bransonglobe.com LOCAL May 27-28, 2020 • 3 ‘More lake to love’: extra water doesn’t dampen holiday plans Staff Reports Despite rain, flooding and pandemic precautions, business boomed around Branson for some folks over the Memorial Day weekend. Big Cedar Lodge apparently sold out. The Paddlewheel unofficially hit near record numbers despite social distancing restrictions on table seating. The Table Rock State Park Marina also achieved near record revenue over the holiday compared to previous tourist seasons. “Like everyone else, we had to adjust to changing conditions,” Patrick Cox, co-owner of the marina and The Harbor Marina on Indian Point. “We escorted folks around the flooded parking lot to get people to the marina and their boats. It was more of an inconvenience than anything else.” Cox said the staff also ensured access to the marina remained open and worked on Tuesday to place extra planking and rigging to keep lake enthusiasts coming and going safe at all times. “The good news is the marina floats, the boats float,” Cox said. We just don’t tell the boats the lake is flooded. We see it as more lake to love.” View of the Shadow Rock Park area at the roundabout near Forsyth. (Photo by Craig Smith) • WATER Continued from page 1 Dam, will add to the already flooded park and the flooded banks of Bull Shoals Lake. In other words, it could be some time before the park sees dry land again. So, what’s causing so much rain? In warm spring or summer weather, warm, moist air masses move north from the Gulf of Mexico. A front may develop, or – as we’ve seen this season – convection occurs. Convection is the process of heat and moisture rising into cooler areas and creating clouds. Because we’ve been receiving air masses from the Gulf, there’s been a lot of moisture and warmth to work with, causing instability. That instability creates lightning, thunder and those copious bursts of rain. There may be some relief in the extended weather outlook, although scattered showers are possible throughout the week. By the weekend, a drier pattern could be in place, bringing partly to mostly sunny skies and highs in the mid to upper 70s through the weekend and into next week. Temperatures in the area should be a little warmer even at the beginning of the week, topping in the low to mid 80s. Patrick Cox, co-owner of the Table Rock State Park Marina, watches a light rain fall on the partially flooded parking lot leading to the marina and boat slips. Despite rain and pandemic precautions, the marina hit near-record revenue numbers for the Memorial Day weekend. (Branson Globe photo)
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