Swell
65 72 76 79 83 86 Gulf of Mexico Water Temperatures
Jan Apr Aug
Feb May Nov
Mar Jun Dec Wind Climatology
Average Number of Days W/ SCA
16.0 14.0 12.0 Port O'Connor 10.0 Baffin Bay 8.0 Port Aransas 6.0 Bouy 20 4.0 2.0 0.0
Jul. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Spring Pattern
Cold
L Warm H Strong Onshore Winds Spring Pattern
Cold
H L
Warm
Strong H Onshore Winds Summer Pattern
Cool L H Hot
Light H Onshore Winds Common Strong Wind Patters Strong Arctic/Canadian Cold Fronts: Late Fall – Early Spring
Tends to produce strongest winds offshore Common Strong Wind Patterns South Texas Coastal Trough/Low: Late Fall – Early Spring
Tends to produce strongest winds in northern waters Common Strong Wind Patters Low pressure across the plains: Spring / Fall
Tends to produce strongest winds in southern bays and nearshore waters Common Strong Wind Patters High / Low combo: Fall - Spring
Tends to produce strongest winds in northeastern waters Influence of Cold Shelf Waters
Strongly mixed layer over warm Well mixed layer over Lifts into LLJ over stable warmer ocean waters Land (WS: layer (WS: 35 kts) 22 – 30 kts) (WS: 20 kts)
Stable (WS: 10-15 kts) Mexican mountains promote low pressure near the Rio Grande which coincides with Flow morethe parallel position to the of thecoast heat and low. Isotherms promotes a stronger Temp gradient and stronger Sea breeze L Marine Nocturnal Jet
Boundary Layer
Acceleration Nocturnal Zone Well Inversion (WS: 20-25 kt) Mixed Stable (WS 10 kt) WS: 17-20kt Warm SSTs What’s Causing the Timing Difference?
SCAs Per Hour SCAs Per Hour Baffin Bay (May 2000-2004) Port O'Connor (May 1999-2004)
40 40
30 30
20 Sea 20 Nocturnal
SCAs SCAs 10 Breeze 10 Jet
0 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Hour (UTC) Hour (UTC)
SCAs Per Hour SCAs Per Hour Port Aransas (May 1999-2004) Buoy 20 (May 1999-2004)
40 20
30 15 Nocturnal 20 10 Nocturnal SCAs Jet SCAs 10 5 Jet
0 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Hour (UTC) Hour (UTC) Lapse Rates NAM 0-1 km Lapse Rates: 6Z May 7, 2010
Better Instability Pushes Into NRN bays
Basic NWS Marine Terminology
Data Sources
www.tcoon.org/map www.tcoon.org/map www.tcoon.org/map Background Info – CRP CWA/MWA Who Are Our Marine Customers?
Port of Corpus Christi 40 Miles Of Ship Channel EXCALIBUR CHENIER GULF TPCO E AIR LIQUIDE COMPRESS SHERWIN BUCKEYE/ HALIBURTON TRAFIGUR VOESTALPIN ALUMINA A E ADM GRAIN SUPERIOR PLAINS ELEVATOR WEIGHTIN FLINT HILLS OXY M&G G NuStar ETHYLENE AEP TEXAS VALERO CHENIERE DUPONT CONDENSA CASTLETO MARTIN TE N MIDSTREA M GULF MARINE CITGO EMAS WEST FABRICATORS FLINT HILLS BTB ELEMENTIS KIEWIT INGLESIDE LYONDELLBAS REFINING ELL CITGO EAST OXY ENERGY INTERSTATE PLAINS TOPAZ INGLESIDE GRAIN FLINT HILLS POWER PLAINS EAST GROUP TEXAS CELANESE LEHIGH/ BISHOP, TX PLAINS MARKWEST MAGELLAN NORTHERN JAVELINA WHITESAND BAY
Sea Breeze Sea Breeze L H Sea Breeze Impacts
Non-Deep Convection Related Waterspouts
Tidal Flooding Moon’s Effects on Tides Moon’s Effects on Tides Other Influences on Tides High Tide
RKP
Aransas Pass Incoming high tide CRP reaches the shoreline and filters through available inlets. High tide occurs last in the back bays furthest from Gulf inlets.
3/31/2016 Low Tide
RKP Low tide occurs at Aransas Pass the coast first and water flows out of the
CRP bays to fill the void. Therefore, low tide will occur last in the back bays furthest from the inlets.
3/31/2016 Tidal Flooding High/Low Astronomical Tides
January Low Astronomical Tides < 1 foot above MSL
October High Astronomical Tides > 2 feet above MSL Currents
Summer Spring & Fall
Weak Onshore Flow Strong Alongshore Flow
Rip Currents Rip Current Forecasting
Sea Fog Sea Fog Impacts from Sea Fog
Special Marine Warnings
Cold Fronts Cold Fronts - Gales
Questions?