August 2018 Observations and Discussion

[Tom]

Today's wrapped up storm system is quite the site on radar.  I don't think I've ever seen a nice looking defo band as such in late August.  Congrats NE/IA peeps who are cashing in on timely rains.  This storm reminds me of a few vertically stacked systems we saw in previous LRC cycles that took similar tracks.

 

Meanwhile, Chicago set a record in August...

 

 

Bill Snyder

‏ @billyweather 9h9 hours ago

More

Weather history made in Chicago. Today's 86° high marks the first time an August 1-19 has logged highs of 80°+ each day, since records began in 1871!

[Tom]

Looking out in the extended, nature is going to turn on the furnace once again as the late summer heat engine kicks back on.  Will it hold through Labor Day weekend?  Enjoy the cooler temps and very low DP's this week.  I'll be happy to open up the windows again and let in some of that fresh, Canadian air.

 

Might be a tad chilly in the MW Wed am...

 

 

 

 

I'm looking out for a "Ring of Fire" pattern to set up early the following week for parts of the MW/GL's region.  The system I've been looking to set up around the 8/28 period is starting to show up on the models in the longer range.  However, it seems to be taking on a different look than originally thought.  More of a NW track that'll pump the ridge and produce several rounds of "ridge runners" early next week.  Might be an active week to close out August across the northern sub.

 

 

[Tom]

Guys, I just checked my notes of the storm systems we had back in November, and this storm matches the LRC to a "T" way back on Nov 11th-12th when a weak system tracked out of CO, and took a due west/east track from KS/MO/IL that had a defo band signature today's system is showcasing.  Nature is amazing.  #mindblown  

[Hawkeye]

There was a good area of 2-4" of rain overnight in western Iowa.  I can understand that.  One quick band of orange, with a dot or two of red, popped up on radar and passed over me this morning and it was very heavy.  I picked up a quick 0.54".  

[Niko]

Not sure I've ever felt a stiff easterly wind while fueling my ride, at 11 pm, in August. It's not chilly, but has that cold season "impending storm" feel to it. Was out on Lake Michigan about sunset and the cloud pattern from the Plains system approaching meant no visible sunset. Was still a calm and nice evening tho.

Definitely. I enjoyed a nice barbeque (chicken kabob) w wine and salad outside my patio and it was a  fantastiko evening. Crystal clear skies and a pleasant breeze. Although, a tad humid.

[Niko]

Its a hazy morning out there w temps in the 60s (64F). Nice CF coming in tomorrow will drop temps w high in the low 70s and lows in the 50s. Maybe some upper 40s.

[St Paul Storm]

Raining right now for the first time in 16 days. This after MPX dropped the chances today from 70% down to 40%.

[Bryan1117]

Omaha Eppley has recorded a whopping 4.45 inches of rain from this system as of 7am this morning... that pretty much wipes out the nearly 3.5 inch rainfall deficit that was there for the year so far.

Quite a disparity as usual across the city, as I have around 1.85 inches of rain in my rain gauge in the southwestern part of the city. The heaviest rain band certainly ended up setting up from the Missouri River and then east.

Flash Flood Watches still up across the area too, as the wraparound rain continues to fall here, mostly light rain with a few moderate/heavier pockets mixed in... should be able to easily pass 2 inches total for this event in my backyard... would be plenty happy with that!

 

UPDATE: As of the 8am update, the reporting station at Eppley picked up another .99 last hour - up to 5.44 storm total... that's very impressive! Wow! 

[Hawkeye]

UPDATE: As of the 8am update, the reporting station at Eppley picked up another .99 last hour - up to 5.44 storm total... that's very impressive! Wow! 

 

I was just going to post this.  Radar suggests another inch may be on the way, too.  The Omaha guys just need this same system to pop up in winter.

[Minny_Weather]

 

 

Record Event Report

National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE

343 AM CDT Mon Aug 20 2018

 

...RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM RAINFALL SET IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA...

 

A record daily maximum rainfall of 1.88 inches was set in Lincoln,

Nebraska on August 19th. This breaks the old record of 1.24 inches

set in 2000.

We received more on the Southeast side. About 2.60 inches or so.

