[Note: this posting is intended as a backgrounder for reporters. Others will probably want to skip it.] The single most important course I took in my meteorology-math-engineering education at the University of Oklahoma was "History of Science." Our instructor was from behind the Iron Curtain and was passionate about preventing science's misuse. For a full semester, we were drilled on the importance of the scientific method and how science is supposed to work. What we learned applied to all sciences. Headline from 1978 "Science News" questioning whether Dr. Ted Fujita's downburst hypothesis was "a lot of hot air" The blog  posting below about Governor Kelly's mask order has generated a lot of questions and some controversy. I have spoken with reporters in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. I've answered a number of questions online. Please allow me to write a little more to help put some things into perspective. My concern is wider tha...

This is really unfortunate. Based, in part, on communications I had with a Kansas physician and a reporter last night, it appears Kansas Governor Laura Kelly wanted to do this, did it, and will spend the next few days searching for a justification. Ready, fire, aim. I gave our governor the benefit of the doubt through March and most of April. Mistakes were inevitable when facing a new foe. Now, this strikes me as a blend of authoritarianism and virtue signaling . Here's why: The typical justification for these measures is, "A vaccine is a few months away. We can be inconvenienced for a short period of time." I hope so, but the problem is that we don't know if there will ever be a vaccine that is both safe and effective. There isn't a vaccine for the common cold. There isn't a vaccine for HIV. It took  more than a decade  to create a vaccine for measles. There is no long-lasting influenza vaccine. There is no vaccine for SARS after seventeen years. Aga...

This says it perfectly. While I would rename some military installations and would put plaques on Confederate statues to add context, destroying our heritage -- good or bad -- is a terrible idea.

This is one of the finest pieces I have read since the coronavirus crisis began. It explains why so many are contemptuous of liberty and wants someone -- especially during the COVID crisis -- to lead them (even if in the wrong direction). Every word is worth the read but, if you don't have time, consider the following: When North Korean despot Kim Jong-un visits a factory or farm, he makes pronouncements for improvements. Such pronouncements are called “field guidance” or  “on-the-spot guidance.”  No matter how nonsensical, the pronouncements of the despot are revered and obeyed.  In North Korea, there is no path forward that doesn’t begin with 100% obedience. There is nothing to be discovered, only edicts to obey. To serve the despot is the only purpose of life for North Koreans. Andrew Cuomo is a beloved politician, despite having issued “field guidance”  sending thousands of nursing home residents to their deaths . Even in May, after news of his disastr...

[Updated, 6/29, 12:20pm] Unbelievable . Good grief, what is next?! Why does anyone have faith in our government? ! [Original Post] First it was wearing masks in the wide-open outdoors. I have written about that nonsense here , here , and here , among other places. Then, it was Dr. Fauci and others deliberately lying to us about the use of masks indoors. I don't care whether it was intended as a "noble" lie or not. It was a lie and he, and the others, knew it at the time. People may have died as a result. Now, we learn this: Headline From "WattsUpWithThat" So, physicians are going to limit the use of general anesthetic ," not because it is in the best interest of the patient but because those gases ' contribute to global warming .' Except they don't. The quantities used for medical care are so minuscule that they don't matter for climatological considerations. Regardless, patient care should be the sole consideration in t...

Eureka is a town in far western St. Louis County, Missouri. In this time of turmoil, we should keep in mind the police are the first people we call for all types of assistance. St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The African dust reached south central Kansas today. If you follow me on Twitter ( @usweatherexpert  ), you've seen the discussions that -- in spite of what some speculated -- African dust dulls sunsets. To demonstrate, I was just outside taking a photo of a thunderstorm about 40 mi. northeast of my home that should have been a prime candidate for the gorgeous orange of Kansas thunderstorms at sunset. As you can see, blah.

With all of the news recently, I forgot to mention that this blog went past the 6 million page view mark last week. Thank you so much for reading.  And for the record, all of this content is:  © 2020, Mike Smith Enterprises, LLC. 

There is a significant tornado risk (brown) in two areas. One includes Chicago, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids and the Quad Cities. The second includes Colorado Springs, south Denver Metro and Pueblo. Please keep an eye on the weather in these areas later today.

This study was brought to my attention yesterday afternoon. I tend to be skeptical of groundbreaking computer modeling studies, whether good news (above) or bad (more than 2.2 million would die of COVID in the U.S.). So, if you are indoors or in constricted areas outdoors, keep wearing those masks and washing your hands!!

It is rare that I watch the national network newscasts because I can usually anticipate what they are going to cover, and how they are going to frame it, before they air. Tonight is a perfect example. They ran a story with a lightly mocking tone toward those who are not wearing masks. Yet, take a look at this photo from later in the newscast. Savannah Guthrie, inside, in a studio with other people, is not  wearing a mask. Yet, the reporter -- at night in the unconstrained outdoors with no one else visible in the scene -- is  wearing a mask. Whether NBC intends it or not, this conveys the message that masks are a political symbol , at least for some. My advice is unchanged: Indoors and in a constrained outdoor situation? Wear a mask! At  Yosemite  or at the  beach ?  You don't need it. NBC also reported, at length, on the surge in cases in Houston and elsewhere and discussed it with various medical experts. Fine. But, what didn't they report? D...

