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Gary

It'll be good to see you back on tv later today, I hope the healing process will continue each day for all of you.
So I know it's still Aug. but with all this heat we've had this summer, do you think this winter can go very cold or be a warm one? And I know I'm really pushing it buy asking how much snow or ice you think we'll get?

Thanks
Tim
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Tim,

Remember my weather pattern theory. A unique pattern sets up every Autumn from October 10th to November 10th. The weather pattern then begins cycling and continues until it falls apart by the middle of August. I believe in my theory and so this winter forecast is impossible to forecast this early in my oppinion. We will have a good idea once the new pattern begins setting up. There is no correlation from summer to winter weather. It could be a very hot summer and then a very cold winter. They just aren't attached, well....the summer is not at all related to what may happen the next winter. But, the winter weather pattern can be used to help forecast the next summer's weather.

Gary

***************
Welcome back Gary. Again I hope you had a great rest and I know that the memories of Windy will always be there and the being reunited again will be a great hope! I am following Tim's idea and have seen some early thoughts from some toher meteorologists around the country. Since that huge ridge is broken from last October, they seem to think we will have a decent, normal fall here in Kansas and Missouri and have at the least a normal winter for once! Can't wait to hear your fall forecast and whhen the time is ready your winter forecast. Enjoy your expertise in forecasting. Just one other thought, on the blog can you let folks know when the article will run from the Kansas City paper on Windy? And I think you should write a book on her life and experiences! Thanks, Michael from Topeka
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Michael,

Thank you! Now, to the winter forecast. Any forecast that comes out now, even a first guess is based on nothing. This is what I believe anyway. I could give you a guess too, but I know better. This doesn't mean I hope it isn't a normal winter. Oh, I hope we have a record cold and snowy winter. But this is not my forecast.

Gary

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Glad to see you are back Gary. How is this weekend looking? We are gonna be at Perry Lake from this Friday to next Tuesday.
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Keri,

Thank you, and it is too early as this weekend is possibly going to be affected by a closing off upper low. I am not sure if it will from near us, west of us, or east of us. But, we should have a better idea by the end of the day.

Gary

***************
Gary,
Glad you are back. I am at 68th and leavenworth rd. in KCK. I Only picked up 4.80 like you said only. As much as i was missed this summer i greatful for that. It is amazing what the rain has done already. It looks like spring with the grass greening up again.

Have a great day

-Rodney
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Rodney,

Yes, it is looking green out there. I love it. If we get one more good rain in the next week or two we will be set for the beginning of fall.

Gary

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Morning Gary-

The cooler weather yesterday and today has me thinking about fall and I had a question. How will the prolonged drought that we had affect the fall colors this year?
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Wade,

The trees have been stressed but the recent rain will really help them recover. There is hope for a colorful Autumn.

Gary

**************
Welcome back, Gary! Obviously you've been missed and I'm sure it is a bit humbling to see how you and Windy have touched so many.

Did I hear you correctly this morning on your radio broadcast about much cooler weather setting up for next week? Can you elaborate?

Thanks! - Mike
--------------------
Mike,

Thanks and next week's weather and this weekend's weather depends on the development of a strange upper low. If the upper low forms northwest and tracks south into Kansas then we will have a stretch of days in the 70s with rain. But, there are many uncertainties so give us another day or so to figure it out. It doesn't look like an October cold front, but more like this past storm, more summer like.

Gary

*****************
Been watching for you back each day and welcome you. I looked at a picture of Sadie this am and asked her if she was running with Windy? Saw an article in C. Hearnes' column yesterday about Windy the weather dog. Is that all there will be??
Loving the cooler weather. See you in the news forecast!
---------------------------
Ginger,

The KC star did a nice tribute to Windy last Thursday morning.

I am getting ready for work now. See you later.

Gary

**************
REALLY GLAD TO SEE YOU BACK GARY, YOU ARE THE ONLY WEATHER STATION ILL WATCH. I LOVED YOUR DOGS AND IM REALLY SORRY ABOUT WINDY, IT WILL BE TOUGH FOR A WHILE BUT EACH DAY SHOULD GET BETTER AND JUST THINK SHES IN A BETTER PLACE. I HAVE 3 DOGS AND THEY ARE LIKE MY KIDS SERIOUSLY SO I KNOW WHAT YOUR GOING THROUGH. WELL JUST WANTED TO SAY HI KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND ILL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR FORECAST AT 10:00
----------------------
Nicole,

Thanks. I had a good six days off. Now, its time to track our exciting weather.

