April 2021

[DoctorMu]

Yeah, cool, cloudy, and drizzly were not expected this morning - I was set to mow the back.

April and early October before brown patch season are the two periods in the Brazos Valley to boast a green lawn.

Despite 5°F nights in CS during the Winter Storm Week, somehow the weeds went wild in March. I put pre-emergence down earlier...but the weeds laugh at it. I've used Scott's Weed & Feed twice in the past, and each time it smacks around the St. Augustine while the weeds survive, until it gets hot and the weeds die anyway.

I use Sta-Green high nitrogen fertilizer with no phosphate, time release pellets with 2% iron to keep the grass robust on our garbage gray clay soil (Scott's just proliferates runners not blades). The yard has build up some nice inches of loam over time. Most people around here cut St. Augustine way too short after the initial scalping of winter debris. I'm set for 2 3/4 in next week and the duration of the summer. Because "summer" begins late in the week until sometime in October.

So, I tried Sta-Green weed and feed pellets. The St. Augustine loves it and the weeds are knocked down. Not completely, but good enough.


Just a sprinkle this am, but not much more. We won't reach 70°F today.

The Big Suck begins Wednesday with 90°F with no significant rain chances for a week after that. I am NOT ready to begin running the sprinklers like crazy yet. Holy ***** the Canadian has near century mark temps late week! GFS is far milder. Ensembles are split.

240 hours out, the only significant rainfall north of 0.5 inches is on the UKMet. GFS, Euro, Canadian are nearly dry.

[DoctorMu]

I'm sure TropiKal lurking somewhere. After 2 major snowfalls/winter storms in College Station this winter with a robust La Nina...the upcoming Big Suck is projected to be due to weakening La Nina and neutral ENSO.

https://www.kagstv.com/article/weather/ ... 2244c95d89

So NOW it becomes warm/hot and dry, beginning next week.

[Cpv17]

I'm sure TropiKal lurking somewhere. After 2 major snowfalls/winter storms in College Station this winter with a robust La Nina...the upcoming Big Suck is projected to be due to weakening La Nina and neutral ENSO.

https://www.kagstv.com/article/weather/ ... 2244c95d89

So NOW it becomes warm/hot and dry, beginning next week.

I’m not seeing much hope for any rain for the whole month of April tbh.

[DoctorMu]

I'm sure TropiKal lurking somewhere. After 2 major snowfalls/winter storms in College Station this winter with a robust La Nina...the upcoming Big Suck is projected to be due to weakening La Nina and neutral ENSO.

https://www.kagstv.com/article/weather/ ... 2244c95d89

So NOW it becomes warm/hot and dry, beginning next week.

I’m not seeing much hope for any rain for the whole month of April tbh.

Which might be OK if the temp weren't poised to soar 20°F. The sun broke out this afternoon and was perfect for mowing and yardwork. I'm envious of my old home state in NC, because we'd have another month of this, temps around 70°F...not to mention the 2-3 months of Indian summer in the Fall.

[Katdaddy]

Happy Easter everyone!!! A mild SE TX day with highs in 70s and partly cloudy skies. A weak disturbance will result in some light rain showers this afternoon.

[Cromagnum]

Need rain badly. My ground is already cracked in several spots.

[jasons2k]

Need rain badly. My ground is already cracked in several spots.

Yes, the plants need their moisture after the big freeze. This drought is a bummer.

Good news is that it appears that most healthy Mexican Fan Palms and Canary Island Date palms made it through the freeze. The jury is still out on the date palms over at Portofino.

Also, fortunately the tropicals I had to leave in the ground are all coming back. They froze to the roots but there is new baby growth sprouting out. I’m not so afraid of losing my plants now in the winter because I know they will come back.

[DoctorMu]

Need rain badly. My ground is already cracked in several spots.

Yes, the plants need their moisture after the big freeze. This drought is a bummer.

Good news is that it appears that most healthy Mexican Fan Palms and Canary Island Date palms made it through the freeze. The jury is still out on the date palms over at Portofino.

Also, fortunately the tropicals I had to leave in the ground are all coming back. They froze to the roots but there is new baby growth sprouting out. I’m not so afraid of losing my plants now in the winter because I know they will come back.

I put in a beautiful drought resistant Mexican Oak in the front yard a few years ago. Then it rained a foot in May and the tree drowned.

[DoctorMu]

A trace (of rain) a day keeps the sprinklers away??

A trace for 4 days in a row. Still had to run the sprinklers. But only 1/2 time.

[DoctorMu]

A light line of showers and "front" moving through. We might get a solid tenth of an inch!

Doesn't not appear to have the oomph to arrive in Houston.

[jasons2k]

The line is already starting to split NW of here....

Edit...pulsing up and down. Will be close...

[jasons2k]

Looking to the north, the tops of the storms are wispy and frayed, not sharp like blossoming cauliflower. Weak sauce.

[jasons2k]

Picked-up .25” here. Not bad and a very welcome shower.

[don]

Getting some really heavy rain here

[davidiowx]

0.08” just fell. I feel blessed lol!

[Cromagnum]

0.00 here. It split and went completely around me

[djmike]

Yes! Got an inch of rain from last nights storms. Ill take it! Was getting might dusty around here in Beaumont. Hopefully we can add to that a little more Friday. As of right now 40% so fingers crossed.

[jasons2k]

That quarter inch of rain was just enough and came right in time too - the grass and everything else is lush and green today, as it should be. Hopefully we get some more on Friday without blowing the fence over. We are deeper inside the SPC outlook lines for tomorrow/Friday than we were yesterday...

[jasons2k]

Hot tomale

[jasons2k]

That is one heckuva storm coming down the Brazos Valley....that time of year

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
742 PM CDT Thu Apr 8 2021

.DISCUSSION...

Updated to add a chc of thunderstorms for NW areas for the next 3
hours as a severe thunderstorm in central Texas moves southeast
toward the area. With the loss of heating, the storm could weaken
as it approaches Brazos/Madison counties between 830 and 930 PM.

Wood