Every now and then, meteorologists utterly whiff on a forecast.
Today’s an example.
Forecasters called for mostly sunny skies with highs in the low 90s, with a slight chance of thunderstorms. But as mid-afternoon arrives, clouds cling to the region, with the mercury in the upper 60s.
I called the National Weather Service to find out what happened, and Kevin Darmofal told me the storms that moved through overnight were expected to stabilize the atmosphere. Accordingly, skies would clear and the sun would send the mercury climbing.
But that didn’t happen. There’s enough moisture and instability lingering – “festering” is the word Darmofal used – to fuel additional rounds of showers the rest of the day.
Perhaps tomorrow, too.
The rainfall amounts from the overnight showers ranged from about a half inch in west Wichita to an inch or so in Butler County. Strong winds blew through, too: 60- to 70 mph winds were reported in the metro area, along with 1″ hail in Wellington.