Pattern Changing

It has been remarkably quiet with our storm season this year in Kansas. The downside is that we are not getting in on the much needed rain either. We haven't had any May tornadoes yet in Kansas, which is the slowest May tornado season we've had since 1984. If we make it all the way through the month without any twisters in our state, it will be the first time since 1980 (even before I was born).

Our pattern is changing this week and the rest of May should be fairly active. We already have one system coming at us for later in the week, and yet another one that could impact the area just before Memorial Day weekend. Severe weather is possible with both systems, so the lack of May twisters could be challenged soon. We'll see. Like you, I'd be happy with some serious rainfall (2 or 3 inches worth) and the severe weather can go somewhere else.


I also posted a picture on my Facebook fan page of Millie and I in the recent Goodwill Administrative Professionals Day fundraiser. We did this two years ago and had a good time (I'm not much of a model, but Millie sure is), so we were asked to come back for this go around.

Drought in Pictures

Kansas is not in the right spot for rainfall this year and it doesn't look to get any better soon. Rainfall has been so heavy in southern Missouri, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and northeast Texas. In the last week, rainfall amounts of 8-10 inches have been quite common across Arkansas and the flooding is historic for some.

The pictures posted here are from Rice county, near Lyons, where dry and windy conditions from last week help pile up dirt in ditches. Even those who have had moisture in central Kansas say it's been rather spotty, and agree, more rain is needed to help fill farm ponds and keep the wheat in business. The lack of moisture is evident in wheat fields that are now producing heads as the plants are so much smaller than normal.

So far this spring, there have only been two days with tornadoes in Kansas. Last year (from March 1st - April 30) there were only two days with tornadoes, but when May 2010 started, the severe season ramped up. There were 8 different days with tornadoes reported in Kansas. Historically, this is the busiest month with severe weather, so we can't let our guard down even though our storm season has been off to a very slow start.