WINTER STORM WATCH AND FREEZE WARNING FOR HOUSTON

This is a special update. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch and Freeze Warning for the Houston area. Snow is expected as early as mid-morning Friday and continuing into Friday evening. There is a possibility of accumulation of 1 to 3 inches...especially in the counties closest to the coast (mainly east of the Hwy 59 corridor). Most likely place for accumulations are exposed bridges, roadways and cooler grassy areas.

The National Weather Service also noted that this will be the earliest snowfall in Houston (last year's Dec. 10th was the record for earliest) and it will be the first year for back to back years with accumulations.

I think the majority of the snow will fall between 1 and 6 pm. There will be rapid drying and clearing overnight into Saturday. But, motorists should be on the lookout for ice patches early Saturday.

Be careful everyone and enjoy!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Snow for Houston!/Ghostbusters in Galveston

WEATHER
Okay Houston...here's the deal...yep...it's going to snow Friday afternoon into Friday evening. Probably no accumulations except on exposed surfaces Friday evening because the temperatures the ground will still be too warm. This will not be a pipe freezing situation. Just looked at the latest data and the 1000-500 mb thicknesses and 850 mb temperatures should be low enough to support snow. That combined with an approaching upper storm and enough moisture will all snow as early as early afternoon Friday. This reminds of last December 10th...see my photos way down on the right. It will be short lived just as that was with skies clearing by Saturday morning.

For Houston on Thursday, it will be a chilly day with sunshine. Friday will be cloudy with cold rain turning to snow/rain mix and then snow. Saturday will be sunny and cool with light freeze early. Then some clouds return Sunday with a slight warmup.

In the nation on Thursday, look for highs in the teens over the northern Plains and some snow from the western Great Lakes to Denver. Southern Florida will be balmy in the 80s. Cold air will be in the Rockies, Plains, Great Lakes and Midwest. Highs will be in the 60s and 70s west coast and southern and eastern states.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do snow or nieve , pronounced knee-EH-vay. Let it nieve, let it nieve, let it nieve...doesn't exactly roll off the tongue does it?

No need to head out shopping for the youngsters on your list. Just order send me an email to info@frankandpaco.com and enjoy the pre-Christmas special (through Dec. 22nd) to get our award winning volume 1 DVD or newly released volume 2 DVD of the Frank & Paco series for $10 (even--that includes the tax in Texas--outside of Texas it will be even lower than $10) and free shipping. I will send it to you and you can mail me a check or money order.

Or you can order via the following web sites for a higher amount: http://www.frankandpaco.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.bn.com/, http://www.bestbuy.com/, or http://www.ebay.com/. By the way, I found the DVD on the shelves on another Barnes & Noble store (this one in Sugar Land).

AND MORE
I was so proud of my hurricane expert buddy Lew Fincher, who appeared in Tuesday night's Ghostbusters on Discovery Channel. He was just there to give historical details about the hurricane history of Galveston. The Ghostbusters were checking out some ghostly goings on at The Galvez Hotel. A few years ago, I heard that the new Holiday Inn on the east side is even more haunted. But, I couldn't find anything about it on the net. What I did find is a cool site with all kinds of hauntings in Texas. Check it out:
http://www.texasghosthunters.com/.

Spooky!!!

Have a terrific Thursday!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weather this Week/New Poll/Sunflower Surprise/Special on Frank & Paco DVD

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Happy last day of hurricane season. I'll let you know if I do a recap. Tropical Atlantic and Pacific are quiet.

Nice and chilly across much of the US thanks to a cold air mass. A cold front, the leading edge of the cold air mass is pushing into the southeast US and producing some thunderstorms. See Storm Prediction Center forecast figure at right. No severe weather is anticipated. Highs today will be in the 30s across the northern tier of states (except for coastal Washington with highs in the 40s). Warm spot will be Florida with highs in the 70s and 80s. Across Texas, highs will be mainly in the 50s. California will have highs in the 60s.

