Good Friday bloggers,
This is the last day of Severe Weather Awareness week and last but not least we focus on the part of severe weather that is the number one killer of people per year.
Tornadoes are no doubt terrifying and the attention they receive is justified. But, did you know that flooding kills more people per year than tornadoes? Strong thunderstorm winds and lightning follow closely behind tornadoes when it comes to annual deaths. By the way, flooding is not considered severe, it is it's own entity.
Six inches of flowing water can sweep a person away, twelve inches of flowing water can sweep a car/SUV away and eighteen inches of flowing water can sweep away any vehicles larger than an SUV.
There is an easy way to avoid being a flood death statistic. “Turn Around Don’t Drown”. If you see water flowing over a road and you don’t know the depth, turn around.
If you are deciding to buy a home or start a business make sure you are not in a flood plain and check your insurance coverage. If you own a house, make sure to clear storm drains and charge electronic devices in case of an emergency. Also make sure you have a working sump pump.
Now, on to our weather. There are changes in the weather pattern in about 5-6 days. We may see our first chance of thunderstorms that could be very heavy or severe. So, not only remember today's flooding tips but all the tips we have been providing over this last 5 days. It may save your life or the life of others.
TODAY: A storm system has brought some beneficial rain to western Kansas overnight where the Hard Red Winter Wheat crop is coming out of dormancy. Amounts have been .25" to 1". This storm has turned south before reaching eastern Kansas, so we are seeing clouds, but no rain. Highs today will be around 60 as the clouds keep temperatures down. There will be more sun this afternoon as the shield of rain drops into Oklahoma and Arkansas. Winds will be E to S 5-15 mph.
SATURDAY: The sun will be back in full force as highs reach 65-70 after lows 40-45. S-SW winds be 5-15 mph. It will be another nice day and perhaps a good day to get the yard ready for spring. The first thing to do is short mow and bag the grass. This picks up the dead grass and leaves allowing the new green grass to emerge faster. You will need to follow this with fertilizer, but wait until the day before a good chance of rain. That day may arrive next week. See below.
SUNDAY: There will be a period of high clouds as the winds pick up from the south to 15-30 mph. Highs will be 65-70, perhaps into the low 70s. Lows will be in the 40s.
MONDAY: It will be another dry and mostly sunny day with highs around 70 after lows 45-50. The wind will be S 15-25 mph.
TUESDAY: It will be windy and there will be more clouds as Gulf of Mexico moisture increases. It looks like we will see extensive low clouds, so this will hold highs down to the 60s after lows in the 50s. It will be windy from south at 20-40 mph. Take a look at western Kansas to west Texas. Highs will make a run at 90!
WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY: This is when we see changes and by these days we will really need some rain after all the days of wind.
There is much uncertainty on how this will evolve, but this is a severe weather set up for some in the Plains as we see a cold front, warm front and dry line all emanating from a surface low. This data has our area in quite a bit of thunderstorms. We feel confident in the weather pattern change to more active, but we are not confident on the the details of how this will set up. The potential is there for some heavy rain and severe weather in a 100 mile wide west-east zone, but the location and timing are very much up in the air.
After this storm goes by, colder air will come south. This is where we still have a slight chance of snow between March 12th and 20th. Winter will try to make a comeback for a few days.
We will have to follow this each day...Stay Tuned!
Have a great weekend and stay healthy.
