Showers and Storms in the East; Dangerously Hot and Dry in the West

A front will bring scattered showers and storms to portions of the Central and Eastern US. Severe storms are expected in parts of the Great Plains and Ozarks today. Meanwhile, dangerous heat will intensify across the Desert Southwest and Intermountain West. Elevated wildfire conditions will develop across portions of the Northern/Central Plains and air quality issues will persist in the Northwest. Read More >

The PLAZA Microburst Event

August 6, 1996

Strong thunderstorms moved through the Grandview and Plaza areas around midday producing two microbursts. These winds downed trees and caused damage to the roof of the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library.

Below is a series of satellite images showing the cluster of thunderstorms as they moved into the Kansas City area. The IR image shows a small area of colder cloud top temperatures had developed, indicating that the storms had intensified. The images show the tops then warmed as the storms moved across Kansas City, which is indicative of a collapsing thunderstorm and associated microburst.

Infrared Satellite Images

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