Houston, there will be rain on and off today with more concentrated rain overnight and on Tuesday. Rain should be gone by Wednesday. It will be chilly...lows in the 40s and highs in the 50s through Thursday and in the 30s (maybe even a light freeze for outlying areas) early Friday. Warming through the weekend with some showers on Sunday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do special or especial, pronounced esh-pehs-see-AL. I have an especial on our DVD for only readers of this blog. See the AND MORE for details.

If don't want to use the special, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volumes 1 and 2 are available from www.frankandpaco.com, www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.bestbuy.com, and www.ebay.com. Also, you can find Volume 1 on the shelf at Barnes and Noble. Volume 2 should be there soon.

AND MORE
Through December 22nd, Special Offer on Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco for Friends and Family - $10 even for each with free shipping! Just email me directly at info@frankandpaco.com. I will invoice you with the shipment and you can send me a check or money order. I can't accept credit cards when I do it this way. Just specify how many of each of the following you want:
Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Vol. 1
Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Vol. 2
Aprendamos Ingles con Frank y Paco Vol. 1 (this is the ESL version for Spanish speakers).

Our poll about shopping progress by 10 pm Friday (after Thanksgiving) is closed. 40% said they will have done no shopping at all. 40% said they would have completed just a bit. And 20% said they would have completed most. No one said All, 1/2, or a 1/4. Thanks to all who participated. Only one answer was allowed.

Our new poll comes courtesy of Megan. Which of the Twilight movies did you like more, the first or second or have you only seen one or neither? Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

Hope you enjoy the sunflower photo at right. Sarah's class planted these seeds and brought them home. Take a look Mrs. Mantini and Mrs. Cadenhead! I put it in our vegetable garden in the back. This tenacious little bugger has survived chilly weather and at least one child stepping on it.

Have a great week everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weekend Weather Wrapup/Holiday Shopping Progress

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropical Atlantic and Pacific are quiet.

A few travel trouble spots on Saturday...some scattered thunderstorms for coastal southern California and parts of New Mexico and Arizona. Temperature wise, we're looking at 40s and a few 30s (extreme north and higher elevations) for the northwest, Rockies, Great Lakes, northeast and northern plains. Elsewhere highs will be in the 50s to 70s.

On Sunday, there will be some thunderstorms and rain from Texas all the way into the Great Lakes. There might even be some rain/snow mix around the Great Lakes. From the Great Lakes west and south in the desert southwest, highs will generally be in the 30s and 40s. The southeast and coastal California will be in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Houston will be cool early Saturday with increasing humity and some clouds...highs in low 70s. Sunday will be milder with lows in the 60s and highs in the mid to upper 70s and thunderstorms possible later in the day. Look for it to be cool Monday through Wednesday with some rain Monday and Tuesday as a closed low over the southwest US lifts northeastward and produces rain.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do championship or campeonato, pronounced cahmp-pay-oh-NAH-toe. My Aggies didn't win, but I know someone who just won a state campeonato. See the AND MORE section for details.

Judging by the results of our poll on shopping progress at this point, many of you have a long way to go. Let me make your life easier. Your friends and family will thank you win you get them the Volumes 1 and/or 2 DVDs of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. By the way, big news!!! Megan found one of our DVDs on the shelf of Barnes and Noble store on the west side. You can also order these educational and entertaining DVDS through http://www.frankandpaco.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.ebay.com/, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, and http://www.bestbuy.com/.

AND MORE
And this one comes to you from the department of "I threw my brain out the window"...driving westbound on Highway 290 (outside Houston) on Thursday afternoon, I become concerned and perplexed as the traffic almost comes to a halt. I decide to get to into the left lane which is moving a bit and I can't help but notice all the Aggie stickers and flags etc. on the cars. And I think, well this is the way you go if you are heading to A & M. But then I start noticing Longhorn stickers etc. and then I realize just where I am...very close to the turnoff to Highway 6 and what is happening in College Station in just a couple hours--why the big Aggie/Longhorn game. And I did get to watch it, once I got to my sister's in Austin. Sorry about how it turned out Aggies. After staying the night and visiting with family all day, Sarah and I headed back home..arriving just a little while ago.

