The Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News are launching a statewide meteorological team to cover weather in the two largest cities in Texas using a smart, science-driven approach.
Meet the Houston team:
- Weather Science Editor Roberto Villalpando will oversee the statewide team. He brings nearly 30 years of journalism experience, including 25 years at the Austin American-Statesman, where he spent the past nine years as a breaking news editor and weather beat writer.
- Houston meteorologist Justin Ballard is no stranger to hurricane coverage, having spent the past few years with the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network at the University of Florida. He also brings ample experience in forecasting severe weather and tornadoes from his time at WREX-TV in Rockford, Illinois.
Last week, you sent us your own questions for the weather team. Justin Ballard answers them below.
We already have a lot of different independent weather apps and newsletters in Houston — how will yours be different?
The Houston Chronicle's daily forecasts will provide so much more than a simple forecast. Yes, you'll get the forecast to help you plan the day ahead. But you'll also get some context for why the weather is doing what it's doing. Will you read the daily forecast ready to go into the world with your meteorology degree? Probably not, but you will be able to connect the dots between terms like the "heat dome" or the "polar vortex" and how they can impact your life.
How different is today's weather from the past 50 years?
Houston's weather today is different from Houston's weather 40 or 50 years ago. There are several ways this can be determined. One way is by looking at days where the heat index goes above 90 degrees. According to Climate Central, a non-profit news organization that analyzes and reports on climate science, Houston experienced 17 more days where heat index values climbed to 90 degrees or higher in 2022 when compared to the late 1970s. Climate Central also found a substantial increase in cooling demand last year when compared to the early 1970s. Not only have temperatures generally trended higher overall, but rainfall has become more intense since the early 1970s. These phenomena are not independent. They're all connected, and all relate back to a climate that is warming and can hold more moisture.
What trends are we seeing that will impact Houston in the next twenty years and beyond?
Houston is likely to be most impacted by rising heat and increased heavy rainfall events. Prolonged stretches of above-average temperatures, like we've seen so far this summer, could become an even more substantial part of the summer landscape in Houston. Rainfall is likely to become increasingly heavy, which could place areas not under a floodplain in 2023 closer to being in a floodplain or squarely in one by the middle of the 21st century.
Learn more about Ballard and his work in this longer Q&A here.
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