Sun ahead; storms possible this weekend

Live long enough and you may see a tornado. Hopefully from a distance. I’ve seen four twisters, one in Minnesota and three in Oklahoma, the tornado capital of the U.S.

Roughly 1 in 10 thunderstorms are severe, but fewer than 1 in 100 storms will ever spin up a tornado. They are mercifully rare. Tipoffs? Large hail. Anything bigger than pingpong size suggests violent updrafts capable of supporting a tornado funnel. Greenish sky? Yes, the result of white sunlight being filtered by hail in a towering thunderhead. Rotation. If the storm is spinning, the odds of a tornado are higher.

Nothing severe on Friday, just sunshine and mid-80s. Try to plan outdoor fun for Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon, because the next surge of southern moisture sparks showers and storms from midday Saturday into midday Sunday. Saturday looks cool (70s), with 80s returning Sunday and a few low 90s possible early next week.

Unless you need exercise, avoid watering your yard. Models print out another 2-3 inches of rain the next seven days. So long, drought.