Sunday, February 27, 2011

Preseason 022711 storms



















I don't enjoy foggy days with severe weather.  I typically use the clouds to tell what's going on in the storm.  When fog, mist, and rain band together in a huge moist mess, it's never good. 

A supercell formed SE of Wichita and started scooting towards town at 50mph.  It formed quickly and moved fast.  We hit lots of rain and hail (only pea to marble size) but no dramatic cloudscapes, so not much in the way of pictures. 

As stated, this storm moved quick and grew creating severe thunderstorm warnings from here to Kansas City.  Later in the afternoon, tornadoes were spotted down at the Kansas/Oklahoma border SE of Wichita. 













Due to previous plans, I couldn't chase.  The bad news is that these storms have progressed into Missouri and Arkansas on their way to Tennessee and Kentucky, where the chances of tornadoes are much greater.  If they happen, it will happen tonight.

I like slow preseason storms.  It gives you a chance to get your feet wet, test out old equipment and try out new things.  With the atmosphere being opaque and this being a fast moving storm, it wasn't the greatest of chases. 

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Thundersnow?

Cold front is moving in tomorrow afternoon and may spawn a strong thunderstorm Wednesday night.  Looks like we'll be on the rollercoaster between rain, ice, and snow Thursday with another storm following Sunday night into Monday.  Also added a Doppler radar widget to the webpage, let me know what you think.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Harbinger of Storms

Stan Finger from the Eagle is reporting that the severe weather season may be a long volatile one. 
http://www.kansas.com/2011/02/20/1728406/e-time-for-twisters.html#

In the article, Mike Smith from Weather Data states that a weather pattern will be developing later this week that will be conducive to produce thunderstorms.  He also states that this is a more or less severe weather setup and that this may setting ourselves up for a longer than average tornado season this year.   

Severe weather Week is March 7 to 11th but with Kansas weather you never know. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/ict/pdf/SWAW_2011.pdf
It wouldn't be a bad time to review.

Greg Carbin, warning coordinator for NOAA in Norman, OK states he's not ready to call the busier than tornado season modeling yet.

February has been a month of extremes in Kansas.  We've had a 90 degree shift with record cold one week (-17 degrees), then record high (78 degrees) the next.   Today Wichita may be in for a fifty degree drop in temperature as a strong cold front moves through the area.  A red Flag warning is in place for the high winds before the front, expect 30 mph winds from the SE gusting to 45mph.  Unfortunately, this also increases the chance for grass fires. 

Precipitation models seem all over the place at the moment.  So do the temps, after a 73 degree high today, temps will settle into the 40's for the next couple of days, then up to 60's then back down to 40's with the possibility of snow late in the week.  Welcome to pre-spring.  If you don't like the weather . . . wait.  It will change.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Pre-Spring Training

This isn't me wrapping up the old wrists, this isn't me staring at the bar preparing for a bench . . .

This is me moving the storage boxes out of the gym and wondering how much dust is really in here.














This is nothing but hope.  This is a small ripple in the atmosphere causing the air to rub up on itself enough to let me hear thunder.

The possibility exists to see something, hail maybe, but thunder.

It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.


Frederick Douglass

Coming soon!!!!

Ruminationsofthunder.com

More announcements as they occur.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Fire, Ice and Fog

Rain is in the forecast this weekend and early next week which may offset some of the drought fears talked about recently.  Although only a 20-30% chance, it's nice to see the old lightning icon promising some chase days coming soon.




Last week Wichita broke a cold record with -17 degrees Fahrenheit.  Today we are forecasted into the upper 70's.  Welcome to Kansas.  We call a 90 degree shift in temps Spring. 

Yesterday, a pea-soup fog descended on Wichita.  The Pirate Zombies from the otherworld caused about 8 accidents in a fifteen mile stretch of road.  Some problems sighted were: people (of course, can't see but driving 70), zero visibility (bad when your hand is in front of your face and you can't see it), and road conditions (salt, grime, oil left from the recent Snowpocolypse, Snowmaggedon, and Mt. Snowsuvious storms left the roads slick when moisture mixed).

 
Full moon lighting and fog has interesting possibilities.
It did leave the opportunity for some cool photos.






Had the overcoat, wide-brim hat, played "Tubular Bells", and still had the cops called.


from KSNW tower cam looking over the sea of Downtown Wichita.



After the majority of fog burned off and allowed for safe travel



Reality bubbled and only allowed a 1/4 mile.

 
parking lot at Sedgwick Co. Zoo, you could see the mist rising from the pavement.



Saturday, February 12, 2011

Streaming video

I found out how to stream live video to the laptop.  We may be providing streaming video this year.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Snowpacolypse, Snowmaggedon, now Mt. Snowsuvious!

It's snowing again in Wichita on a Tuesday.  Schools once again are closed.  Started out with the possibility of 4-6" now could be up to 10".







Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Snowmaggedon Warning 2011

Massive snow and ice storm affecting middle America at the moment.  We dodged the big ice and most of the snow but the current temp is 4 degrees with a -20 wind chill.