Punchless Panorama

Although conditions at this hour favored some "action"--87 degrees F, 66-degree dew points and southerly winds around 15 mph--this isolated and weak storm cell never got going as it moved in a northeasterly direction west of Cedar Rapids, Iowa at 8:00 PM, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. On this summer solstice day, a long line of thunderstorms moved through the state of Iowa, actually becoming severe in Des Moines, but fizzling out as they reached the eastern part of the state. That trend has been the norm throughout the 2012 season--storms dying in the east due to lack of moisture and daytime heating and a persistent northern jet stream alignment. By the time the line reached Cedar Rapids before midnight, it offered little but some lightning flashes and a total of .35 inches of rain at this location. This image looks west from Bowman Woods Park. Bowman Woods Elementary School is seen in the background.