Gary

*************
Welcome back Gary! I agree it will be great seeing back on air. Oh we love Jamie too and she really watched out for everyone on Sunday. She did a fantastic job, but then all of you do everyday :)

What I find so interesting is that a summer pattern doesn't reflect on a winter pattern, but a winter pattern can help you with a summer pattern. It almost sounds contradictory. Nonetheless, very interesting.

Now my grandma would say this is getting to be the time of year to look at the wooly worms and the color of them. Watch the squirrels and how much they are running around gathering stuff for the winter..lol Not very scientific but fun to listen to her :)
-----------------
Jamie did do a great job over the weekend. It isn't easy going on the air and tracking a tornadic thunderstorm as it refuses to die. Thank you for noticing her work Donna.

If you know about my theory then it will make sense on the summer winter relationship. A new pattern sets up in October to early November. So the pattern that exists during the summer is not related at all to what will be happening the next fall and winter. But, the pattern that sets up in the fall then cycles and continues into summer. So, it is possible to make the summer prediction with some accuracy.

Gary

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Gary,

I would be interested in what caused the dramatic change in the weather pattern from hot and dry and hit and miss storms the past several months to the widespread flooding rains of this past weekend and now cooler temps? I am also impressed because when reading your blog over the past several weeks that you said that you could see the old pattern breaking down and we were going to be in for a change. WOW, did you ever say that right!!!! Keep up the GREAT work!!!

Jeff
--------------------
Jeff,

We aren't sure what causes the new pattern to develop this fall, so it is just as difficult to say exactly how the pattern falls apart in August. I just know that it does by looking at the evidence. I have so much evidence and it happens every year. EVERY YEAR without exception.

I had explained for the past few weeks that we will know when the pattern has changed by looking at so many variables. One of which is the rainfall patterns. It will be and now is different. It didn't mean it had to be such a nice rainfall for us all, but I am glad it was.

I am still working on my theory. I will be blogging about it a lot this fall. Hopefully you won't get sick of it.

Gary

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Dear Gary,

I have really missed seeing you on the newscast. So glad to hear you are returning today. The news article on Windy was in yesterday's (Monday, August 28) K.C. Star's FYI section. I saved it and the other notice last week if you need extra copies.
Jamie did an excellent job while you were away. Still, I missed you and hope you are feeling better and know that all of your viewers are supporting you and loving you and your beloved pets. I hope time will bring you comfort and that you can find joy again.
Your friend and faithful viewer,
Kay Johnson
--------------------------
Kay,

Thanks for the kind words! We have a great weather team and this is the first weather team I have had where everyone is on the same page. We all work well together and believe in each other.

Gary

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Gary,
It was wonderful to turn on the TV Sunday night and hear your voice, Jamie as doing a wonderful job but we missed you, and can't wait to see you tonight.
Hope things are getting better as time allows. We are glad you are back and hope you can feel all the love and support that is out there for you, Stormy and Breezy.
Chris
--------------------------
Chris,

Thank you so much!

Gary

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Welcome back Gary, it will be great seeing you on TV again. Great job all week by Jamie. She sounded tired, hope she has a great vacation going back to see family.

Thank you both very much for being so active on the blog. You all do such a great job.

Joe
-----------------------------
Joe,

Yes, Jamie did a great job while I was gone. Now it is her turn for a few days off.

Gary

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I have a slight concern for a Short track Tornado or 2 late Friday into saturday morning. Some Question about a dryline. Will be watching the Pressure Height fallks and Capes. Question about how late into Saturday morning for our De Soto days Parade.

Steve Newport
De Soto Kansas
-----------------------
Steve,

There is no way there will be a tornado unless the upper low digs west of here.

Gary

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Gary,

I am glad that you are back. The news article on Windy was great. One thing that I have noticed on the models is that the pattern is now more "blocky" and the high pressure area in the Eastern Pacific is more expansive. Could that lead to a buildup of a fall cold front? We sure need a month that is colder than average.

Devin
------------------------
Devin,

The blocked up pattern is something I will blog about today. The only thing it could do is to cause an upper low to form north of us. It won't really generate a fall cold front, but it may still feel a bit like it this weekend.

Gary

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Gary,
I'm glad your back. I'm ready for cooler weather and the snowflake contest.
------------------------
Ah, the snowflake contest.....Michelle, we will begin the contest during the first week of October.

