Above Average Temperatures for the West and Central Plains; Lake Effect Snow Continues

Well above average temperatures will prevail across the Plains and the West Coast this week, while a cold front will bring Arctic air to the South and East Coast Thursday and Friday. Lake effect snow is forecast downwind of the Great Lakes through Thursday along and behind the Arctic front, as well as mountain snow across the Southern Appalachians. 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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