Weather Alert Day: Tracking possible severe storms with damaging winds, hail
The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather team has issued a Weather Alert Day for the potential of strong to severe storms by this evening into late Saturday night.
Storms diminished to our west early this morning, leaving the environment in better shape for ingredients to come together by afternoon. Plenty of instability is available for storms to feed off of, along with higher dew points today.
A front draped across northern Missouri and eastern Kansas has already triggered thunderstorms in eastern Kansas and will continue to fire up storms into this evening farther east.
Western Missouri will have the greatest threat of widespread severe storms late this afternoon, but all of Mid-Missouri is in a slight risk or level 2 out of 5 for severe weather issued by the Storm Prediction Center.
The timeline for storm development will be between about 6:00 PM and midnight, with storms diminishing before dawn Sunday.
The primary threats will be large hail up to 1" in diameter, and damaging winds between 50-60 mph. Frequent lightning is also likely, so if you see it or hear thunder head inside quickly. The tornado threat will be low given the lack of low level wind shear today. Storms will be somewhat scattered at first, then develop into a line and move south.
