Some research shows that the heat around a city can have an effect on micro-scale weather patterns. The climate over an area has minor variations due to vegetation, topography, cement, and asphalt around a city, and even lakes and rivers.
In urban area’s, the buildings, parking lots, and roads absorb the day’s heat, and redistribute it at night. So the environment 50 miles west of a larger city is different than what is going on in the center of downtown. As storms near a metropolitan area they can split or veer away.
When I worked in Oklahoma City this situation happened often. Storms looked impressive on radar, but as they neared the metro they would weaken or split. The challenge for forecasting is this didn't happen all the time. But when it does, my forecast would be wrong for some, and spot on for others. Just another challenge in predicting the weather, but next time you see this happen, you will understand why.
If you have a weather question for Dan, send it to: askdan@kjrh.com
