Severe storms June 17th

 It's been a wet June.  All the spring rains seem to have come this month with a 5.5 inch day on June 3rd and 4th which caused significant flooding in my area.

Then this group of storms that hit, not once, not twice, but with three severe storms on June 17th. We were without power for 36 hours and have possibly lost two of our large trees.

This was the beginning of the wind.  Eisenhower Airport recorded a 102 mph wind gust 

The moment power went out in the area.

This was the main storm that caused damage in the area.  

Interesting enough, this was not the storm heavily warned about.  This was a derecho that came down from Nebraska.  There was another storm system that could cause more damage.

A little weather trough pushed by the previous storm's outflow gave a moderate area for storms.

I was on tree cleanup most of the day but around 5pm decided to run up to Newton to see an area that was developing.  An area near Wichita was coming in but a storm down south looked like it strengthened.

Harper, Kansas had a breif tornado 1 mile SSW of the city but I was a little late getting into the area.

This was on the back end of the storm.  Not sure if it was a microburst (strong winds were in the area) or a hail foot.

It dissipated quickly, and formed some fog from the area.  

An odd starship looking storm to the west looked interesting.

The air had cooled but it had a good groundscrubber with it.

Lots of positive stroke lightning out of both storms.  They seemed to pulse and look like they were getting their act together but neither produced.

One of the local guys stopped to see if I needed help, but recommended The Red Rooster Cafe in Harper for a good bite to eat.

The storm started to fall apart but found a great spot with birds chirping, but the cows were not having this storm nonsense. I would like to introduce the storm cows.

Finally

So we started off with the driest year on record.  As of April 8th, 2014 we passed a year in the middle of the dust bowl for being the driest start.

Then yesterday storms started to fire east of Wichita almost like a bad joke.  Luckily the dry line/front combo drifted back to the west firing storms and allowing us to finally get a little rain (around 0.25 of an inch).  I went out a couple times yesterday to watch.  When the rotation started showing up on radar, we (I took my oldest on her inaugural chase), out to central Butler county.  When we started hearing about flooding west of Leon we stopped and watched this strange wildly rotating scud under a cloud.  It showed rotation very briefly before attaching to the storm and becoming a wall cloud.  There was very weak rotation and a couple brief, very high funnels that tore themselves apart as they formed.

Daughter's first storm pic out in the field

We stayed until dark and headed back.  I nice storm was over Wichita and we finally got some much needed rain.  Unfortunately, today promises a little harsher environment for some possible large storms (hail, wind, and maybe a tornado) after dark.

Rain, Rain, Rain, Thunder, Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain

Well at least the lakes and rivers are full.

Simple Summer Storms

A nice cold front has been hanging to the north spawning summer thunderstorms.  I went out attempting to get some daytime lightning shots but simply ended up with cloudscapes.  Everything remained below severe levels and we ended up with a nice gentle rain.

Drought and A Little Relief

Last month we received 0.22" of rain.  Cracks are staring to form in the soil where the grass has given up the ghost.  July tied for the 4th hottest in our history.  2011 was the 2nd hottest.  So as we are waiting for dustbowls and locusts a small cold front fired through last night.

Corn or what's left of it

At least something is growing

I thought I heard something and went outside to look, a bolt of lightning hit less than a mile from the house.  I miss lightning but in conditions like this, CG (cloud to ground) strikes can cause bad fires.

Starlight, moonlight, city lights

Moon breaking through

Rain

It's been a bad drought.  Last night on the porch, with the first few sprinkles of rain hitting, I think all of Wichita looked skyward like the children of Dune, and wondered what it was.

too hot

The tally of days over one hundred degrees melted yesterday and my hopes for rain were completely dashed.  The forecast for next week looks like a bad Tonight Show joke for weather in Hell.  Although it does appear the weatherman changed tomorrows forecast to 99 to stave off villagers with pitchforks.

We had rain to the west and south of us today, even felt a couple drops while out shopping today, but the rain eluded us.  Dissipated before it crossed over.

There's a line of showers to the northwest trying to kick up, we will have to hope and see.

06/20/11 Squall

The dry line lazily rolled closer to Wichita with a whimper of threat.  Storms were firing in Salina, but down here, wind.  Nothing seemed to be happening so I went a little north to watch the storms. 

 To the south, a single cumulus tower began to rise and soon all hell broke loose.  Before the storm even seemed to mature the National Weather Service issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the area.

Clouds began stacking up on the dryline and  we had a squall line.

Hail, high wind, and lots of rain.

The line took over an hour to move thorough town.  There was wind related damage (trees, a couple roofs, and power lines), but no significant hail.

 












Afterwards mammatus clouds were very visible on the tail end of the front showing lots of turbulence up above.  The temp dropped about 25 degrees and we finally lost the blast furnace wind that hit most of the day.

1300 Severe Weather reports

Over the last 24 hours there were 1300 Severe Weather reports.  Unfortunately, eight people also died.  Deaths were caused by falling debris, mainly trees snapped off in the winds.

More storms possible Thursday.

Green dots: Hail reports
Blue dots: wind reports
Red dots: Tornados

Storms from the night of April 3rd, 2011

Storms April 4th, 2011

Source: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/