...WINTER STORM SYSTEM WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SNOW AFFECTS THE AREA...

ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF STRONG SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS MOVING
ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO BROUGHT WIDESPREAD
RAINFALL...SOME WINTER PRECIPITATION...AND NUMEROUS REPORTS OF
STRONG WINDS TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA FROM LATE
FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY.

AS WITH THE PREVIOUS GULF LOW A FEW DAYS PRIOR...RAINFALL WAS SEEN
AREA WIDE WITH THIS SYSTEM...WITH MOST LOCATIONS SEEING BETWEEN A
HALF INCH AND 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL. HOWEVER...AS ARCTIC AIR BEGAN
TO FILTER INTO THE REGION ON SATURDAY MORNING...RAIN BEGAN TO MIX
WITH SNOW AND SOME SLEET ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA.
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF SNOW WERE RECEIVED FROM INTERIOR SOUTHEAST
TEXAS INTO CENTRAL LOUISIANA...GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE
HIGHWAY 190 CORRIDOR. ALTHOUGH SNOW FELL RATHER INTENSELY FOR
BRIEF PERIODS OF TIME...LITTLE MORE THAN A LIGHT DUSTING WAS SEEN
ON ELEVATED SURFACES AS TEMPERATURES REMAINED SEVERAL DEGREES
ABOVE FREEZING.

IN ADDITION TO THE PRECIPITATION...A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT
ASSOCIATED WITH THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE GULF PRODUCED
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS IN THE COASTAL WATERS AS WELL AS
ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE I-10 CORRIDOR. SUSTAINED WINDS AND GUSTS
TO GALE FORCE WERE COMMON OFFSHORE...WHILE A LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOPED WELL OUT INTO THE GULF EVEN PRODUCED
SOME WIND GUSTS OVER HURRICANE FORCE IN THE FAR OUTER COASTAL
WATERS.

BELOW IS A LIST OF SOME PEAK WIND AND WAVE MEASUREMENTS FROM LATE
FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY JANUARY 18-19 2008 FOR INLAND AND OFFSHORE
WEATHER REPORTING STATIONS IN THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO:


SITE              LOCATION              PK SUST  PK WIND   PK WAVE
                                          WIND     GUST     HEIGHT
------------------------------------------------------------------
GARDEN BANKS 72   150 SW AMELIA LA         -     100 MPH
EUGENE ISLAND 281 82 S BURNS POINT         -      80 MPH
EUGENE ISLAND 330 105 SW AMELIA LA       55 MPH   71 MPH
FGBL1             111 SSE SEA RIM TX     51 MPH   56 MPH
MARSH ISLAND 268  63 S NEW IBERIA LA     41 MPH   52 MPH    9 FEET
HIGH ISLAND 263   88 S SABINE PASS TX    41 MPH   48 MPH
BUOY 42362        131 SSE AMELIA LA        -      47 MPH
BUOY 42035        39 SSW SEA RIM TX      38 MPH   47 MPH    8 FEET
BUOY 42019        146 SSW AMELIA LA      38 MPH   45 MPH   14 FEET
MRSL1             42 SW NEW IBERIA LA    36 MPH   44 MPH
HEBERT`S MARINA   15 SSW LAKE CHARLES LA   -      39 MPH
SABINE PASS       SABINE PASS TX         30 MPH   38 MPH
SEA RIM ST PARK   10 WSW SABINE PASS TX  28 MPH   36 MPH
LAKE CHARLES ARPT LAKE CHARLES LA        28 MPH   36 MPH
SE TX REG ARPT    PORT ARTHUR TX         26 MPH   36 MPH
LAFAYETTE ARPT    LAFAYETTE LA           26 MPH   36 MPH
NEW IBERIA ARPT   NEW IBERIA LA          28 MPH   35 MPH
CALCASIEU PASS    2 S CAMERON LA         26 MPH   33 MPH
SALT POINT        SALT POINT LA          20 MPH   29 MPH