Fall arriving early this year

Temperature forecast 6 p.m. today

I've had a suspicion that fall might arrive early this year and it's looking more and more likey that will be the case. Today (Thursday) will likely be our last chance to see 100s for the rest of the year. I definitely don't think we've seen our last 90 degree day yet, but over the next 8-12 days, we can definitely expect our temperatures to be below normal (and normal now is 88)

Temperature forecast Friday at 5 p.m.

There is a cold front in northwest Kansas this morning, which will move south and east heading into Thursday night. Friday looks 25-30 degrees cooler for most of the state, and that is largely due to the thick clouds and rain that we will have in our area. The rain showers will be heavier in the west and in the north during the morning, but Friday afternoon and into the evening, the rain will be pushing southeast as well. High school football games will be a little wet Friday evening. Makes it more interesting I guess.

Rain forecast Friday morning. Heaviest in central and western Kansas

Rain will spread south heading into Friday evening

Millie has ordered up a nice weekend on the fairgrounds in Hutch. Saturday's highs will be in the 70s and Sunday we will be close to 80. I don't think there will be much wind AND the humidity should be down too.

Get ready... more rain chances coming next week (starting Monday) and another significant cool down is likely by Wednesday or Thursday of next week. Start looking for your sweatshirts.

Have a good day!

Millie at the Kansas State Fair

It started about two weeks ago, but several of you have emailed to find out when Millie will be at the state fair. I never thought her popularity would challenge that of the butter sculpture, but I know she has quite a fan base. 

So if you are wondering, Millie and I will be on the fairgrounds and in the KWCH booth Saturday the 6th, Tuesday the 9th, and Thursday the 11th. We should be there by 2 p.m. each day, so come on by and say hi. We can't promise that we will be able to take pictures with everyone, but we will sure try and do our best to make sure everyone at least gets to pet her a little. 

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about Millie:

How old is Millie? She will turn 10 on September 25th

Breed? Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Where did she come from? Cousins in Oklahoma had a litter back in 2004

When did Millie start going on the air? She made some random appearances in 2004 and 2005 as a cute puppy. Some thought she was stuffed animal in the beginning because she didn't move much. Roger's AnswerBack segment helped boost her popularity in 2006 and beyond!

Has Millie had formal training? None. Some quality time with me and rewards with popcorn and milk bones has worked quite well. 

Does she help forecast the weather? Sure... and she's more accurate than the groundhog. 

Who does her grooming? That would be me... and it takes over an hour sometimes because of her thick coat.

Some rain may interfere with the fair Friday, but for your planning purposes, look at what's in store for the first weekend:

Friday: Scattered afternoon and evening storms. High: 83

Saturday: Decreasing clouds. High: 78 

Sunday: Mostly sunny  High: 79

If you need help navigating the fairgrounds, our staff has put together a one-stop shopping tool to find the food you want and see when certain activities are going on. You'll find it at: guide2statefair.com

Severe storms & summer not over

Tornado Monday evening in southeast Cowley County from Nicole Loeffler

What a rough couple of days with severe storms in Kansas. Heavy rain, wind, hail, and then yesterday, a few tornadoes in south central and southeast Kansas. After having no tornadoes in July and only a few in August, the month of September is off to an active start.

I'm posting a picture from Twitter last night from Nicole Loeffler showing the tornado as it first touched down in southeast Cowley county and then moved down toward the Cedar Vale area in western Chautauqua county. There are some reports of damage, so the assessment crews will be out surveying today and we should get an EF rating for the tornado very soon.

Scattered storms are expected tonight (Tuesday night) across central and eastern Kansas as the hot weather pushes back to the north. Most of them will not be severe, but some of the stronger storms may contain hail into the night.

Wind forecast for the next few days

Temperatures trending warmer for mid week

And summer weather not over yet. We have two hot, September days coming up where much of the state will see highs in the 90s. The wind is going to crank up too from the south for Wednesday and Thursday.

The next cold front will be coming in Thursday night and early Friday, which will drop the temperatures back into the 70s for highs by the end of the week. Just in time for the start of the Kansas State Fair. Details on when Millie will be there should be announced very soon.