Good morning bloggers,
There is a spinning area of rain, heavy rain, near the Nebraska/Kansas border northwest of Manhattan, KS. This is just another area of rain that will likely not affect our local area. At least it has cooled off a bit with highs near 90 degrees for All Star week.
It was an interesting weekend of weather! While Kansas City, once again, was getting missed by thunderstorms, strong thunderstorms were developing over the Lake of the Ozark’s. I just happened to be there this weekend visiting some friends for one night. We went out on the boat, about eight of us, and it was a sunny start to the day. A few clouds were beginning to form, initially just high based altocumulus clouds. I told everyone that there was a chance of thunderstorms and possibly a microburst and we have to pay close attention to the sky. This first picture was taken as the first clouds were developing.
The high based altocumulus clouds were just developing around noon when we went out and here is a picture I snapped. I was convinced at this moment that thunderstorms would form over the lake. I just didn’t know if I would get to experience one of them?
Only 3o minutes went by and lower cumulus clouds began developing. The first thunderstorms formed by around 1:30 PM and then by 4 PM I was experiencing a thunderstorm with lightning just a few feet away. Here is a picture I snapped around 4:30 PM during the thunderstorm. This (rain) is something I haven’t seen in Kansas City in weeks.
I knew there was a chance that these thunderstorms could produce some microbursts. I had come back to the lake house that I was staying at, and suddenly there were lightning strikes, thunder, and the rest of the people I was staying with came back to the dock. They had experienced the microburst on the water. They were in the water when the wind gusted, as they described, to around 45 mph or so. Everyone scrambled into their boats. While they were experiencing the weaker microburst, there was a stronger one a bit farther to the east and then another one over Truman lake that did cause some minor damage to docks, and a few boats.
Lynn Worthington took this next picture at the Lake of the Ozark’s yesterday showing the microburst in progress. The rain shaft is blasting down to the ground near Timberlake Village, the Lick Branch Cove at the 5MM of the Lake of the Ozarks. Thank you Lynn for sharing this on Facebook. This is just two miles due west of Sunrise Beach. I was located farther west near Laurie, MO. This picture shows two rain shafts, one on the left side, and another not the right edge of this picture. You can actually somewhat see one of the microbursts on the right side of this photo where that rain shaft had reached the ground. The left edge of the rain has spread out from the main rain shaft indicating a wind blowing away from the main area of rain. The bases of these thunderstorms, or cumulonimbus clouds, were around 8,000 to 10,000 feet up. These are very high bases, which allowed for the rain falling to evaporate slightly on its decent to the ground. The wind speeds accelerated as it blasted to the ground and just barely became strong enough to be called a severe thunderstorm with nearly 60 mph winds:
The first heat wave of summer lasted eleven days. The cooler air arrived Sunday with highs near 90 in most areas. A few spots had highs in the 80s yesterday due to the cloud cover. Unfortunately the heat will be building back over the plains by next week. For now, the anticyclone has shifted to the west:
This anticyclone will be moving east again soon. Let’s enjoy the slightly cooler air while it is here this week, which is great timing for the All Star Game activities going on. Thank you for spending a few minutes of your Monday reading the Action Weather Blog.
Gary
Wow gary, i hope you and your 8 friends at the missouri ozarks were ok over the weekend. Looked kinda rough and scary while you were there. Glad your safe thouh.
Brad
Morning Gary. You may want to check your geography. Sterrett Creek Marina is on Truman Lake. One dock was completely flipped over and several boats were sunk. This has been a strange year. Our area on the drought monitor has stayed in the dry/abnormally dry category. Seems like KC and Springfield can’t buy any rain, it runs right thru the lakes area.
The microbursts were weaker where I am describing the pictures. That one was stronger and produced the damage on Truman Lake where the dock completely flipped over. But, this picture was taken where I described.
I’ve totally given up any hope of getting any rain until October some time, hopefully the next LRC will provide some releif then…there is definately something keeping KC from rain, there has to be some explaination. I was shocked when checking rainfall totals on the CoCorahs link…many areas of MO recieve 1-3 inches of rain over the weekend. Not even a drop at my house!! I’m just totally discourgaed!!!
Woke up this morning and a cactus was growing in my back yard…:|
And I saw a road runner and tumbleweeds.
I live in Eudora, KS and we got hit with strong rain, wind and hail for a good half hour yesterday around 5:00pm. I don’t have a gauge, but I’d guess we got about an inch of rain, not counting all the melting hail in my yard.
Gary-no rain here in Berryton even though the southwestern part of Shawnee County received 1.25—-absolutely amazing yet very frustrating—with the “cold front” yesterday there was not even any type of mechanism to help form thunderstorms and help them to move in a logical fashion. It is somewhat cooler for sure yet it is 80 here and somewhat humid—-Our heat wave here in Topeka lasted officially for 16 days—are you seeing the exact same type of action recurring next week? If so are there any indications of another breakdown? What we need is a hurricane or some type of monsoon flow to come up this way—despite an earnest attempt at watering, our lawn is toast! Thanks—Michael/Berryton/Topeka
Gary that looked like a Regency pontoon boat was it? Hope you and your SO had a good time at the lake.
You were correct on the high temp for Saturday. We didn’t hit 107 but 105 is close enough! Are you going to the game on Tuesday? Have a good week.
I saw a camel in the neighbors yard and a Saudi prince with a genie!
I am not going to the game, but I have a ticket to the All Star Gala that starts at 10 PM. Hopefully I can go live at 10, otherwise I will just go out there after the newscast for an hour or so. It hit 105 on the hour, and 107 downtown. I would have been happier with 106 or obviously a high of 107. It was hot, and I think it will get hotter later in the summer.
Hey Mukustinks/garyrocks41: I’m going to the derby tonight and the game tomorrow. You going? If so, we should meet up. Would certainly like to meet you in person. You seem so delightful.
Mike, didn’t he also go by Gary the great?
No, not that one. But, I have evidence of the above two for sure. He has yet to comment on it. Shocking!!!
I choose to ignore ignprant folks.
A trace of rain at my house in NKC yesterday. Even KCI had more. Very frustrating yesterday to watch that large area of heavy thunderstorms north of KC slowly move south, weaken, and then disappear as it got here, depositing only a few raindrops.
Your prose suggests the people you were visiting were in the water during a thunderstorm. Were they trying to further increase the electrocution count above and beyond the already … shocking … number of three at the Lake of Ozarks over the last week?
Real classy KC. No wonder MLB chooses other cities to have All Star games in. I mean come on let it go. They didn’t choose Billy bob. He was only “elected” because each team has to have one player. The guy is not even batting 300. How ignorant can a fan base be? KC fans at HRD you all should be ashamed!!!! STL way more classy!
Gary, did you see the floating Tiger Woods display (very close to where you were at)? I was at that house about two weeks ago
oops, nm. I see that you indicated someone from Lick Branch cove took a pic.