Speaking of football on a more happy note...Congratulations to the St. Albert's football team of Council Bluffs, IA for winning the state football championship. Don't even ask me what division. I have no idea. But, I do know they have a great team, made even better because my nephew Nick is on the team.

Well, did you go shopping today? As I write this post, only a little time left to answer the poll about how much shopping you completed by 10 pm today.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone and safe travel home!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Thanksgiving Weekend Travel Weather/Favorite Thanksgiving Food

HURRICANES AND WEATHER

Tropical Atlantic and Pacific are quiet.


Excellent travel weather on Wednesday. Only potential trouble shots are some scattered storms in central and southern Florida, some rain and possible snow showers in the upper Midwest/western Great Lakes and some showers in the Pacific Northwest. Highs across the northern 2/3rds of states will generally be in the 40s and 50s with 60s and 70s in the south (80 for Florida). Thanksgiving Day looks even better with a few rain showers Chicago and rain/snow showers Great Lakes and some showers Pacific Northwest and extreme southern Florida. For return travel on Sunday, some trouble east Texas into Arkansas with some thunderstorms.




SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY

Let's do gratitude or gratitud, pronounced grah-tee-TOOD. This is a time of gratitud for all of our many blessings.

Make you holiday shopping easy! Get that perfect educational and entertaining gift for the young ones in your life. Order Volumes 1 and/or 2 DVDs of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.bestbuy.com, www.ebay.com. Note: some Barnes and Noble stores are now carrying Volume 1.

AND MORE

My poll on favorite Thanksgiving food is closed. Stuffing was the big winner with 44% of the vote. Turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and other dish each got 11%. No one picked cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, broccoli casserole, other casserole, rolls, cherry pie, pecan pie, or other pie of dessert as their favorite. Would whoever picked other dish please give me a comment and tell me what that favorite dish is? If you want to do it privately, you can email cecilia_sinclair@yahoo.com. Let me know if I can tell everyone else what it is. I won't reveal your name. Thanks to all who participated in this poll.



Watching all the ads for Friday sales, the award for earliest opening goes to Toys R Us. They are starting their sale at midnight (the start of Friday). Yikes! Those poor workers. Kohl's and JcPenney are starting at 4 am. Walmart is starting at 5 am.



Well speaking of holiday sales, our new poll has to do with how much holiday shopping you expect to complete by 10 pm on Friday. Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.



I am so very grateful for the many blessings in my life. This Thanksgiving, I am reflecting more than ever on these things. Maybe it has to do with learning life's lessons. I am so grateful that God is in my life...even with all the questions I have. Teaching CCE has reinvigorated my faith. I am grateful for the generous people I meet every day...the ones who are outwardly focused, trying to make life better for others. I am grateful that I see these efforts more than I used to and that I am less cynical. I am grateful for my husband who puts up with me and my family. He is an amazing man, truly the salt of the earth and someone who understands me surprisingly well. I am grateful to be a mother to two beautiful daughters who bring me joy in ways I never imagined possible. I am grateful that we are all healthy and that when our health does suffer, we have access to the best medical care. I am grateful for my parents (that includes you Gerry) and my in-laws and my extended family. I am grateful that my parents sacrificed so much to show me the right way to live and to make sure that I had all the tools I needed. I am grateful for work that is fun and interesting. Let us never forget those who don't have so many of the things I just listed.



And of course, I am grateful that you are reading my blog. I do have a much longer list, but I think you need to get on with your own Thanksgiving celebrations. Enjoy!!!



