What a heartbreaking story! Unfortunately, DEI and trans'ing teenagers will have similar outcomes.  Speaking of ridiculous: This nonsense is a cancer on our society.  And, speaking on cancers on society: The only thing California's high speed rail project has produced is record amounts of graft. 

Tornado Risk The brown areas have a significant risk of tornadoes and where the hatching occurs, which includes Atlantic City, Wilmington and Camden, indicates that if a tornado occurs, it could be strong. Damaging Wind Risk Here is the color code: The pink is a rare  high  risk of damaging winds (on my 4-point scale) of 60 mph or stronger.  The red is an enhanced risk of damaging winds. The yellow area is a significant risk of damaging winds. How to prepare? With widespread power outages possible, fill your car with fuel, get extra cash at the ATM, fill your generator with fuel.  Bring in lawn furniture or other items that can be blown about. Trampolines are the (humorous) "State Bird of Kansas" because they fly so easily. They can also damage the objects or homes they strike. Bring it indoors, if possible.  If you have a chainsaw, go ahead and fill it with gas or electrical charge. Mobile homes that are not tied down are not safe in high winds. If you live in ...

Wow, this has been a month of big news for the city.  Given its very low cost of living, it is a great city to consider if you are considering a relocation. 

Saturday will likely be a big weather day if the NWS Storm Prediction Center is correct. Here is the forecast from 8am EDT Saturday to 8am Sunday.  Tornado Risk The brown area has a significant risk of tornadoes Saturday.  Damaging Wind Risk Here is the color code: The pink is a rare high  risk of damaging winds (on my 4-point scale) of 60 mph or stronger.  The red is an enhanced risk of damaging winds. The yellow area is a significant risk of damaging winds. How to prepare? With widespread power outages possible, fill your car with fuel, get extra cash at the ATM, fill your generator with fuel.  Bring in lawn furniture or other items that can be blown about. Trampolines are the (humorous) "State Bird of Kansas" because they fly so easily. They can also damage the objects or homes they strike. Bring it indoors, if possible.  If you have a chainsaw, go ahead and fill it with gas or electrical charge. Mobile homes that are not tied down are not safe in high w...

It is about over. I've tried -- again, after many other attempts -- to learn to like soccer. I am a hopeless case. The game is dull with the most exciting moments being when an invisible "offsides" occurs. Also exciting are the fake injuries (I was pleased to see a Swiss player get a red card for it). I don't know why FIFA puts up with it them. More red cards seem like a good idea. I think the tournament was great for the USA (and Mexico and Canada). Kansas City really enjoyed it.  Me? I'll go back to my writing. The players can go back to their acting lessons. 

These are really good suggestions. Please take them to heart. 

I apologize for the intermittent postings this week. 

Catastrophic flooding now forecast (pink). "Considerable" flooding is dark blue and "limited" flooding is forecast in the pale blue area. It is possible that I-10 and other highways may be closed in spots before this is all over. I'm certain evacuations will be required.  Torrential rains are expected to occur in southwest Texas during the next seven days. Major flooding is already occurring west of San Antonio.  These additional rains will likely cause record flooding.  The rain in the intermountain region will be of net benefit although isolated flooding (especially in burn scar regions) will occur. 

High Risk of Flash Flooding in the Purple Area Included in the high risk area are Uvalde, Hondo and Crystal City. Kerr County, the site of the devastating flash flood of July 4, 2025, has a "moderate" risk. As of 11:45am, flash flood warnings  are in effect for most of the area between San Antonio and Del Rio.  Light to moderate intensity rain continues to fall over most of the region. The rainfall rates may increase in intensity this afternoon.

An unusually high risk of tornadoes and damaging winds exists in Maine and adjacent areas of New England.  The yellow area has an enhanced  risk of strong  tornadoes. The brown area has a significant risk of strong tornadoes. The green area has a very low (but non-zero) risk, any tornadoes in the hatched area could be strong.  This is the forecast for damaging thunderstorm-generated winds. The red area has an enhanced  risk of wind gusts of 75 mph or stronger. The hatched yellow area is where there is a significant risk of wind gusts of 75 mph or stronger. The unhatched yellow area has a significant risk of gusts of 60 mph or stronger.  Remember:  A tornado watch  means tornadoes are possible. A tornado warning   means it is time to take shelter. The graphic below will help you determine your shelter area. I will update on Twitter/X @usweatherexpert . 

There is a serious risk of damaging winds and tornadoes in Maine and nearby parts of New England on Tuesday.  Because of the unusual location, I'm providing an extra day's "heads up." Tornado Risk The area in brown hatching has a significant risk of strong tornadoes.  Damaging Winds The hatched red area has an enhanced  risk of damaging winds of 75 mph or stronger. The hatched yellow area has a significant risk of 75 mph or stronger. The unhatched yellow area has a significant risk of gust of 60 mph or stronger.  Of course, I will update this forecast tomorrow morning. 

If you need rain and live south of Interstate 70, you have a pretty good chance the next five days.  [I-70 runs from near Washington, DC to central Utah.] Update 3:10pm CDT The pale blue area is where the NWS is forecasting scattered flooding between now and Sunday morning. 

