Another Weather Broadcasting Pioneer Passes On...

During my early learning years (60s & 70s), I had 3 people who I considered my mentors.  Growing up outside Chicago (Hammond, IN) my mentors were the late Harry Volkman & the founder of The Weather Channel, John Coleman.

The top photo is John & I in the early 80s while the bottom is Harry from the late 70s.  I "borrowed" John's wit and entertaining style and combined it with Harry's professorial approach (including sound effects) to become the Bob Breck you knew here.  But I would not have been able to do that without Roy Leep taking a chance on me in Tampa back in 1971. This was me with the pointer!

Roy saw something in me that 33 other TV stations didn't and gave me an OPPORTUNITY.    He was my boss, my mentor, and later in life, my friend.   He was a true innovator having the 1st TV radar in 1959, introducing color radar back in 1976 and as the bottom photo shows, a 200 foot tower that housed Ch. 13's doppler radar.  I started my first job at a TV station that was better equipped than the local office of the National Weather Service!  It was an honor to say you worked at WTVT-TV in Tampa.  Sadly, Roy passed away yesterday at the age of 88.

For 40 years, (1957-97) Roy said hello to thousands of Tampa Bay viewers during his nightly broadcasts.  He even had his dog Scud become a TV star with viewers sending in outfits for Scud to wear.  Yes Roy touched many lives, but he will always have a special place in mine.   Peace to a Giant TV Weather Pioneer.

Our weather map has a surface boundary lingering across the South.  There is the potential for a heavy rain event over Texas and western Louisiana during the next 4-5 days as an upper level cut off low stalls just to our west.

The top graphic is the flow at 500 mb (18,000') from this morning with an upper trough moving over the central plains,  The middle is valid for midday on Saturday showing the low developing over Texas with the bottom still have the low not moving on Monday. 

Models are predicting the heaviest rains in Texas, but it wouldn't take much for that to move into our state.  Until this upper pattern chances, we'll need to pay attention, especially Friday through Sunday for periods of heavy downpours.

With the upper SW flow, you get these rain bands that orient SW to NE.  If you get under a "taining" band, 2-4" could fall in only an hour or two causing flooding problems.

The next 5-7 days look extremely wet with some drying coming later NEXT week.  All the clouds and rain will keep temps below 90 so there is some good news!  Stay tuned!