Dan Grigsby

Midland

Meteorologist at KWES-TV (Midland, TX)

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Articles

What causes the distinct smell before rain?

Mar 15, 2024 | abc10.com | Dan Grigsby

It's been a while since West Texas has seen appreciable precipitation. As a consequence, the Permian Basin has not had the opportunity to both hear and smell rain recently. But what exactly causes the distinctive rain scent? The answer lies in a complex interaction between rainfall and the environment. When raindrops hit the ground, they disturb the soil and release trapped organic compounds coming from plants and bacteria.
Tips to grow tomatoes in the West Texas climate

Feb 23, 2024 | newswest9.com | Dan Grigsby

Tomato gardening has long been a popular hobby for those wanting to stay active, eat healthy and possibly even save money. However, the West Texas environment makes successful gardening of any plant kind of difficult, and this includes tomatoes. A plethora of obstacles must be in place to successfully raise a plant to the point at which it grows beautiful, large tomatoes.
How much does it snow in West Texas?

Feb 9, 2024 | newswest9.com | Dan Grigsby

Snow is rare in West Texas, but it does fall from time to time. In fact, on average, Midland, which is one of the "snowier" cities in Texas, receives 4.1 inches of snowfall each year. Midland hasn't seen a whole lot of snow recently, however. A trace of snow was recorded at the airport on December 23, 2023 and again on Jan. 26, but this was hardly noticed by anyone as nothing accumulated on the ground.
What kind of weather is in store for this summer as we shift away from El Nino?

Feb 9, 2024 | newswest9.com | Dan Grigsby

TEXAS, USA — The El Nino weather pattern that's currently in place is expected to continue through the end of winter. This should result in us receiving above average rainfall and possibly below average temperatures through the rest of February. However, this pattern won't last forever as changes are soon expected to begin across the Pacific Ocean. Models are predicting that El Nino slowly dissolves as we progress into spring.
An update on West Texas' El Nino rainfall this winter

Feb 7, 2024 | newswest9.com | Dan Grigsby

An El Nino weather pattern formed in the Pacific Ocean several months ago back in 2023. This is when warm waters concentrate over in the eastern equatorial Pacific, close to the coast of South America. Historically, this pattern has often resulted in the southern United States receiving above average rainfall over the winter months along with colder than average conditions. The expectation going into this winter was that West Texans would receive above average rainfall amounts this winter.
How to prepare for expected high winds

Feb 2, 2024 | newswest9.com | Dan Grigsby

The windy season in West Texas kicks off in February and typically lasts through the spring. The Permian Basin is going to get a good taste of these winds Saturday and Sunday, as a powerful low-pressure system swoops through from the west. With strong winds in the forecast, and the season only just beginning, it's a good idea to remind everyone of the potential impacts associated with high wind speeds. With winds under 25 miles per hour, there typically aren't any adverse effects.
Another solar eclipse due in April, but this one's historic

Feb 1, 2024 | newswest9.com | Dan Grigsby

The next solar eclipse is coming up in just a little over two months on April 8. Unlike the last solar eclipse from back in October 2023, this upcoming event will be a total solar eclipse. People previously experienced an annular eclipse in West Texas, which is when the moon passes in front of the sun, but can't completely cover it up leaving a ring of fire. This eclipse will be different since the sun will be 100% covered up in the path of totality.
Bizarre experiment to check out in the extreme cold

Jan 15, 2024 | newswest9.com | Dan Grigsby

MIDLAND, Texas — Early Monday morning, the temperature in the Permian Basin fell all the way to nine degrees in Midland, which was cold enough to freeze exposed water, the edges of ponds, sprinklers or basically anywhere there was spilled water. Although West Texas didn't get snow, or is not expecting snow, there are still ways to have fun in the cold. One basic way to appreciate the cold weather is to make a t-shirt stand up straight like someone is wearing it.
ERCOT says its prepared for upcoming arctic blast

Jan 12, 2024 | newswest9.com | Dan Grigsby

MIDLAND, Texas — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) CEO, Pablo Vegas, has stated that extensive measures have been put in place to prevent power outages with this arctic blast. Efforts to winterize power generators and transmission infrastructure have been underway since the brutal heat wave we endured last summer. According to Governor Abbott, we are much more prepared today than we were during Winter Storm Uri in 2021.
How does the expected West Texas arctic blast compare to 2021 and previous years?

Jan 11, 2024 | newswest9.com | Dan Grigsby

As of Thursday, Jan. 11, the forecast shows temperatures falling to near 10 degrees for early next week. Currently, the coldest models are showing temperatures falling to near 0 degrees although these can be considered anomalies or outliers, far from what most models are showing. Historically speaking, this arctic blast doesn't appear to be too unusual. In fact, the coldest West Texas got on average for any given year is right around 11 degrees.