KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After three straight winters with less than 10 total inches of snow, something changed this year in the Kansas City metro area.
The weather pattern changed in early October, and the past few months have been wet, stormy, cold and snowy. The pattern is cycling, according to my cycling pattern hypothesis known as the Lezak Recurring Cycle, or the LRC.
The weather pattern that sets up in the fall, according to the LRC, continues through the winter, spring and summer. As a result, the same pattern that produced the November blizzard and the major snowstorm ahead of the Indianapolis Colts-Kansas City Chiefs AFC divisional game will now be cycling back in late April and again in June.
In the spring version of the pattern, there may still be some snow, and the more likely result will be an increasing risk of flooding rains with severe thunderstorms.
As the same pattern from last winter cycles through spring into summer, expect above-average rainfall with a few very wet storm systems. This will lead the Missouri River to rise near or above flood stage again.
The year was the wettest October to March that many locations in the Plains have ever recorded, and this is not a good trend.
In the Kansas City area, we are predicting 150 percent of average rainfall — or possibly even more — this spring. Kansas City averages around 5 inches of rain in May and another 5 inches in June. This spring, we are predicting around 15 inches of rain or more, which will lead to the higher potential for significant flooding.
The jet stream will lift north as summer approaches. The LRC shows some signs that point to a wet beginning to summer as well.
In Kansas City, water bills will likely be much lower in the coming months than during the drought conditions that occurred a year ago. Gardens may end up with too much rain — but at least the flowers are coming out as temperatures warm up.
We invite you to read our weather blog each day, and make sure to stay safe by downloading our Storm Shield weather app. Have a great spring and stay up-to-date with 41 Action News.
