One of My Hobbies

Kansas weather keeps me busy most of the time, but I still find time to enjoy other things besides weather. I discovered wood working about 2 years ago and I have completed two big projects and a few smaller ones on the side. Last year, I found some plans for a park bench and decided to make it a Christmas present. This year, I came up with my own design and decided to make a toy box for my new nephew, Wade.

Here are some pictures of the completed project. I don't normally consider myself to be a crafty individual, but this time around, I stumbled on some good ideas and followed through with them, only to be surprised at how good it looked in the end. I used Jute (looks like rope) for the handles on the box, and found some other rope to write his name on the lid. I'm not very good at picking out baby clothes, so I decided to make something instead. It was a really good Christmas and I hope it was for you as well.

Wishing You A Merry Christmas

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Here is the Christmas card that Millie and I had taken here in the KWCH studios. In my spare time, I've been doing some wood working projects for Christmas presents and I'll post some pictures of them after the holiday. They turned out better than I expected (because my wood working talent is nowhere close to Bob Villa's).

If you've been dreaming of a white Christmas, well, we finally had our dream come true. It is only a 10% chance each year that Wichita has a white Christmas, but this year we luck out and will have snow for the holiday. In fact, we might be adding to the snowfall on Tuesday with another system dropping in from the west.

I'm off to celebrate the holiday, but will be back on the air Thursday. Have a good Christmas.

It's the Holiday Season... Busy Times

This blog entry is full of pictures because there is so much going on at this time of the year and I wanted to share it with you. First, I had a great opportunity to ride around in a limo Monday night and check out some of the Christmas lights around town. I have to say I'm a little amazed at how many people don't decorate anymore, but the limo ride was fun and it was cold Monday night... which is why we are all huddled together in this picture.

A faithful blogger, Ty, sent me some pictures of Christmas lights around town. I'm posting two of them here and, the first one is from the College Hill area and the second is from Market street. Some people work hard to decorate for the holidays... just like Clark Griswold in Christmas Vacation. It is my favorite holiday movie.

Finally, I had a chance to visit Beech Elementary school Wednesday afternoon. Thanks to Ron Hobert for inviting me to the school and as always, the kids had some very good questions. One little girl was asking about the static electricity that always seems to catch us off guard when reaching for the light switch. Maybe I'll explain the answer in another entry.

Well, it's time to finish some last minute shopping and then wrap the presents. I'm not very good at wrapping, so if someone would like to wrap them for me, I'd probably let them. I'll be back on Saturday! Millie and I have a Christmas picture. I'll post it this weekend, so check back for it!

Enough Winter... And It Hasn't Started

We've had an active week of winter weather here in Kansas and well, we are still technically in the fall season. Winter starts this week on December 22nd at 12:08 a.m. local time.

The snow storm turned out to be a big event for the same areas that were hit pretty hard by the ice storm earlier in the week. This map is the same one we've been showing on the air and you can't miss the 12" bulls eye that occurred in central Kansas. We don't realize how much we take electricity for granted until we don't have it for a week.... not that I lost power or anything, but my family in southern Ellsworth county was still without power at last check.

How is your holiday shopping going? I've cut back on the number of people to buy for this year, so I'm just about finished. I have to say, online shopping is very nice and it is very convenient.

Thanks to everyone who is helping clean up after the ice storm and restore power. It is amazing how Kansans come together after a big storm to help out. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Pictures Tell the Story

The pictures have been coming in from the latest ice storm and they are worth a 1,000 words. They are a reminder of how bad winter storms in the central Plains can be, and for those that went through the January 2005 ice storm, it is a reminder of the nightmare we had almost 3 years ago.

Going from left to right, the first picture is from Great Bend, Hutchinson, Logan, Stafford, and finally, Salina. Thanks to everyone for sending in pictures of the ice. Above freezing temperatures are expected for Thursday, so let the melting begin. We do have another storm coming Friday, but this one will not have ice, but maybe some light snow for the area. Details will be coming in another blog entry.

Choosing the Right Words

Okay, so another round of wintry weather is coming and this one will be very significant. What we know for sure is there will be precipitation in Kansas beginning Monday and continuing into Wednesday morning. The uncertainty that we have tonight is in the surface temperatures. We could see temperatures around 32 on Tuesday, which may reduce some of the ice accumulations. Either way, this looks like a significant winter storm and we will be tracking it the next few days. Merril is off this week, so I'll be here to answer any questions that you might have. As much as we want to say this is going to be just as bad as January 2005 ice storm, we have to be careful to choose the right words and not force you into a panic that the world is ending with this ice storm. Just plan and be prepared for the worst, and hope that it doesn't turn out as bad as 3 years ago.

Send me an email if you have questions about the storm, rjanssen@kwch.com and I'll try and follow up with you.

I attended the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert Friday night out at the Kansas Coliseum. It was a great concert and the music was very good. If you attended the concert, you know what I'm talking about. Have a good week (aside from any ice that we might get)

More Wintry Weather Coming

I am enjoying a few extra days away from work, but I am still watching the developments of this prolonged winter storm. Take a look at the image attached. This is one of our computer models showing the storm dropping deep into the Southwest and staying there until Wednesday of next week. What is going on here?

This huge upper low pressure system is drawing in Pacific moisture that is running into cold air down near the ground. This is an ideal set up for sleet and freezing rain, so traveling across the area the next several days could be dangerous. Some of the heaviest precipitation may come Sunday into early Tuesday, some of which may be snow in the western part of Kansas, while southcentral and eastern Kansas may end up with ice. Send me an email, rjanssen@kwch.com if you have questions about the storm. Even while away from work, I'll still try and answer whatever you throw my way. Travel safely the next several days.

Several Changes Ahead

We had some weird weather this weekend from 60s on Saturday to 30s and 40s on Sunday. It would have been nice to steal some more moisture from that Saturday storm, but unfortunately, we missed out. I think we would rather be dry than deal with the ice that Omaha had this weekend. Several areas to the north had up to .5 inches of ice accumulation.

The weather pattern is already changing as I write this entry. High pressure is developing out to our west, so warmer air is going to be with us for a few days. The cold air is pulling back to the north, but it won't stay there too long. We expect some of that cold air to come back in on Wednesday. And, there could be another weak system coming through Wednesday into Thursday, which may very well drag some moisture across Kansas during that time. It looks like rain for southern Kansas, but it could mix with wet snow across the north. It will not be a big storm though, just another chance for a little moisture.

Have a great week!

A Wintry Weekend Ahead

I hope you are excited about the weekend. I finally had a chance to hold my new nephew yesterday. Wade Leland Janssen is doing very good and I hope to have a few more pictures soon.

In the meantime, the storm that is coming for the weekend still poses an icy threat to the area. The most significant icing will mostly likely occur across the northern part of Kansas, but even there, temperatures are expected to climb above freezing by late Saturday afternoon, so melting should get underway before the end of the day.

Be sure to watch over the weekend for more information as we track the storm.
Have a great Friday.

School Talk & More

I apologize but I fell behind in my blogging this week. The winner to our snowfall contest finally came forward. Congratulations to Mack Hibbard from Harper for winning. He is getting a weather umbrella, a KWCH hat, t-shirt, and a few other items. I'll see about another contest in the spring months. Maybe I'll have you guess the first day that Kansas doesn't see a wind gust over 15 mph (I'm just kidding on that one).

I visited Eisenhower Elementary School Wednesday afternoon in McPherson. As always, we had a great time and the kids were very intelligent. I have a picture of blowing dust from NW Kansas taken a few years ago, and most of the time, the kids can't figure out what it is. Today, within about 10 seconds, someone guessed it correctly, so way to go guys. We covered weather balloons, cold and warm fronts, and of course, the cloud-in-a bottle trick. The students were very well behaved.

A weekend storm is still in the works for our area.

The computer models are beginning to agree that we will get some precipitation this weekend, but we are not 100% sure what type of precipitation it will turn out to be. It looks way to warm for snow, but rain, freezing rain, and sleet all look possible at some point. I'll be in this weekend to watch the storm and hopefully it won't be a major event. Ice is never a good thing!

We Have a Winner!

Congratulations to Mack for winning the snowfall prediction contest. His guess was November 26th, so he is the closest to the actual date and is the winner. Wichita had 2.5 inches through 6 a.m. this morning, so the contest is over and we will get a prize out to you. Mack, please email me at rjanssen@kwch.com so I can get your mailing address and get a prize out to you. The snow that fell marks the end of a month long dry stretch here in Kansas. Even if you hate snow, isn't it nice to get some moisture?

Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? Millie and I are still recovering from Turkey hangover, but we still found the energy to play Clark Griswold (you know, Christmas Vacation and hanging the lights) on Friday.

This was a really busy week with all of the weather changes. We started the week off with record high temperatures and end it with snow. This is why Kansas weather is so interesting and even more the reason why I love this time of the year. There are more storms coming this way in the next week, so stay tuned for updates on whether it will be more snow or rain. Either way, we will take whatever moisture we can get our hands on.

The Trying Tommies 4-H Club from Ellsworth county paid a visit to the station on Wednesday. We had a great time touring the station and from what I could tell, they enjoyed watching the newscast live in the studio. Several pictures were taken, but here are just a few of them. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? I am working this year, but will be spending some time with family and close friends when I can on Thursday. I like to think of Thanksgiving as National Stretch Pants Day because you start eating and keep eating until you find yourself needing a little extra room for your stomach to grow. If my suit looks a little tight Thursday night, you'll know what happened.

We knew it was coming and the cold weather has decided to come back to Kansas. Highs in the 40s for this time in November is below normal and it's quite a shock for most of us because we've been accustomed to the 70s. The cold weather isn't going anywhere soon. In fact, we might even get a little snow late in the week or early in the weekend. When the cold front came through Tuesday afternoon, it signaled the start of an active weather pattern that may last for a few weeks. There could be several storm systems passing through our area in the next several days, and hopefully, we will get some kind of moisture before the active pattern ends.

Thanks for calling the travel phone bank Tuesday afternoon. We had about 200 calls from 5-7 with people looking for forecast details. To the caller who asked about Bangkok, sorry I wasn't able to provide you with the weather conditions you were looking for.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

A New Addition

Every once in a while, I like to keep you updated on the happenings in my family. Just recently, I became an uncle with the arrival of Wade Leland Janssen. He was born on Friday in Salina, so a big congrats to my older brother and his wife. I was hoping to get a picture holding the baby, but Wade was needing some extra attention in the nursery, so hopefully soon I'll get a picture with the new family member. We are all excited, except that I feel a little bit older now.

Thanks to everyone for submitting guesses on the first one inch of snow. Any guesses received after Sunday (Nov. 18) will be thrown out. As soon as it happens, I'll be announcing the winner on here and we will get a prize out to the lucky person.

The changes in the weather this week will be drastic, but it is only because we have been so warm lately. Highs in the 40s isn't that unusual for this time in November, but we haven't had any really cold weather this fall. We are still waiting for the storm to develop, and as soon as it does, we will have a better idea on who will get snow and who will get rain. The moisture will be nice (if it actually materializes) Have a great Sunday!

Keep the Predictions Coming

If you would like to submit a guess as to when Wichita will get its first 1 inch of snow, please submit it before Sunday. Just pick a date, and time (in case two people pick the same date) and as soon as it happens, I'll see about getting a prize out to the winner. We will use Mid-Continent Airport as the official reading.


The weather pattern is about to change next week. We've been talking about the possibility of a significant storm before Thanksgiving, and it still looks on track. We are not sure yet as to if it will be snow, rain, or none of the above, but one thing is looking more and more certain, it will turn cold toward the end of next week. So, be prepared to stay indoors for Thanksgiving this year because if the models are correct (and sometimes they are), we could be looking at highs in the 30s to near 40 degrees by the second part of next week. I've posted a snapshot of the jet stream for 6 p.m. Tuesday. You can see the huge buckle developing to our west, and this is what we will watch closely next week. We have to be careful about the predictions we make this far in advance, but with so many people expected to travel next week, we want you to have an early heads up. That's the benefit of being a KWCH blogger!

Early Thanksgiving Prediction

When do you think we will get our first 1 inch of snow here in Wichita? Okay, so if you are the closest to the correct date and time, maybe I can come up with a prize for the winner. But you'll need to post your answer on here within the next 7 days. The official reading will come from Mid-Continent Airport, so make sure you are guessing for southcentral Kansas and please pick just one date.

We have a couple of forecasting models here in the office that have predictions that go out about 15 days. I've been watching them over the last week or so, and they seem to be hinting at a pretty good storm developing just after Thanksgiving, perhaps as early as the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I'm not really sure if it is rain or snow yet, but it looks like our weather pattern will turn more active around Thanksgiving. This should lead to more low pressure systems coming out of the west, with more opportunities for moisture and there will be colder air creeping in from the north too.

Just a reminder, our Storm Team 12 Travel Phone Bank is coming up next Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. You will be able to call in and get a forecast for your Thanksgiving travel destination.

Here is some more fall color that my mom has decided to share with you . The picture was taken just outside of Geneseo in my old stomping grounds.

Awesome Autumn Color

Several things have to come together just right for us to maximize our fall color potential. We've been pretty lucky this year in that we've had the rain when we needed it most and the temperatures haven't been too out of the ordinary. Just look around at the trees in the parks, yards, even the trees in the pastures have some color in them at this time of the year. It is just another reason why this is my favorite time of the year. The wind blows all the time here in Kansas, and usually it forces the trees to drop their leaves prematurely before we really get to enjoy the color. At any rate, we still have a few more weeks before all of the trees will be bare and then, we head into winter when everything is brown and dormant.

Our weather pattern should begin to change this weekend. The last measurable rainfall in Wichita was back on October 22nd with .24" recorded out at Mid-Continent Airport. It has been even longer in other parts of Kansas, so we could use the moisture going into the winter months. The next chance for moisture comes on Monday and Tuesday with a low pressure system arriving from the west. I'll be back on Saturday to update you on anymore changes that will be coming this way.

An Early Monday... Helping Others

I had an early wake up call on Monday, helping KPTS raise money for the kids programming that runs on their station. I wasn't sure how many people would be watching at 7 a.m. in the morning, but surprisingly, we had several phone calls come in with people pledging money. The highlight of the day, other than being able to wake up at 5:30, was BubbleMan (aka Ron Tibbetts) creating a 6 foot bubble that could go all the way around me. He has a great job and is quick to point that out to anyone. I was amazed at how much dish soap he goes through in a year. It's more than I'll use in my entire lifetime, unless my dishwasher decides to go on strike.

The fall foliage looks pretty good around the area. If you have some good pictures of the leaves and the fall color, send them to me at rjanssen@kwch.com and I'll try and post some of them later this week. The wind has finally died down and we have a couple of cold nights ahead. Our weather looks quiet for the rest of the week, but we FINALLY start to see signs of change next week. It should get interesting in the next 8-10 days (at least I'm hoping).

Time for a Change in Weather

Like many of you, it will take a week or two to fully adjust to the time change. If they did away with the time change, would you be upset? Have you ever forgotten about the time change and been early/late Sunday morning?

I'm really hoping the weather pattern will change soon. We haven't had any moisture now in over two weeks, and the chance for measurable rainfall this week looks minimal. Without going into great detail, the jet stream is coming straight out of the northwest, which is preventing any Gulf of Mexico moisture from getting this far north. It essentially means we will be dry for at least another 7-8 days, then maybe we will see a change. The temperature ups and downs will definitely continue. In fact, Tuesday should end up being some of the coolest air that we've had so far this fall. We have definitely had a great stretch of fall weather. What will the winter be like? I'll shed some light on this in another blog entry. Thanks again for checking out the blog section of KWCH.com!

Harvesting the Kansas Wind

I had to travel to Hays last week and on my way, I had a chance to see the new wind farm that is being constructed in southern Lincoln county. There has been some significant controversy surrounding the wind farm and how it will change the landscape in the Smoky Hills. I am very amazed at how tall these structures stand and how visible they are even 25 and 30 miles away.

It seems like a smart thing to do with the amount of wind that we see here in Kansas, but it definitely looks weird when you have 20 or 30 of them all grouped together in one spot. Some of the towers stand over 200 feet tall and weigh over 70 and 80 tons. There are other wind farms in Kansas, including one near Beaumont, Spearville, and Montezuma. They stand tall enough that we can actually see them on the Doppler radar from Dodge City and Wichita. We know it is the wind farm because the echoes that show up on the radar stay in the same place. You could mistake it for a thunderstorm if you didn't know what you were looking at.

It is interesting to think that we have gravitated from the old style of windmill used to pump a well, to the new kind of wind machine, one that generates electricity.

Halloween Spirit

In my last blog entry, I mentioned dressing up like Kermit the Frog. I couldn't find that picture in the family photo album, but I did come across one that will probably still get me in trouble with my siblings. This is a picture from Halloween 1990. That's me dressed up like a clown, along with a California Raisin, Rambo on the left side (my brother), and I'm not really sure what my sister was supposed to be that year (she is 4th from the left side)

What was your scariest Halloween costume? Funniest?

Last year for Halloween, we had some pretty chilly temperatures. We had 80 degree temperatures just two days prior to Halloween, down into the 40s for highs on the 31st. This year the weather should be about as close to perfect as you can get. Trick-or-treating temperatures should be in the mid 50s for most of the area.

Wildfires Rage On

Watching the wildfires on TV the last few days has been rather heartbreaking. It has to be a very helpless feeling for firefighters to stand back and watch stuff burn right before them. The Santa Ana winds can be relentless, much like the Kansas wind sometimes.

This graphic helps explain what the Santa Ana winds are and how they fuel the fire. We have something similar to Santa Ana winds here in Kansas, only ours is called a "chinook" wind. A chinook wind blows off of the Rocky Mountains, down into Kansas and warms up rapidly as it goes from high elevation to low elevation. Just like the winds in California, the chinook wind is a very dry wind. During the wintertime, temperatures can start out in the 20s and end up in the 70s during the afternoon, often because of this chinook wind.

NASA released this satellite picture Tuesday and we've been showing it on the newscasts from time to time. Several different areas burning and TONS of smoke. Conditions should improve for firefighters as the wind slows down and changes direction. The relative humidity should start coming back up by the end of the week. Our thoughts are definitely with those in southern California.

Summer to Winter

It is too early for Kansas to be getting snow, but that's not the case for the Rockies. This picture was captured from a live camera in Steamboat Springs, CO Sunday morning and the ground is nearly covered in the snow. This is an area that could have 8-14 inches of snow by late Sunday night. We do have snow in the forecast for northwest Kansas late Sunday afternoon, but the ground is too warm for anything to stick just yet.

I know we've had some snowstorms in the last few days of October. I remember going Trick-or-Treating in 4-5 inches of snow (my family has the pictures to prove it), so it can happen this early in the season. I think I was Kermit the Frog that year for Halloween.

I don't know about you, but I'm not really ready for snow and bitter cold. It would be nice to just have 3 or 4 weeks of good fall weather (highs in the 60s and 70s, lows in the 40s). Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Back to Normal, or Is It?

Our schedules in the weather office are finally getting back to what we would almost consider normal. Although, in weather, we never really know what normal is half the time.

I'm taking a few days off so that I can get Millie out in this great, fall weather that we are having lately. Although, something tells me that we haven't totally made the transition from summer to fall just yet. There is still a ton of change going on in the atmosphere and as it happens, severe weather is going to be a result. The Storm Prediction Center has placed the eastern half of Kansas in a moderate risk for severe weather. So, be prepared tomorrow to see watches and warnings at the bottom of your screen. We normally see a "second season" for severe weather, and it comes in the fall, about this time of the year. Perhaps Millie and I will be in Sat Cam tomorrow out watching the storms.

What did you think of the storms Sunday night in southcentral Kansas? How much rain did you get? If you didn't get much rain over the weekend, maybe the next two storms coming this way will have what you are looking for.

Time to get the yard mowed and the garage cleaned out. Hopefully the storms won't get too bad tomorrow

Weather Safety Fair

I ventured up to Newton Saturday morning for a weather safety fair just inside of the Wal-Mart. It is something every Wal-Mart is required to do and thanks to Mary Root for the invitation to visit. I handed out Storm Team 12/KFDI Storm Alert Maps to those passing by and I had a slide show cycling through with different weather questions for kids and adults to answer. The weather fair started out rather slow, but by 11 a.m., the kids finally started to show.

I still have high hopes for more rain on Sunday. Several areas missed out on the moisture Friday afternoon, and even those that did get rain could probably use a little more. Severe weather will be a concern Sunday afternoon, so I'm sure we will be busy later in the afternoon. Hopefully we won't have to cut into NFL football (we know the phone calls will start pouring in if we do)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Fall Finally Arrives!

I remember standing on the sideline Saturday sweating like crazy because temperatures were in the upper 80s and low 90s. The weather pattern has definitely changed and I think it is safe to say, we will not have any more 90s this year. In fact, highs in the 80s will be few and far between as the cooler air settles into the area.
I've posted the highs from Wednesday, which clearly shows a difference across Kansas. Normal temperatures are in the low 70s for this time in October.

Hopefully, we will get more rain this coming weekend. So, put the fertilizer on your yard Thursday or Friday and watch Mother Nature water it in for you Saturday and Sunday. Even the farmers that have just finished planting wheat would probably be glad to see some moisture.

My safety talk this Saturday will be at the Newton Wal-Mart. I'll have some handouts and will share a few PowerPoint slides with you on weather safety. Stop by if you can, but if you are stuck in front of a football game this weekend, I'll understand. It might be a good weekend for it. Take care.

A Sports Guy for the Weekend

Wow, what a weekend with the Sunflower Showdown. It was exciting and the outcome was bittersweet ... if you were dressed in red and blue. Thanks again to Bruce Haertl for setting me up with a media pass to watch the game from the sidelines and it was incredible. I posted a picture that one of my friends had from the game. It's like finding Waldo, but you'll find me pretty easily, seeing that I'm the only red amongst a sea of purple. I've watched many football games on TV, listen to even more on the radio, seen a few from the stands, but I've never watched one from the field. It gives you a whole new perspective on the game and it definitely has a much quicker pace than what you are used to when you watch it at home.

I had a chance to BBQ before and after the game with several of my KU and K-State friends. There was a great deal of trash talking before the game, but it all came to an end at about 2:30 in the afternoon. The in-state rivalry continues.... and some are already looking ahead to basketball. It will be here before we know it.

Have a great week.

Ready for the weekend

There is definitely some excitement in the air as we get ready for K-State/KU tomorrow in Manhattan. It's no secret, I like football and I am a KU grad, but I'm secretly a big K-State football fan. I'm sure if my college friends log on here and read this, I'll be in trouble next time I see them. I will be fortunate enough to watch the game from the sidelines on Saturday (Bruce must have recognized I needed some time away from work and set me up with a pass to get on the field). It should be a great game and I'll have to dress in neutral colors because I don't want anyone throwing things at me, depending on which sideline I'll be on.
My profession is predicting weather, not sports, so I won't post a prediction on the game. After all, I have trouble predicting weather sometimes, I shouldn't even try to figure out the game Saturday. Have a great weekend. Pictures from Manhattan will be posted Sunday.

Bloggers, thanks for the nice comments during my fill-in time for Merril. You are too nice.

A Visit to Rex Elementary

I visited Rex Elementary a little over a month ago and I think I promised the kids I would post the pictures. We had a great time and we kicked off the school year discussing weather (of course). I have just two pictures of the kids and they were great listeners. I don't have any school talks scheduled soon, but I am headed to the Newton Wal-Mart next weekend for a safety talk.

It's a busy week and I'll update the blog before I head off to the K-State/KU game this weekend. Should be fun, I just wish the weather was going to be cooler.

Skunked Again!

On my way to work Sunday afternoon, you could see the cold front coming through the area. I took a picture through my windshield (hence the bug juice) because it was a dark, ominous line of clouds racing through the Wichita area at 1 p.m. SOME people had rainfall, but most of us missed out again. However, we have another chance coming up on Tuesday. You see, as a meteorologist, when we get skunked by one storm system, we just look forward to the next one right away. The rain chances look a little better on Tuesday than they were Sunday, but I'll believe it when the rain is actually hitting the ground.

A BIG weather change is coming next weekend. Fall weather is coming back with a very strong cold front that is expected to arrive on Saturday, possibly bringing some rain to the area at that time. That is KU/KSTATE game day in Manhattan, so we will hope the rain holds off until after the game. Yours truly will be paying a visit to the Little Apple, hopefully on the sidelines to watch the game, but we'll see. The sports guys haven't told me I have a ticket yet. Have a great week.

Calendar Confusion

Here we are coasting into the month of October and where did that cool, fall weather go? Remember two weeks ago when we had highs in the 50s and 60s? Most people I run into on the street are anxiously awaiting for that cooler weather to revisit Kansas, but I honestly don't see it happening for at least another 7-10 days. Okay, so if we can't have the cooler weather, can we get some rain?

There is a pretty good storm system coming in from the west for the weekend. About the only thing that is certain is we will have strong winds this weekend. The temperatures should be warm and if everything goes as planned, we SHOULD get some rainfall. I'm posting a snapshot of the weather pattern for the upcoming weekend. How can we get some rain out of this system? The first thing that must happen before the storm gets here on Sunday is we need to draw in some Gulf of Mexico moisture. The strong south winds should help in doing that Friday and Saturday and when that low gets to Kansas Sunday, storms should develop. The last couple of systems have been rather disappointing in terms of rain, mainly because they are too far north of Kansas to do any good. We will see how things change on Friday and Saturday, but wouldn't it be nice to get a good 2 inch soaker? I guess we can't have it all, right? Have a good weekend and if you do get rain this weekend, post your amounts on the blog. I just might use them on the air too.

Thanks everyone.