Stubborn pattern & ugly Kansas?

Last week, we had a story on KWCH about Kansas having the worst scenery in all of America. Naturally, as a Kansas native, it bugged me to hear someone make that declaration, and I think what most people associate with Kansas is only what they see on I-70 as they drive through the area. I'll admit, driving in Colorado is fun because of the Rockies. Missouri has some pretty cool scenery in the southern part of the state with all of the trees and the lakes. But every state is unique and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To say Kansas has the ugliest scenery just means you haven't taken the time to look around at all we have to offer. I'd say we have a diverse landscape that far outpaces many areas in the United State. Scott Bean has captured some really cool pictures of Kansas scenery, and put it together in this video. If you have 5 minutes to check it out, it is well worth and while you are watching, try to guess where in Kansas each picture was taken. I will admit, our landscape looks so much better when we have green vegetation vs. the brown from the last two summers. Here is the link to the video:   http://vimeo.com/73014200

Our weather pattern won't change much for the next 8 or 9 days. High pressure is the dominant feature and just like the last two summers, this is how we had so many hot days in a row. I've lost count how many people have told me they are ready for fall, but I know some are still loving summer, and if that's the case, you'll love the fact this heat will be staying for awhile. I'm afraid moving into September, this high pressure won't give up without a fight. But I'm certain, once the high breaks down, we'll start getting some of our first tastes of fall, and I'm anticipating it could come earlier this year (compared to some other years)

Cowtown Days and changing weather

Millie and I drove the KWCH 60th anniversary car in the Ellsworth Cowtown parade Saturday. We had a great time, but I'm not sure Millie was that excited for the random gunshots that were fired in the air during the parade. I stacked a bunch of pillows up so she could look out the passenger side window during the parade, but once the shots were fired, she spent the rest of the route in my lap. It was a memorable experience and glad we could be there for the event. The organizer said there were 95 entries... probably one of the biggest in Cowtown Days history.

Our weather pattern will finally change and dry out. There are mixed feelings about it, even though the majority probably want the dry stretch so outdoor projects can resume. The pattern we are about to see is typical for summer, and if this were the middle of July, we'd likely be heading for 100 degree temperatures again. Considering it's the second half of August, we're not likely to break 100 degrees, but we will see a string of 90s that may last for 8 or 10 days in a row. So we won't have to worry about counting a bunch of 100 degree temperatures like we did the last two summers. And hard to believe the first day of fall is just about one month away. Summer seems to go faster each year.

courtesy National Weather Service

Why so much rain?

From one extreme to another, Kansas has definitely experienced a wild ride from drought to flooding in just a matter of two weeks. We've had a bunch of calls and emails wanting to know why so much rain and then when does the heaviest finally end?

The pattern isn't necessarily all that unusual for this time of the year. It is definitely different than the last two summers, but some would say it's about time. There is a large high to our south in Texas and around the high, the wind blows clockwise. So all of the monsoon moisture is carried through Arizona, New Mexico, and right up across the Rockies. If the high pressure was stronger like the last few summers have been, this moisture plume would be shoved farther north and we wouldn't be getting any rain at all. Several areas in Texas have been experiencing highs above 100 and very little rainfall (sounds familiar)

But too much rain can be just as devastating as no rain at all. So we will need this rain to shut off pretty soon. Western Kansas still needs the moisture, but central and southern Kansas has snapped the drought and needs a few weeks to dry out. Finding an end in this wet pattern will be tough though. With more moisture available and a series of systems coming in early next week, rain chances will continue through the first half of the week.

2 week rains & a look ahead

It's amazing how quickly things have turned around for Kansas in regards to the drought. In nearly two weeks, some areas have had more rain than in 6 months of 2012. Water levels are up, streams are running bank full, and abnormally dry conditions are limited to far western Kansas.

I'm posting rainfall amounts since July 23 and even southwest Kansas has noticed some ease in the drought conditions, but the northwest has quickly moved into first place for some of the driest areas of the region. The new drought monitor map will be out Thursday (August 8) and we will have a better handle on where the "extreme" and "exception" areas lie, but they have to be getting a little smaller with the kind of pattern we've seen over the state.

There is still no clear indication when things may dry out for more than just a few days. Some of the longer range computer models continue to keep the main high pressure system to our south, allowing for the hot, dry weather to reside over Texas, with our weather remaining active. As is often the case, when you have so much available humidity over a given area, it won't take much to set off storms and keep the rain chances around. It should be very interesting to see what kind of fall we will have. With abundant rains and less hot temperatures, we could be in for a real treat in October and November when the leaves are changing. Time will tell.