It wasn't supposed to rain June 21, let alone flood so severely that four people would die and more than 100 would need rescuing across Central Texas.

Unknown to forecasters, however, a lofty pool of cold air was slipping over the Mexican border, skirting few-and-far-between weather stations that could have sounded the alert.

There was little warning before the cold air collided with a warm bubble of moisture over Central Texas, sparking an 18-inch rainfall that exhausted emergency crews in Bandera County west of San Antonio. Closer to Austin, two days of rain swamped several hundred homes from Llano to Lakeway and choked off Lake Travis recreation for almost three weeks.

The flooding was unavoidable. The lack of warning was not.

To prevent future surprises, a weather-detection grid, which would blanket the state with unoccupied observation centers, is being proposed. For $31.2 million, Texas could have the most-extensive forecasting network in the nation.

How to pay for the grid is being worked out, but don't be surprised to see a couple of extra pennies attached to your monthly utility bill, perhaps as soon as next year.

"Texas has incredibly varied weather, including our own little ocean injecting tremendous amounts of moisture into the state. But Texas has some of the poorest (weather forecasting) infrastructure in United States,'' said Gary Sickler, a research scientist for Texas A&M University.

In this era of satellites and pinpoint radar, it may be surprising to learn that storms can slip into Texas unannounced. But orbiters and radar stations reporting data to the National Weather Service cannot spot everything, and a finer network of ground-based weather stations is required, Sickler said.

That proposed network is called the Texas MesoNet -- "meso'' meaning small-scale in meteorological terms -- with weather stations spaced about 30 miles apart.

Instead of today's sparse network of about 70 stations, the Texas MesoNet would have 700, including detectors that can scan almost three miles up. They would have been capable of discovering the cold mass of air blamed for last month's floods.

Earlier warnings wouldn't be the only benefit, said Sickler, project manager of the MesoNet. The grid could provide frost, heat stress and soil moisture conditions to farmers; monitor air pollution; assess forest fire danger; and aid educational programs from grade school to college. It could tell utility companies where to position repair crews before storms hit. Detectors on offshore oil platforms could monitor hurricane activity and track environmental disasters such as oil spills, he said.

Right now, four out of five Texas counties have no local weather information. With the MesoNet, "we could pinpoint weather conditions [across the state and improve forecasts] for the next 24 to 36 hours at any location,'' Sickler said.

Twenty-four other states have MesoNets, and Oklahoma's 5-year-old system is considered tops in the nation.

For $2.7 million, the state erected 114 stations that transmit data to the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University for posting on the Internet. Much of the forecast information is free, but specific data such as maps showing forest fire danger are available for a fee, helping to pay for the MesoNet operation.

``We've built up a mighty large following in our state, and it's not just meteorological folks who drool over it,'' said Ken Crawford, director of the Oklahoma Climate Survey and an adviser on Texas' hoped-for network.

Two years ago, for instance, crews battling a central Oklahoma grass fire used the MesoNet to track an approaching cold front. Realizing a wind shift was an hour away, crews moved quickly to reposition trucks and firefighters, Crawford said.

"They saved not only some of their vehicles, but potentially some of their people as well,'' he said.

Following the Oklahoma example, advocates for the Texas MesoNet went hat in hand to the Legislature four years ago. Denied start-up money, they embarked on a treasure hunt that included the state departments of commerce and natural resources.

Advocates secured endorsements from the agencies and even a little money. It was only in the past year, however, that the Texas MesoNet took its largest steps toward reality.

In September, Sickler was hired at Texas A&M to shepherd the project. A major milestone was reached two weeks ago, he said, when the presidents of Texas A&M and Texas Tech universities agreed to set up and operate the MesoNet.

Another milestone was gaining support from Mark Rose, general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority, last year.

"He was the first big shooter to sign on,'' Sickler said. ``He's the one who came up with a way to pay for this thing.''

Rose suggested charging utilities to build the system, perhaps passing the cost on to their customers. As manager of the LCRA, which generates and sells electricity, he took his pitch to the Public Utility Commission in February. Commissioners favored the idea and initiated a study of the MesoNet, said Leslie Kjellstrand, PUC spokeswoman.

If electric customers paid the MesoNet's $31 million start-up cost plus $9 million in annual costs, the average electric bill would increase by pennies a month, she said. "But there are many steps between saying this is a great idea and getting it in customers' rates,'' including public hearings," Kjellstrand said.

Rose hopes to have the details ironed out in the next three to six months so construction can begin. His next step is to drum up support from utilities, which Rose said would benefit from the MesoNet.

Utilities use temperature forecasts to decide how much power to generate because electricity use rises on hotter and colder days. If a summer day is hotter than expected, utilities risk running out of power. Cooler-than-expected days can waste money when excess electricity is generated.

"Right now, we have human beings making educated guesses about changes in temperature,'' said Brenda Arnett, executive director of the Texas Department of Commerce and a MesoNet supporter. "Why not know it? Why not have that information in our hands?''

Business interests may decide whether the Texas MesoNet gets built, but state pride is playing a role as well.

Part of the weather grid's appeal is toppling longtime rival Oklahoma from its meteorological pinnacle, proponents said.

No problem, said Crawford of the Oklahoma Climate Survey.

"It will only help me be more successful,'' Crawford said. "Whenever Texas takes a step forward, I can say, `Look, they followed our lead, they did us one better. Are you happy being second-best now?' "

"I wish them well. Their success might help us.''

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