What is December 2021 North American storm complex and derecho?
During the afternoon and evening of Wednesday, December 15, 2021, a [[low pressure area|low pressure system]] brought strong, violent winds (both [[thunderstorm]]-involved and non-thunderstorm). Non-thunderstorm winds and gusts led to rapidly moving fires across [[Colorado]] and western [[Kansas]]. [[Dust]] and debris spread eastward from there. A powerful [[derecho]] (intense and very dangerous showers and thunderstorms having straight line winds and often varying levels of rain) led to several hundred damaging wind reports. That started from central Kansas northeast to east-central [[Wisconsin]]. The United States' [[National Weather Service]] got fifty-five [[tropical cyclone|hurricane force]] wind reports. The derecho was considered the most prolific (meaning productive) such event dating back to 2004,<ref>{{cite document|title=The Storm Summary|publisher=U.S. Storm Prediction Center|url=https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/nfdscc5.html|access-date=December 17, 2021}}</ref> although a derecho five months later would become even more prolific.<ref>[https://www.weather.gov/fgf/May12th2022SignificantSevereDerechoEvent May 12th, 2022, Significant Severe Event - Midwest Derecho], National Weather Service Grand Forks, ND</ref> ==Weather synopsis== On December 15, the [[Storm Prediction Center]] (SPC) warned of the potential (possibility) of severe, widespread and intense wind events from the eastern Great Plains to the western [[Great Lakes]] region. Along with strong winds, dry lines and a very strong cold front were forecast to be supported with a strong low pressure area southward into northeastern [[Missouri]].<ref>{{cite document|title=The Convective Outlooks of Dec 15, 2021|work=The Storm Prediction Center|url=https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2021/day1otlk_20211215_1630.html|access-date=December 17, 2021}}</ref> Right ahead of these components, out-of-season [[air mass]]es were predicted to take shape across several states. In [[Iowa]], [[Minnesota]] and Wisconsin, temperatures were fr