Here comes the rain - some of our first predictions on amounts

At the risk of overpromising and underdelivering, we wanted to hold off saying too much about the rain amounts we could get next week. However, as time draws near and anticipation builds, we will go ahead and share some more information.

Since we are in the prime of severe weather season and on the heels of a few tornadoes Wednesday night, we DON'T expect to see anything remotely close to that for the final days of April. Temperatures will be quite cool throughout the remainder of the month (highs in the 40s and 50s), and that has a significant limiting factor when trying to develop severe storms. It can still happen, but chances are significantly reduced.

The setup into the last few days of April will favor a long duration rain event, so please don't expect it to all be in the gauge Monday night or Tuesday morning. What we have waited on for so long is a slow moving system with an uninterrupted supply of Gulf of Mexico moisture. 

Monday - chances for rain should start to pick up into the afternoon and evening. Initially, it will probably be fairly scattered across central and southern Kansas. As we go on into Monday night, the activity will try and spread farther north. 

Tuesday - This will be a day where rain opportunities will be statewide. It looks like mainly rain (and a chilly one at that). It's doubtful there will even be thunderstorms given the overall setup.

Wednesday -  Chances for rain continue, but some areas of the state may experience a bit of a lull. Where that break happens is a bit uncertain, but early signals suggest it might be in central or north central Kansas. 

Thursday - rain will begin shutting down as the system weakens further. The last areas of the state to see rain might be across southern Kansas, but again, those specifics get worked out as time draws near. 

How much?? We definitely don't take this lightly and understand just how significant this rain will be for places that have been missed time and time again. Most of what you see in the map below will probably come Tuesday, but please remember that Wednesday and Thursday have chances too. I think it is safe to expect an inch, but we may end up even higher than that when this all clears the area. Getting to TWO inches isn't entirely out of the question, but will be more isolated. Think of what an inch of rain could do for us right now. Spring grass, a save for the winter wheat crop, a little less dust in the air, etc. 

The last time we had an inch of rain was quite some time ago. Let's enjoy it when it finally gets underway. Should put a smile on our faces. 

Thanks for spending some time here.