Friday, March 19, 1999
Good to the last drop--
Area awakes to more rain, but dry weather is
ahead
By DEON DAUGHERTY
Staff Writer
It may not be good for his business, but Kwik Kar Lube &
Tune manager Jimmy Price was glad to see the rain filling the
gutters and splashing the streets for most of Thursday.
“A lot of people will stay inside, but we needed the rain,
so it’s a blessing,” said Price, as a couple of his
employees began work on the one, black Honda parked in his garage
on South 14th Street.
The quick-stop car shop usually services about 40 cars a day,
Price said, but as the clouds loomed and the rain fell, only 20
or 25 people braved the weather for services.
“Most definitely, when the weather is nice, people will
get out,” he said. “That’s when we get more business.”
The rains came and the thunder clapped over the Big Country
Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, but after today, the
skies should be dry again for at least a week, said meteorologist
Phil Baker with the National Weather Service in San Angelo.
Abilene has a 30 percent chance of rain today, which isn’t
likely to provide more than a few light showers, Baker said.
The affects of La Niña should be manifested by below-normal
precipitation and above-normal temperatures once spring kicks
in. That doesn’t mean the Big Country won’t see periods
of rain comparable to Wednesday night’s showers.
For the immediate future, chances of rain are pretty slim for
next week. Moisture systems over the Pacific will likely bypass
the Big Country and track off to the north. A ridge of high pressure
exists in the Big Country atmosphere that is scooting the moisture
over the area without creating any weather disturbances or rain.
The most promising system is about nine days away, Baker said.
“But take that with a grain of salt,” Baker said,
alluding to the unpredictability of Texas weather, especially
more than 200 hours in the future.
In March last year, Abilene received 3.19 inches of rain, and
that was above normal by 1.83 inches. The bulk of that fell around
the middle of the month, mostly on March 15, when the town received
1.32 inches.
Rain this year has been just as sporadic. By 5 p.m. Thursday,
Abilene had received .71 inches of rain, added to the 1.08 inches
total from Wednesday. Abilene’s total for the month as of
5 p.m. Thursday, stood at 1.79, actually .43 inches above normal
for the month.
The normal for the year to date is 3.01 inches, said Baker.
“In West Central Texas, we seem to go for long periods
of time with no rain. Then when it does rain, it rains pretty
good,” said Baker.
Area rainfall
Abilene had received .71 inches of rain at the airport at 5
p.m. But other Big Country towns saw more significant splatterings.
Desdemona, in far east Eastland County, took a beating worth
3.80 inches of rain. Rule, about 70 miles north of Abilene, received
2.70 inches of rain Thursday. That town’s total was set at
4.20 inches since Sunday, the first rain since January in Rule.
And Anson, about 26 miles north of Abilene, saw 1.15 inches of
rain Thursday, for a total of 3.48 inches this year.
Lake Sweetwater saw no increase in its elevation, and Lake
Abilene had just a trace of an increase, said water officials.
Other area rainfall totals included Cisco, 2.55 inches; Rising
Star, 2.50 inches; Baird, 2.20 inches and Comanche, 2.3 inches.
Traffic safety
The rainfall wasn’t a particular hindrance to traffic
safety this week. Accidents weren’t up, and no fatalities
were reported in Abilene as being rain-related. But last week,
one fatal accident was accelerated by at least one of the two
pickup trucks involved hydroplaning on FM 18, said Sgt. Thad Carey,
supervisor of Abilene police department’s traffic division.
Drivers should follow all traffic rules, especially speed limits,
said Carey. In particular, if travel isn’t necessary in bad
weather, it’s best to stay home to avoid a wreck.
“What’s the formula? Sometimes there isn’t one.
Sometimes it’s just bad luck,” said Carey.
Deon Daugherty can be reached 676-6736 or by e-mail at daughertyd@abinews.com.
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Copyright ©1999,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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