[Minny_Weather]

Glad to see Omaha has done well. They have been more of a screw zone this Summer than we have so they glad to see them in the defo band alongside us. Light rain still though there is a pocket of heavy rain coming. We have a steady North wind, which is the first time I have been able to say that since May. 65.3*F. Feels like October.

[Hawkeye]

UPDATE: As of the 8am update, the reporting station at Eppley picked up another .99 last hour - up to 5.44 storm total... that's very impressive! Wow! 

 

Eppley now up to 6.11" at 9am, still raining heavily.  This station has reported rain or heavy rain for twelve consecutive hours.

[Jaycee]

[Bryan1117]

Eppley now up to 6.11" at 9am, still raining heavily. This station has reported rain or heavy rain for twelve consecutive hours.

Pouring like crazy outside, lightning and thunder crashing outside for the first time during this whole event... doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop for several more hours now around here. Eppley over 6+ inches of rain with Flash Flood Warnings covering most of the metro.

 

As predicted the low pressure intensified just as it passed to the south and east of here, it’s been putting on quite a show around here this morning with the torrential flooding rains, current thunderstorms, and damaging north winds (up to 60 mph gusts in places).

 

What a storm system this has been for Omaha, this has made up for the recent boring weather and constant misses.

[Minny_Weather]

Pouring like crazy outside, lightning and thunder crashing outside for the first time during this whole event... doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop for several more hours now around here. Eppley over 6+ inches of rain with Flash Flood Warnings covering most of the metro.

 

As predicted the low pressure intensified just as it passed to the south and east of here, it’s been putting on quite a show around here this morning with the torrential flooding rains, current thunderstorms, and damaging north winds (up to 60 mph gusts in places).

 

What a storm system this has been for Omaha, this has made up for the recent boring weather and constant misses.

The wind is AWESOME! I haven't heard my windows howling since Winter.

[Hawkeye]

6.83" at Eppley as of 10am.  Radar suggest at least another inch is on the way.  The deformation zone couldn't have been placed any better for Omaha/Council Bluffs.  I also just noticed Eppley gusted to 59 mph at 5am.  Wow, what a storm.

[Bryan1117]

6.83" at Eppley as of 10am. Radar suggest at least another inch is on the way. The deformation zone couldn't have been placed any better for Omaha/Council Bluffs. I also just noticed Eppley gusted to 59 mph at 5am. Wow, what a storm.

Yeah right along the Missouri River is definitely the jackpot zone. Up to 2.75 inches of rain in SW Omaha and it keeps on coming with thunder still rumbling from time to time.

 

Short term models have rain continuing until 4pm, so still plenty more rain to come... Eppley could make a run at 8 inches of rain total from this storm!

[jaster220]

The wind is AWESOME! I haven't heard my windows howling since Winter.

 

#a-bit-jelli 

[Hawkeye]

7.45" in Omaha, now.  Anyone know what the 24-hr record is?

[jaster220]

With this rare combo of very warm GL's water temps, and a strong low coming up thru the Mitten, I wonder if there will actually be even bigger waves than depicted. Perhaps their program accounts for this, perhaps not. It's generally easier to push the more buoyant warm water than the typically dense cold season water. I remember back in my youth (70's) swimming in some decent sized waves on Lk. Michigan and it was usually at Labor Day weekend. It can be a lot of fun body surfing, but at the same time kinda scary too. They didn't issue all the beach hazards back then either. The power of even a 4 ft wave is incredible. 

 

[Bryan1117]

7.45" in Omaha, now. Anyone know what the 24-hr record is?

I believe the 24 hour record was set in August of 1999 and was 6.46” if the climatology webpage I viewed is correct. That storm was a gusher I remember with over 10 inches of rain over a two day period, most of it falling via intense, severe thunderstorms between 8pm the night before and 7am the following morning, hence the large two day total of 10+ inches of rain.

 

That series of storms caused some pretty nasty flooding in the Omaha area, I remember there being tremendous lightning and thunder going all night long. This storm system won’t be as bad flooding wise as it was spread out over a much longer time frame and wasn’t nearly as intense rainfall rate-wise.