Be safe everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair

Wonder Weather Woman

Thanksgiving Weather/New Moon/Weather Outlook December-February

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
The official end of hurricane season is November 30th, but I went ahead and took off the Atlantic and Pacific figures. If something pops up, I will put them back on. But for now, all is quiet.

Trough will dip south over the western US on Monday and that will cause some thunderstorms to develop over the eastern part of the central plains into the western midwest. There will also be a few storms in Florida. Highs will generally be in the 40s and 50s across the northern 2/3 of the country with 60s and 70s across the southern 1/3.

For Houston, Dense Fog Advisory is in effect until 9 am Monday. It will be a mild day after a cool morning. Then on Tuesday, look for some showers and thunderstorms in the morning as the next cold front arrives. Lows will be in the 40s for several days with highs in the 70s....very nice even into the long holiday weekend. Enjoy!!!

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do moon or luna, pronounced LOO-nah. Have you seen new luna (I mean the movie).

Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco is now available in 2 volumes...just in time for the holidays. Order the award winning Volume 1 DVD (home/eating/drinking/play) or the newly released Voluem 2 DVD (my day/my body/my feelings) from www.frankypaco.com, www.amazon.com, www.ebay.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.bestbuy.com.

AND MORE
Climate Prediction Center has released its 3 month outlook for temperature and precipitation for the months December, January and February. (see figures at right). After such a chilly summer, I'm sure many folks in the Midwest will be pleased to see that above normal temperatures are expected. Alaska should also be above normal. But, for most of us in Texas, we can expect below normal temperatures. Rain chances are above normal in south Texas, especially for those areas still suffering the most from drought. All of the southern states are expecting above normal precipitation chances.

The John C. Freeman Weather Museum had a special end of hurricane season clean out your pantry recognition day on Friday. Some of the attendees included myself and Gene Norman of Channel 11 KHOU in Houston. Jill Hasling, museum director, gave a presentation on the Weather Research Center's outlooks for the next several hurricane seasons. Texas has one of the lowest chances of getting hit in 2010 but one of the highest in 2011. For more on the Weather Museum and The Weather Research Center, go to www.wxresearch.org and don't forget that the Groundhog Day Gala is coming up on February. Seats are still available. Speaking of the gala, I had the honor of notifying Dr. Steve Lyons of the Weather Channel that he will be honored as a weather hero at this year's gala. So, you can see...there are going to be some big names there. Get your seats now!!!

On Thursday, Megan went to Tyler and saw the midnight showing of New Moon (2nd installment in the Twilight Series). She has some good friends up there and they all headed to the theater at 9 pm (having purchased their tickets the day before). She said they were showing the movie in every theater in the place. I thought that was amazing until I talked to my nephew Taylor's girlfriend Heather. They both live in College Station. She said they had the same thing there (and she was one of the ones who went to a midnight showing), but then when they came out, there were throngs of people there to see a 3 am showing. Yes folks! This movie and series is very popular with the young people.

Have a great week everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Flash Flood Watch and Coastal Flood Warning

Hello everyone -
I am deviating from my usual format because of the weather concerns for southeast TX for the end of this week.

Low pressure off the Texas coast and an upper storm system moving in from the west are going to cause heavy rain to fall in southeast Texas on Friday, including in and around the Houston area. The found out about the following two advisories from the National Weather Service.

A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING is in effect because of strong onshore winds that cause tides to run up to 2 feet above normal. According to the National Weather Service, worst flooding should occur late Friday. Highway 87 and other coastal flood prone areas are at risk.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH is in effect Friday for southeast Texas. And average of 2 to 4 inches of rain could fall across the area with isolated totals of 5 to 7 inches.

Looking at the latest data, heavy rain could start by daybreak Friday and occur into late Friday evening. Please be extra cautious and remember the rule of thumb of "Turn Around Don't Drown" if you encounter a flooded roadway either in a vehicle or on foot.

I'll get back to my usual format in my next post.

Have a safe weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman