A Visit to Explorer Elementary

Millie and I had more school visits this week. I stopped by to do a weather talk at Benton Elementary on Wednesday, and Friday, we were in Goddard at Explorer Elementary. The 2nd graders were so good and were so excited to see Millie. From the kids' reaction, I think they were impressed with the cloud-in-a bottle experiment too. I have to thank Carol Maddox for the invitation to visit the school, and before we left, they had Millie and I record a weather forecast that the kids will get to see Monday when they get back to school.

Our weather is going to change BIG time next week. High pressure in the upper atmosphere should guarantee dry weather all the way through Thursday. However, after the long, dry, warm stretch next week, we could be looking at our first round of severe weather by Friday or Saturday, so check back with us. It is getting to be that time of year. As the temperatures go up, so does the risk for tornadoes and hail. Have a wonderful weekend.

Crazy March Weather

As we transition from winter to spring, we tend to get some bizarre weather in the central US. It's not uncommon to have 60 degree weather one day and snow the next. It was nearly one year ago when parts of southcentral Kansas had 20-30 inches of snow (ie. Pratt) and strong winds. Some of the biggest snowstorms occur in the month of March, so we shouldn't be surprised with these late season snows. However, the chance for any accumulating snow from here on out looks rather low. There are a couple of systems coming in this week that will bring some moisture to the area, but it looks like it will mainly be rain with just a little snow in the far west. Hopefully that won't change.

Have you seen the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium? It is HUGE. The screen in the middle of the stadium is 160 feet long and 70 feet wide. It's the largest HDTV in the world (according to Guinness Book of World Records). There are 300 executive suites and I can't even remember how many concession stands. The stadium can be seen from miles away, and if you are ever in the Dallas/Arlington area, it is worth checking out.

Have a great week.

Spring Break 2010

I'm pretty sure I've blogged about this before, but this is the week I miss the most after leaving college. It's a week to escape the day-to-day routine of going to class and doing homework. Although some teachers found a way to schedule a test right after spring break, so it was hard to completely get away from the school work. But the week always offered up a chance to work and earn some money, or take a trip and make some unforgettable memories.

I was in Chicago last week attending some meetings and oddly enough, it was warmer there than it was in Kansas. I guess in some ways it makes sense because March weather can just be all over the place. There was no wind and temperatures were in the 50s, so I couldn't complain about the weather. I'm sure some will get a chuckle out of this, but a farm boy in the middle of a big city like Chicago is almost overwhelming to me. I love standing at the bottom of those gigantic buildings, wondering what it would be like to have an office at the top (image the clouds and storms that you would see with such a view) The one thing about being in those big cities; you can't see into the distance and it causes me to lose my sense of direction, so you have to rely on a cab driver to help you out. Just like anything else, if you grow up around it, you would be use to it, but for me, the tallest thing I had growing up was a windmill, which I did climb on occasion (who knows what for)

A late, winter season storm is brewing for the end of the week and could bring snow back to Kansas (oddly enough, spring begins Saturday) There is a chance some could get accumulating snow too, so check back in later in the week.

Jefferson Elementary 2010

Our week ended with a weather presentation at Jefferson Elementary. I've been invited back to the school several times, but this year was a first for Millie. I had to laugh when one of the students asked me "How do you know when she is happy when she can't wag her tail?"

You see (or what you don't see on TV) is that Millie has a "nubby" and it goes back and forth just like a tail would, so it's pretty easy to tell. And when she is around the kids, she's always in pretty good spirits. On the way back to the station Friday afternoon, she did fall asleep, so I know the kids wore her out (and that's definitely a good thing). I handed out a few autographs and some of the kids won a prize for correct answers in my quiz section. By the way, if you've ever wondered how I get Millie to be so good on TV, well look into her eyes in the first picture and you will see the secret. (not really, but she looks a little scary there)

The kids are geared up for Spring Break. It's the one thing you miss as you get older (unless you are a teacher or an administrator). It is the best cure for cabin fever, and there seems to be several cases of that this year.

Next week leading up to Spring Break, the weather looks a little unsettled with cooler temperatures. We may get some heavy rainfall Monday and the temperatures will certainly be cooler than they were this week, but I think warmer weather will return by Spring Break week. Have a great weekend.

Spring Outlook 2010

March is finally here and the winter is nearly over. I don't know what you're thinking, but for me, this winter has been dragging on and on and it hasn't been that snowy for most of us. Looking around the state, snowfall amounts are close to the average and while we still have a chance for some additional snow, it's probably not going to be anything major.

With spring knocking on our doorstep now, you may be wondering what is coming up for the Plains. Because our winter has been long and drawn out with colder than average temperatures, it will most likely delay the onset of severe weather season. However, when it gets started in April and May, we could be in for some very busy days and sleepless nights with thunderstorms.