The latest data shows reason for concern about the deepening drought in the West and its potential spread eastward. This week's drought data is discouraging. The severe drought from the Rockies to the Sierra continues to worsen as does the drought in the Middle Atlantic region.  Here is the forecast rainfall amounts for the next seven days.  In the West, the light rains will be of little help.  Our ability to forecast summer rainfall amounts at 8 to 14 days is marginal at best, but here's the latest estimate: While part of the western drought area is forecast to have greater than average rainfall, it is not particularly good news for two reasons. The first is that this is generally a dry time of year so more than usual rain isn't very much. Second, is the temperatures are forecast to be above normal so the evaporation rates will be high. I will periodically update this situation. 

Wichita, along with Dayton, have been named the hosts of the first two rounds of the 2027 and 2028 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament (a/k/a "March Madness). Details are here .  In 2025, Wichita hosted both March Madness and the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships. Congratulations, Wichita!

Disneyland 1958 This is something that really confuses me.  When I ask about "construction" I am not asking about planning or environmental work, I'm asking why it takes so long once the first dirt is moved.  For example, a small waterpark is going to be built in Olathe, Kansas, by the Hunt Family. Great! The  Kansas City Star  reports, “We’re shooting for 24 months to be up and running because we want it out of the ground,” said James Arkell, the chief operating officer of Loretto Companies. Essentially, two years.  So, I asked AI, "Once construction began, how long did it take to build Disneyland?" The answer: Presumably, today's construction tools are equal or better than those of 70 years ago. So, why does it take at least twice as long -- or, for public works projects, three or more times as long? Anyone? 

We've added four new photos -- every photo is curated -- to my collection at Adobe Stock Photography .  Everyone is welcome to browse the images regardless of whether you are looking to license photography or not.

New York Post Like most high-profile global warming zealots (Al Gore, Barack Obama, John Kerry, Leo DiCaprio, Price Harry, etc., etc.) George Soros is a hypocrite. I just purchased a home on the water on Long Island. No one who believes sea level is going to rise 21' would do that! Grok Yes, earth's rising temperatures are, in some ways, a serious threat. The way to handle it is with nuclear power, especially next generation nuclear.  As to an existential threat, I'll quote Prof. Glenn Reynolds: I'll believe global warming is a serious threat when the people telling me it is a serious threat start acting like it is a serious threat. 

Coincidently, CBS News published a story about NWS issues today. It is here .  --- original post below --- Since Hurricane Sandy in 2012, I have advocated and worked hard for a National Disaster Review Board that would improve disaster forecasting and response in much the same way as the National Transportation Safety Board has improved transportation safety.  However, Congress has shown little interest in the concept of a Disaster Review Board. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service (NWS) becomes stunningly worse by the month. Over recent weeks, I have wondered if the NWS, in its present form, is beyond repair. To take tornado warnings as just one example, their accuracy is down  by 40% since 2005-2010. Since the early 2010's these pages have documented the long list of forecasting and warning issues of the National Weather Service. Friday evening (July 3), in southern Nebraska, was one that was so bafflingly bad it makes me wonder whether the opportunity to repair the...

Ahh, global warming occurs in the atmosphere.  Earthquakes occur on the earth (on the ground or sea floor). One does not cause the other.  BTW, we can thank Homer Simpson for the title of this (ever-) ongoing series.

T he NWS's Storm Prediction Center is forecasting a (by my scale) a high  risk of damaging winds in the Washington - Baltimore - Philadelphia areas.  The scale.... Purple = a high risk of wind gusts of 60 mph or stronger. Hatching = forecast of wind gusts of 75 mph or stronger.  Red = enhanced risk of gusts of 60 mph or stronger. Yellow = significant risk wind gusts of 60 mph or stronger. If this forecast is correct, power outages are likely. Please prepare accordingly. Across the Nation: Another area of damaging winds is forecast from the Ozarks to the Texas Panhandle. The red (enhanced risk) extends from Joplin to Wichita and Enid to the Gyp Hills. Please prepare accordingly!!

Some thoughts from our great President, Ronald Reagan, to celebrate the day. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of these United States are covenants we have made not only with ourselves, but with all mankind. Our founding documents proclaim to the world that freedom is not the sole prerogative of a chosen few. It is the universal right of all God's children. The freedom of thought and action we Americans enjoy today seems as natural as the air we breathe. But there is a danger we may take this freedom for granted. We must never forget it was bought for us at a great price. The brave and resourceful Americans whose sacrifices gained our Independence and preserved it for more than 200 years against formidable foes have set an example of unflinching loyalty to the ideal of liberty and justice for all. Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed o...

3 people died on Lake Geneva, WI  when their boat overturned in high winds. Seven were rescued. This occurred even though there were tornado then high wind warnings. From my blog earlier today, note the upper warning specifically mentions Lake Geneva: When outdoors, these warnings should be taken seriously. Here's a vital bit of information: If you see clouds like this, known as a "shelf cloud," high winds -- perhaps extreme winds, are likely. Last month, I took this photo of a shelf cloud. A wind gust of 81 mph was clocked as it went by. Regardless of whether it is a tornado/severe thunderstorm warning or a shelf cloud, stop what you are doing and head for shore immediately! A time-lapse video , from earlier today, shows a shelf cloud moving overhead. At the very end, you can see the visibility drop as sand is blown from the beach.  Lightning Danger And, this tragic news just in.... In addition, three were injured by that lightning bolt. If thunder roars, go indoors!  o...