Rainfall reports & is there such thing as a "bomb" cyclone?

Total rainfall from the last couple of days (through 7 a.m. Wednesday):

Winfield: 1.73"

Wichita: 1.45"

Medicine Lodge: 1.26"

Jabara airport: 1.02"

Newton: 0.93"

Liberal: 0.82"

Hutchinson: 0.62"

Dodge City: 0.57"

Garden City: 0.48"

Great Bend: 0.42"

Hays: 0.25"

Goodland: 0.22"

Russell: 0.18"

Smith Center: 0.15"

What is a "bomb" cyclone?

This area of low pressure is reaching it's peak strength in western Kansas. The lowest barometer reading will likely take place around Sharon Springs or somewhere just southeast of Goodland. According to the record books, the lowest recorded barometric pressure in our state is 28.69" in Dodge City on April 8, 1878. The lowest pressure in Wichita was 28.71" back in 1960. 

Remember, barometric pressure is the weight of the air above a particular location. When it drops, it usually signals a change in weather. 

At 2 p.m. today - the center of the storm should be into western Kansas.

A bomb cyclone is a storm (or low pressure) that strengthens RAPIDLY. If the pressure falls by 24 millibars or more in 24 hours, it can be called a "bomb". Low pressure systems don't normally reach their peak strength in Kansas - usually this happens much farther north. That's why what's happening today is somewhat unusual. 

By 8 p.m. tonight, the area of low pressure is already starting to weaken - pressures rising in the center. It should be moving into Nebraska early Thursday.

So why aren't we getting severe thunderstorms? - The setup isn't favorable for that because temperatures are a bit too cool, at least in Kansas anyway. Some stronger thunderstorms were reported in Texas last night and could happen again today over Arkansas and in the South. It is very possible to get severe thunderstorms and some tornadoes with this kind of low pressure, but given the overall setup, we aren't seeing that today.

Dangerous winds -  This is probably the biggest headache with the "bomb" cyclone we are seeing today. Wind gusts of over 60 mph will be possible during the afternoon and will likely continue into Thursday too. So even though the "bomb" cyclone pulls away from Kansas tonight, the influence of such a LARGE scale storm will be felt at least into Friday. 

Try not to blow away in the next few days. Stay safe out there.