Happy Independence Day bloggers,
The "Year of the Tornado" is on NBC tonight at 9 PM!
We are very lucky to have a fantastic weather day for the Fourth of July! Here are some Independence Day weather facts for Kansas City:
- It has rained 9 of the last 16 Independence Day's
- This will be our 5th 4th of July in a row below 90 degrees
- Today was our coolest July 4th morning since 1997
- 108 degrees in 1936 was the hottest Kansas City Independence Day
- 3.63" of rain fell in 1984 making it the wettest July 4th
The weather pattern, as we move through this holiday weekend, is struggling to produce any heat in the middle part of the nation. The jet stream will continue to weaken as we move deeper into July. This weather pattern will continue to struggle in producing a strong upper level high, but as this years LRC (the pattern that set-up in October and early November) continues to weaken, and the heights rise a bit more, there will be a chance of heat building in the next few weeks. Right now, I just don't see any strong indication of any prolonged heat. Look below:
This map, above, shows a weak anticyclone aloft over the 4 corners states. We are in north flow aloft, tonight, around this weak high. There is a chance of a northwest to southeast band of thunderstorms tonight, most likely in the red dotted area I circled on the map. This is one of the things I will be monitoring and describing on our newscasts tonight.
Below, is the GFS forecast for Monday at 500 mb. Remember 500 mb is about half way through the atmosphere in weight, and my favorite level of the atmosphere to track storm systems. 0 mb (no weight) is the top of the atmosphere, and the pressure near the surface is around 1,000 mb. 500 mb is around 18,000 feet up. This next map shows a stronger anticyclone forming, but off the southeast United States coast. Our flow is light and wiggly from the west. We may have enough support for a few thunderstorms early in the week, and we will be tracking this possibility on our weathercasts over the weekend.
Have a fantastic holiday. Remember, a Drunk Driving Watch is in effect through the weekend. Please don't drink and drive. Try to get a designated driver, and have a safe and fun holiday weekend. We will be tracking the possible eastern Kansas thunderstorms on Saturday morning on NBC Action News! And, tonight, we will be searching for all of the fireworks displays on our various skyviews.
One more note: Beginning Monday, we will begin the process of putting in our brand new set and Forecast Center. This will take 4 weeks or so to complete. We are going to set up a camera for you to watch this happen on-line. We are very excited about this project, and can't wait for it to be completed in August. We will let you know more as the project begins on Monday. All of our computers have already been moved and it is not going to be easy, but we will continue creating the best weathercast for you every day!
Gary