I see Kansas had another bout with severe weather last night. It looks like heavy rain fell in many areas of the state, which will probably stall the wheat harvest for a day or two. We do have a cold front coming in for Friday night, so expect to find some more storms in the area later this evening and especially overnight. Hopefully there will not be widespread severe storms, but it is possible.
As I write this, the buses are pulling up to take the group of meteorologists to Boulder, CO for a tour of NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) There is a great deal of research conducted on climate and atmospheric modeling at this facility. There are many different kinds of models that we look at in the weather office and as they improve, our forecasts will also get better. Of course, we will still miss a storm or two, but we are on the right track for sure. If you are reading this at work today and get bored, here is the website for NCAR: http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/
I was in some interesting climate discussions yesterday. Needless to say, each meteorologist has a little different viewpoint on the whole climate change topic, but more research is underway to see exactly what is going on with our planet.
Have a great Friday. Ayna will be covering the weather for me this weekend. Look for more updates later in the weekend.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Summertime Weather
I really hope you had a nice weekend and it was nice to have some dry weather (at least in eastern Kansas). I know there are several areas in the west that could use more moisture, and you'll have a chance this week. We are still in an active weather pattern that will bring some scattered activity to the area in the next few days.
I did drive back to see my parents on Thursday. The wheat is looking good between Wichita and Ellsworth, but I understand that when you get north of there, most of the wheat has been destroyed. The hail has been significant this year and it has left a mark on our state. I know some area farmers were cutting Sunday afternoon... you have to make hay when the sun shines and the chances for more storms this week have several people concerned.
I'm gearing up for a big weather conference in Denver this week. I'll try and post an entry or two while I'm taking in more weather knowledge, but I can't make any promises. We are touring a research facility in Boulder on Friday called UCAR (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) Broadcasters from across the country will be learning about new discoveries in the world of weather and will be doing some training on new technology that we use almost everyday.
I did drive back to see my parents on Thursday. The wheat is looking good between Wichita and Ellsworth, but I understand that when you get north of there, most of the wheat has been destroyed. The hail has been significant this year and it has left a mark on our state. I know some area farmers were cutting Sunday afternoon... you have to make hay when the sun shines and the chances for more storms this week have several people concerned.
I'm gearing up for a big weather conference in Denver this week. I'll try and post an entry or two while I'm taking in more weather knowledge, but I can't make any promises. We are touring a research facility in Boulder on Friday called UCAR (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) Broadcasters from across the country will be learning about new discoveries in the world of weather and will be doing some training on new technology that we use almost everyday.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Build an Ark
Well, maybe not yet, but we have had so much rainfall here in Wichita that some people are thinking about it. We almost need one to get in and out of our parking lot here at KWCH, but we are thinking it will get better soon. Wichita is now over 10 inches above normal on rainfall for 2008, but in comparison, Dodge City is over 3 inches below normal. It would be so nice if we could box up some of the moisture and send it out west, but then again, some of the farmers out there are looking to start the wheat harvest soon. I definitely miss the wheat harvesting days; it was usually a good time to bond with family (unless you had malfunctioning equipment) I'll see if I can find some pictures to post for my next entry.
On a more serious note, the flooding in the midwest is hard to fathom. We've had our share of problems with severe weather and heavy rain, but at least we are not seeing a 500 yr flood. The pictures are incredible and it will be interesting to see how high the Mississippi gets in the coming days. My heart goes out to those who are displaced because of the high water. Cedar Rapids, IA is more than 13 inches above normal on rainfall for the year and there will likely be more rain coming next week. The posted picture is from Des Moines where the water is VERY high, but the more serious flooding is off to the east.
Have a great week.
On a more serious note, the flooding in the midwest is hard to fathom. We've had our share of problems with severe weather and heavy rain, but at least we are not seeing a 500 yr flood. The pictures are incredible and it will be interesting to see how high the Mississippi gets in the coming days. My heart goes out to those who are displaced because of the high water. Cedar Rapids, IA is more than 13 inches above normal on rainfall for the year and there will likely be more rain coming next week. The posted picture is from Des Moines where the water is VERY high, but the more serious flooding is off to the east.
Have a great week.
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