Sun dog appears & rain chances return

Twin Lakes in Wichita Wednesday evening. From Jeff Templin

I didn't get to see it, but Jeff Templin sent us this picture of a sun dog over Wichita Wednesday evening. They are more common in colder times of the year because ice is more readily available, but when the ice crystals align themselves just right, the sun dogs appear. Sunlight is refracted by the ice in the clouds. (Click on the diagram to see more detailed information)

The weekend is getting closer and we are getting closer to our next potential storms in Kansas. The rainfall this summer seems to come right at the time we need it, and it's been keeping our ponds and lakes full, and the grass green.

Small storm system over northern Colorado

This next system that is drifting out of the Rockies is a very small, compact storm that isn't going to do a lot for us. It will help to produce a few storms across northwest Kansas Thursday evening, but the system is actually moving northeast into Nebraska and the Dakotas. So that should keep the widespread rains north of us. The chance for a few storms will spread into central and south central Kansas Friday evening, but once again, the likelihood of anything widespread is very, very slim.

Thursday evening chances are in the northwest

Friday evening chances will shift farther south and east

The storm system from the northern Plains will start moving southeast by Saturday and Sunday. There could be some heavier rains in northeast Kansas Saturday evening, but that's really the only area of the state where there will be rain. And although temperatures may drop a few degrees by Sunday or Monday, it's still looking pretty warm through the start of next week.

We probably won't see any big cool down next week (week of August 18), but I definitely think we will start seeing some bigger changes heading into the last full week of August. Details to come.