get some light rain in Lubbock, but so far, no serious weather. I just want the rain.