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Weather Blog: 1st day of summer heat in Kansas City, thunderstorms predicted 8 months ago by LRC

GEHA Field at Arrowhead
Posted at 7:02 AM, Jun 21, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-21 12:05:00-04

Good morning bloggers,

Welcome to summer! On the first day of summer we have heat that may be as hot as any day last summer, and we have thunderstorms in the forecast tonight.

The Incredible LRC Predicted This Weather Over 8-Months Ago

Many of you have been following the LRC for the past two decades with us here in the blog. In fact, the bloggers named it the LRC around 20-years ago. I just got back from the American Meteorological Society's Broadcast Conference in Milwaukee, where I presented last Friday on how the weather set-up for super-storm Sandy, in late October 2012, almost 10 years ago, is directly related to the El Reno & Moore, Oklahoma, tornado disasters that happened the next May, in 2013.

Well, let's fast forward to today, tonight. The pattern is cycling according to the LRC every nine weeks. So, let's go back eight months ago. The pattern that we experienced as this year's pattern had just set up in October is cycling through this week.

Do you remember the lightning delay storm when the Chiefs hosted the Bills and thunderstorms active with lightning delayed the game?

GEHA Field at Arrowhead

This picture was taken by Darrius Smith, one of our great photo journalists I have been working with at KSHB the past few years. I took this as the crowd was being asked to get undercover and out of the danger of any lightning strikes. This happened on Oct. 10.

KSHB Meteorologist Jeff Penner, while I was at the conference last week, reminded me that the "lightning delay part of the LRC" would return this week. Well, here it is.

Tod Palmer, another fellow employee, at KSHB-TV wrote this article:

"Lightning in the area of GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium has halted the Kansas City Chiefs’ showdown against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football at halftime.

A stalled front above the Kansas City area has created ideal conditions for thunderstorms, which were forecast to arrive early in tonight’s game — a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game........."

And, here is the excerpt from our blog that afternoon:

FROM THE OCTOBER 10, 2021 BLOG:
UPDATE, 2 p.m. 

What to expect:

  • Now to 6 PM:  Likely staying dry with a chance of a few thunderstorms forming by around 6 PM
  • 6 PM to 9 PM:  Thunderstorms form near the front, and then north of the front.  There could be some impacts with lightning on the game
  • 9 PM to midnight:  Thunderstorms increase and become widespread
  • Could we have a three-hour window for the game?  Yes, but it will be a tight window if it does happen
  • If there is lightning 8 miles away or less the NFL will delay the game

EARLIER:

There Is A Chance Of A Lightning Delay During Tonight's Game!

Well, we predicted the lightning delay that day and I can make a 100% prediction today. There won't be a lightning delay at the Chiefs game tonight. But, maybe for some of your softball games?

Welcome To Summer:

Hottest Days Last Year

The hottest temperature last summer was 98°, and it happened five times as you can see above. We will make a run at 98° today, and then the chance of thunderstorms arrives this evening.

The LRC provides the insight, and making a prediction for tonight, not to mention eight months ago, is still difficult.

Kansas City Weather Time-Line:

  • Today: Sunny & very hot. It will be quite humid causing heat index values over 100 degrees likely. A light south to southwest breeze will help temperatures zoom up to near 98°
  • Tonight: Thunderstorms are likely with 1 to 2 inches of rain possible in a few spots. The chance of rain is 60%. Low: 69°
  • Wednesday: Cooler with a partly cloudy sky. There is a slight chance of a thunderstorm. High: 86°

This front coming through tonight will cool things off a bit Wednesday and Thursday. Then it will heat up Friday into Saturday, and then a much stronger cold front will arrive by Sunday. This second front is rather strong for summer. Temperatures will likely only be in the 70s Sunday into Monday. This is what happened in October as well. It was 85° right before the lightning delay storm day and it was down to 40 degrees less than a week later.

Thank you for sharing in this weather experience and spending a few minutes of your day reading the weather blog. We will be monitoring the thunderstorms closely tonight.

We will be tracking these thunderstorms tonight. Have a terrific Tuesday. Drink plenty of water, and make sure your pets are hydrated too!

Gary