SocraticGadfly: Abbott's "the lights stay on" promise to get its biggest test yet (updated)

January 31, 2022

Abbott's "the lights stay on" promise to get its biggest test yet (updated)

#WinterStormAbbott as I have hashtagged it on Twitter, is headed to Tex-ass with the coldest weather since the killer Winter Storm Uri a year ago. 

Per Weather Underground, here's what things were predicted to be like in the Texoma area as of last night, when I was writing this:


First, and thank doorknobs, that's a reduction in the initial snow forecast; 24 hours earlier, nearly 8 inches was predicted.

Second, I am already anticipating the wingnuts showing how this means global warming and the larger climate change are both unreal.

It of course does no such thing.

If anything, since we're supposed to, overall, have warmer than average winter this year with the La Niña influence, the repeated irruptions of polar vortexes show just how true it is that climate change is real.

Third, per the header, is Abbott's promise. It's interesting he went on teevee to say that rather than talking to print media, or doing a presser for everybody. But Peter Lake of ERCOT then did a presser and it was Strangeabbott's idea.

Then, there's this surcharge on our electric bills, which R.F. O'Rourke has been hammering as the "Abbott tax."

So, how severe will the challenge be? With a chance of snow and two nights of overnight lows in the teens as far south as Waco? Two lows of a flat 20 with ice down in Austin? Abbott's probably got his fingers crossed. (South of Austin, and definitely on the Gulf coast, it looks like the weather will be inconveniencing, but not more than that.)

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Update, 6 p.m. Monday: Strangeabbott is going to get lucky, it looks like. The storm's power is going to diminish, or coming in more from the west will weaken it or whatever. Temps in Austin stay above 20 with room to spare, and ice out of the forecast. Temps above 15 the full time in Waco, and "wintry mix" but not bad. Ditto for the Metromess.

Up here on the Red? Temperatures warmer ... no single digit problems. BUT? That ice predicted for Austin 24 hours ago? Now it's ours. The amount of precipitation continues to lessen, though.

Update, noon Tuesday: The Weather Service is still predicting single-digit lows Thursday. I'm not buying it. But, even it says winter storm "watch" not "warning" as of this time. That said, it's in more agreement with WU further south in Tex-ass.

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Sidebar: Sadly, Twitter had plenty of seemingly Blue Anon-driven "gotcha."

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