The tornado risk in the central U.S. is now minimal. So, this ends my storm coverage for the night. In the early morning, I'll have a post up about the highly unfortunate tornado false alarm in Kansas City. Third Tornado Watch of the Day until 11p Second Tornado Watch of the Day The watch is in effect until 9pm. In addition to tornadoes, softball-sized hail  and  thunderstorm-generated wind gusts to 80 mph. Put your car in shelter and bring in trampolines and lawn furniture. 12:45pm First Tornado Watch of the Day Note also the forecast of tennis ball-sized hail. 11:50am The yellow are has an enhanced  risk of tornadoes and, if one forms, it could be strong. The yellow area forecast is unchanged since earlier this morning.  The brown area has a significant chance of tornadoes and, in the hatched area, the tornadoes could be strong. In Iowa, it has been extended north and, in Oklahoma, it has been extended south and east to include Oklahoma City and Tulsa.  Very l...

We are going into another period with a daily tornado or severe thunderstorm threat from tomorrow into next week. From 2pm Thursday to 5am Friday, there is a significant risk of tornadoes in the brown area. The hatching indicates there is a risk that any tornado that forms could be strong. Large or very large hail is also possible in the brown area.  From Friday to at least Monday of next week, there is a risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes each day. 

Global warming, regardless of what percent is man-made and what percent is natural, is a genuine issue that reserves genuine solutions.  Rube Goldberg machine for stapling two pieces of paper. That said, there is no question that "green" energy isn't one of them. It is an expensive, unreliable Rube Goldberg system. Here is a short piece that explains how awful green energy genuinely is . 

You have often heard about the issues facing the NWS and NOAA from this blog. As frequent readers know, I am a political conservative.  So, I wanted to bring you the perspective of a former NWS and NOAA employee who is a political liberal. You can read his entire piece here . In addition to the items he cited, for a period a few hours after Alan posted his piece, a number of NOAA web sites were down -- and the problem continues this (Wednesday) morning.  Further, Alan Gerard writes about an NWS office with no way to communicate with the outside world during a severe thunderstorm event earlier this spring: There are definitely increasing concerns about the reliability of the aging NEXRAD fleet, in this case the issues were not with the radar themselves, but apparently with communications lines. The office at Wilmington was without communication for several hours, forcing the NWS office in Cleveland to provide backup services for the incommunicado Wilmington. Cleveland issued se...

Here is the forecast rainfall for the next seven days.  8-14 Day Rainfall Outlook Note: these two week precipitation forecasts do not have a great deal of skill.  Below is the most recent drought map. Seven day forecast: The rains will be substantial enough to dent the drought in the Mid South from eastern Oklahoma to northern Alabama. There will also be some relief, generally minor, in the Intermountain region.  8-14 day forecast: If  the longer range forecast is correct, the above average rainfall area corresponds well to the worst of the drought from Florida through the Intermountain region. Cross your fingers. 

The title of this piece is a satirical headline for The New York Times  if a giant asteroid was going to strike earth the next day.*  It always comes to mind when I see a headline like the one below. Unsurprisingly, the author is affiliated with the far-left Rockefeller Foundation.  *Of course, with the mainstream media in the 2020's, it isn't satire any longer (below).