Gary

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Dear Gary:

I am usually at the gym during your news cast, so this is how I learned of your loss, at the following national website. There is a beautiful picture of Windy as well as the article, which I have copied into the blog. This site has allowed many people outside of Kansas City to remember you in their thoughts and prayers, as do I. To see Windy's picture, visit: http://www.dogchannel.com/news/2006_08x/2006_08-29ent001.aspx

‘Weather Dog’ Dies -
Windy made appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show� and “Animal Planet.�
By Maureen Kochan -

The nation’s most famous canine weathercaster, Windy the weather dog, has died at the age of 16.

The mixed breed appeared on KSHB-TV in Kansas City with her owner, weatherman Gary Lezak. She earned national attention on “The Oprah Winfrey Show� and Animal Planet’s “K9 to 5,� and made over 700 public appearances with Lezak to help educate students on tornado safety.

Windy’s health had been declining recently, and Lezak made the difficult decision to have her put down on Wednesday. “It was time,� Lezak said.

Posted: August 29, 2006, 5 a.m. EST
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Sarah,

Thank you. I hadn't seen this site yet. I miss Windy so much!

Gary

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Hi, Gary!
Good to have you back, and I would like to echo the comments on how Jamie did such a good job covering for you while you were gone!

I do have one question, though. During the extensive coverage of the tornado on Sunday, the weather plus channel was just a tape from earlier. Why didn't you use that channel to track the tornado?
Thanks,
Sara
----------------------
Sara,

We did have issues with Weather Plus. Hopefully this won't happen in the future, but this is brand new for us and it may take a while to iron out the problems.

Gary

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Ahhh - Gary...

Glad to have you back. Jamie did a great job in your absence.

Now...I want to reflect back about 10 days ago when I saw the powerful low that I thought might be the first fall type front. I thought it would be strong enough to break the record heat in TX. It did. Dallas has been in the 80s. Also, it brought us enough upper level strength to drop the jet enough to pick up on the tropical moisture. Finally..things are changing. And on queue, Enersto materialized within a week of the old pattern officially dying.

Now..to the GFS... I am curious. I get how the pattern dies in Summer...the jet weakens, patterns change, and new patterns form. Is there any correlation to summer time changes that could also be recurring? Seems odd that Fall through Spring could be recurring, but Summer is random. Seems it should fall into a cycle as well. Dunno. Maybe the summer time piece is just part of the tropical scene in pushing energy up to the poles..who knows.

August tornado...quite the vort max.

Thoughts?
-----------------------
Scott,

The summer pattern was not random until the past couple of weeks when the old pattern fell apart. Now, this new developing and evolving weather pattern may have some organization to it. But, I just don't see any. And, I still think it is unrelated to what is about to happen in a few weeks.

Gary

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Hello Mr. Lezak,
Great to see you back on tv. Always look foward to seeing your forcasts. Here in Leavenworth we picked about 6 inches over the weekend. I am very sorry about your loss.

Do you think that the temperature will ever make it back in the 90's this year?
--------------------
Ben,

Thanks! We had a great rainfall event. It may get back into the 90s one more time.

Gary

*******************
Hi Gary-Glad you're back and wanted you to know how much we will miss Windy. What a great dog! I wrote to you this summer about our dog Sam and you kindly wrote back to tell me what you were doing for Windy. Sam died on the 11th this month at age 12 and we miss him terribly. Thanks Gary for caring and for your love of animals and the weather! We'll be watching you with Stormy and Breezy! Sincerely,Karen Osborn
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Karen,

Thank you and Stormy & Breezy are doing well.

Gary

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Help,

I need to find out how much it has rained since July 13, 2006. Any suggestions where to look.

Thanks
Craig Norton

Craig,

It has rained 9.37" since July 13th. This is the total at KCI. I hope this is the location you were looking for.

Jeff Penner

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Gary, we like Jamie and she does a great job, but you are a breath of fresh air to us. I'm glad your back and stay strong.
Kelly
--------------------------------
Kelly,

Thank you so much! Jamie does do a great job and I am glad to be back. Now, we need some exciting weather.

Gary

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First I want to tell you how sorry we were that you lost Windy.WE are going to S. Dakota on Sunday I wonder if you can check the weather there we will be going to Mt. Rushmore area for a week. WE have a 19 year old dog and even tho we have a house sitter that loves him ,I hate to leave him.
--------------------------
Dorothy,

I can imagine how tough it will be to leave. I didn't go anywhere during the past two years because Windy was getting so old. But, I am going to Las Vegas at the end of September. I am excited about that. Good luck.

Gary