Glad to see the timely rains continue...for the most part, it's been a summer of robust heat for the plains and upper mw and your area has had timely rains. KC peeps have also been pretty dang lucky. Let's see how AUG shapes up next month.

Another scorcher today with heat index values around 115. My area may move into the ring of fire this week with several storm chances.

Beautiful snaps.

Good morning! The Storm Prediction Center has us in a enhanced area for storms today https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html At 7 AM it is cloudy and 74 here in my yard. There have been a few sprinkles here this morning and there is a area of thunderstorms to the NW heading in this direction. The forecast is for the thunderstorms to move in today with what looks like maybe a half inch or so of much needed rainfall. The highs today could reach the upper 80’s and the lows tonight should be in the upper 60’s Tuesday through Friday should be dry with some great summer weather with highs in the 80’s and lows in the low to mid 60’s. Friday and Saturday there is a chance of showers with Sunday looking dry at this time. Highs should be in the mid 80’s and lows in the mid 60’s Detailed Forecast Today Showers and thunderstorms likely before 11am, then a chance of showers between 11am and 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Heat index values as high as 95. Light southwest wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Tonight Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. West wind 6 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Tuesday Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 83. North wind 9 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 59. North wind 5 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 84. North wind 5 to 8 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 87. Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Friday A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Friday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Saturday A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Saturday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. The official H/L yesterday in Grand Rapids was 88/72 there were 15 CDD’s there was no rainfall the highest wind gust was 25 MPH out of the W. Weather conditions reported were fog and haze. For today the average H/L is 83/63 the record high of 101 was in 1916 the coolest high of 68 was in 1915 the record low of 47 was in 1977 the warmest low of 76 was in 1916. The most rainfall of 3.49” was in 2011. Last year the H/L was 92/71. Some weather history for July 27th 1987, Thunderstorms in Minnesota spawned a tornado which moved in a southwesterly direction for a distance of thirty miles across Rice County and Goodhue County. Trees were uprooted and tossed about like toys, and a horse lifted by the tornado was observed sailing horizontally through the air. Thunderstorms drenched La Crosse, WI, with 5.26 inches of rain, their second highest 24 hour total of record. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 1989, Thunderstorms produced severe weather from Wisconsin and northern Illinois to New England, with 103 reports of large hail and damaging winds through the day. Thunderstorms in Wisconsin produced hail three inches in diameter near Oshkosh, and wind gusts to 65 mph at Germantown. (The National Weather Summary)

We were worried about smoke for our trip to the Wallowas, so we decided to pivot and head 6 hrs down south instead of east. Stayed in Yreka and explored the area around Mt Shasta and was not disappointed, it was beautiful. No smoke and perfect conditions, blue skies.