[Bryan1117]

Just confirmed on Facebook that the 24 hour record is 6.46”, currently at 6.15” as of the latest update.

 

Have a pretty good feeling that 24-hour rainfall record from ‘99 is getting broken today here in Omaha. Crazy stuff!

 

Even though the heavy rain band is shrinking in coverage, there is still some very heavy rain coming down here as my backyard rain gauge is showing 3+ inches now.

[gabel23]

Incredible totals might be the norm when all is said and done. Here is one for you! 

 

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1139 AM CDT MON AUG 20 2018

..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

1139 AM HEAVY RAIN 5 E MISSOURI VALLEY 41.56N 95.80W
08/20/2018 M9.86 INCH HARRISON IA TRAINED SPOTTER

STORM TOTAL SINCE YESTERDAY. STILL RAINING
HARD.

[Bryan1117]

The hits keep on coming. Omaha’s 24 hour rainfall record has been broken today - sitting at 6.83 per the NWS at 12:30pm on social media.

 

Flash Flood Watch extended to 7pm with another 1 to 3 inches possible for Omaha/Council Bluffs. This event is going to make a run at the August 6-7, 1999 storm total record of 10.48 inches. Currently sitting at a little over 9 inches storm total... this is just amazing!

 

What a day here!!!

[jaster220]

Happy basement flooding to y'all Neb peeps! (j/k)  'grats on the broken record(s) too. Now why can't you (we) get 6 feet of snow when it's cold??    

[james1976]

What an awesome wrapped up storm you guys are having in the midwest. I hope we see more of this in the cold season!

Today we are traveling thru the mountains of Pennsylvania. Beautiful scenery. Its cloudy and cool. Very fall-like.

[Hawkeye]

A thin band of orange on radar passed over me last hour, dumping very heavy rain.  I picked up almost another half inch in only fifteen minutes, boosting my total to 1.26".  This little band also had some lightning and thunder with it, something the earlier stuff did not, and something that we've had far too little of this summer.

[Madtown]

2.24" here just pouring buckets!

[Bryan1117]

The NWS in Omaha revised today’s rainfall total down to 6.15” citing issues with the automated rain gauge at the airport. Makes today the 4th wettest day in recorded history, not the wettest - which still belongs to August 7th, 1999 as of right now.

 

Between yesterday and today, still over 8 inches of rain at Eppley, with reports of 9-10 inches up near Honey Creek, IA and Missouri Valley, IA.

[Money]

Madison is getting pounded

[Bryan1117]

2.24" here just pouring buckets!

Glad you guys in Madison are cashing in as well. This is one dynamic storm system!

[Bryan1117]

Two day total in my backyard, around 3.70 inches (split between 1.30 yesterday and 2.40 today).

 

Impressive rainfall total in its own right, however nothing compared to the totals just 10-15 miles to my east.

[Hawkeye]

In the last hour, a very tiny cell popped up and parked over me for a while, dumping another 0.60, boosting my total to 1.85".  A personal station a half mile to my nw is up to 2.42".  Meanwhile, the school station a mile southeast of me got nothing from this cell.

[westMJim]

Well it is now almost 8:30 PM and still no rain here in Grand Rapids yet. The current radar does not look good for rain tonight. If we miss this rain today/night not sure when the next chance of rain will be?

[Money]

Madison getting pounded.

 

Vehicles stranded everywhere many roads closed

 

5+ inches so far in some areas

[Hawkeye]

Personal stations just west of Madison are in the 6-10" range and radar is pretty bad.

[Money]

Personal stations just west of Madison are in the 6-10" range and radar is pretty bad.

The warning text said an additional 2-4+ is likely. Could see 10+ in some spots

[Madtown]

Had a good break from 545 to 730ish... back in it now up to 4.09

[Minny_Weather]

Drove from Crawford, Indiana to Lincoln, Nebraska today. Got caught up in that weird low over Iowa and saw a few perfect funnel makers just east of Des Moines.

Welcome to Lincoln! Glad the weather is nice for you. I'm lovin' it here right now. 69.3*F.

[Hawkeye]

One more cell moved over me late this evening, dumping another half inch and putting my final total at 2.35".