Storms this week; some severe

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. The weather has been so quiet around here for the last 4 or 5 days. The last cold front to push through Kansas was over a week ago and we've had a lengthy stretch of 80 degree (above normal) temperatures.

Wind pattern aloft for today. Storm is approaching from the western US

But it's fall now and changes are bound to take place this week. The transition from 80s to 70s could result in severe storms for Kansas. This is basically our second season for severe weather, and we will need to keep an eye on things. The severe threat Monday night will be in far western Kansas and then spreading east for Tuesday and Wednesday. The greatest potential for severe weather will be Wednesday across central and eastern Kansas. Hail and wind is the main threat, but with shifting winds in the atmosphere, a few tornadoes are possible too. 

We've been watching this large storm system over the western US now for a couple of days and it's finally headed east. The increase in wind (and shifting winds higher up) will favor hail producing storms.

Here are my thoughts for this week:

Monday evening/night: Storms moving into western Kansas after 6 p.m. - some could be severe

Tuesday: Focus for scattered storms will shift east (areas basically east of line from Russell to Dodge City) - timing: after 3 or 4 p.m., but even more likely after dark across central and northern Kansas

Wednesday: Scattered storms early in the morning, then some afternoon sun with more storms developing late afternoon and into the evening. Main focus will be east of a Hays to Dodge City line. 

Thursday: Early a.m. sprinkles or showers moving out, breezy and MUCH cooler with highs in the 60s and 70s. Autumn weather returns... finally!

Much cooler air slides in by Thursday and Friday

The weather pattern will shift again toward the end of the week and allow for dry and warm weather to return heading into our first weekend of October.