At first I thought this announcement was a joke. Amazon has purchased naming rights to a hockey arena in Seattle and naming it "Climate Pledge Arena." What I don't know is whether they are doing this as a cynical public relations move or whether they really believe what they are saying. Specifically, There is no such thing as "100% renewable energy." It doesn't exist. If they are referring to wind and solar, those are backed up with fossil fuels. The back ups are generators, powered by (usually) natural gas, that are in "spinning reserve" mode. That is necessary because wind is so unreliable.  Wind and solar generating systems usually wear out much more quickly than expected which requires even more rare earth metals to be mined and environmentally awful disposal. The huge solar blades do not break down. They will be in the earth for millennia.  It always amuses me that someone is pledging to do something 30 years in the future -- by which...

This was yesterday afternoon. The thunderstorm was near Peabody, Kansas. If you look closely you can see the "foot" of the downburst spreading to the right near the ground. It is a time lapse. For information on Texas downburst from last week, click here .

Details here . 

J Droz The above image is what I believe will be the eventual fate of wind farms in the Great Plains.  Pruitt-Igoe  was a Soviet-style housing project erected in St. Louis in the early 1950's. It was considered to be the future of urban housing. Instead, residents and neighbors hated it's awful design and residents hated the high maintenance and poor construction -- at 60% higher cost than the average public housing complex. After just 15 years, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development began to discourage occupancy. It was dynamited in the 1970's.  Pruitt-Igoe (P-I) became the poster child for urban blight and counterproductive urban development. I thought of P-I fiasco when I was contacted yesterday about radar contamination during Sunday's storms. That isn't an isolated instance. Below is a map of wind energy radar blight from yesterday morning. Each of the circles is a wind farm. Sunday evening, when violent storms occurred near ...

Up until this week, the " narrative " was: Yet, the latest (politically correct) precautions , issued today,  exempt  people of color: The destruction of the credibility of the field of public health continues apace.

Prior to the homicide of George Floyd, I had written that one of the best things that President Trump could have done was to send the national guard in to reinforce the Chicago Police for 2-4 months to help clear out the gangs that are terrorizing these unfortunate neighborhoods. It is extremely unfortunate that President Obama never saw fit to address the extreme violence in his home town. And Chicago's forlorn mayor almost certainly will not ask. Given the tensions pertaining to police these days, I'm certain President Trump would not do that now. That's unfortunate. It is never the wrong time to do the right thing. The mass killings in Chicago are a stain on our nation. We'll give Dr. Thomas Sowell the last word.

[This story was delayed by yesterday's severe storm coverage] Yesterday was the 95th anniversary of one of the greatest events in baseball history: The Negro League's Wichita Monrovians defeated the Klu Klux Klan 10-8. The Klan was being defeated in Kansas, so they agreed to the game to prove their superiority over black athletes and as a publicity stunt to bolster their rapidly dwindling membership. The game was peaceful. The umpires ruled the KKK had to use baseball bats; striking the ball with a "cross" was forbidden. The story is simply amazing . And, there is more here . While no city is perfect, Wichita was an early pioneer in civil rights. You don't hear much about the early  Dockum Sit-In because it was peaceful and, more importantly, successful. Blacks won the right to eat at lunch counters in our city. If you are looking for an alternative to the craziness, come and check out America's next great city. P.S. And, this week, tip your cap f...

Here is the rainfall since Thursday in the region where the wheat harvest was in progress.  In a few areas, the harvest might resume this afternoon. I would expect it to be Wednesday before it gets back to full swing. There was scattered hail damage, especially in the counties on either side of U.S. 83 from McCook south to the Oklahoma border.

Biggest Severe Thunderstorm Day So Far in 2020 Forecast to Occur Today  There's so much going on today, let's break it down in detail so you can factor it into your Father's Day plans. Noon Update For Damaging Winds 45% is a high  risk of damaging winds -- in this case, forecast to exceed 75 mph. I would urge  people in the purple-shaded areas to be prepared for power failures, bring cars indoors, and bring lawn furniture indoors. I would also have my devices plugged in now to get a full charge but remember to unplug them before the storms arrive. There is also a very good chance of giant hail in about the same area. -- Original Forecast (still valid) Below-- Tornado Risk There are two areas of concern.  The brown areas have a significant risk. This includes Wichita and Omaha. The more likely time would be in the 5pm to 9pm time period.  High Winds and Power Failures Yellow is the significant threshold for wind gusts of 60 mph ...

Waves of wheat. Not much in the way of waves on El Dorado Lake as the sun sets behind a line of thunderstorms. Both photos taken Thursday evening. Happy Father's Day!!

This image of a 3" hail stone was from the Rooks County, Kansas, emergency manager. It is in the north central part of the state and in the red area southwest of Plainville (see map below). The map shows the two primary areas where hail fell. click to show map in its entirety Unfortunately, the extremely large hail fell north of Dodge City. Meteorologist Mike Umscheid got a dramatic  photo of the supercell thunderstorm that produced the large hail approaching a ripe wheat field earlier this evening.