Insider Blog

It’s Severe Weather Preparedness Week, and there is a new topic every day to prepare you for every form of severe weather that comes with the spring season. Today’s topic is lightning information and safety, which is perfect considering thunderstorms just moved through Central Missouri over the past 24 hours, and there are more potential

Sunday, March 1st, is the beginning of meteorological spring. Of course, Central Missouri gets to start this new season with winter weather, even after the spring-like conditions that have been in the area today and will be in place throughout Saturday. It may seem like the start of a new season should mean that the

If you have been watching the forecast, you have probably noticed that there has been an increasing chance of observing wintry precipitation on Sunday. The problem is that although we know that wintry precipitation is likely, there is rather low confidence in the type of precipitation that will be observed for each area. Due to

Global temperatures have taken an unexpected sharp climb in recent years, prompting scientists to reconsider how some atmospheric patterns are calculated. NOAA announced earlier this month that it will shift to a new index to calculate the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a long-term climate pattern that influences weather in North America and around the

The Northeast United States and much of the East Coast are recovering from a historic and paralyzing winter storm today. The system hit the coast with hurricane-force winds, blinding whiteouts, and record-breaking snow totals, bringing travel and daily life to a standstill for many. The numbers for snow totals, power outages, and travel delays are

While Central Missouri has been experiencing its own whiplash with winter weather, California and much of the Western United States have been getting their own significant changes. For some areas, over the past 7 days, over 92 inches of snow have fallen in areas like the Central Sierra Snow Lab. Near Lake Tahoe, the significant

Meetings are being held by the US Army Corps of Engineers from the Kansas City and Omaha Districts across the area to help analyze and recommend flood improvements for flood risk management and other water resource-related issues along the Lower Missouri River. These series of meetings were prompted by the historic and devastating flooding of

Low rain chances are in the forecast, but so is fire danger. A combination of unseasonably warm temperatures, gusty winds, and extremely low humidity will increase the risk of fires in Mid-Missouri in the coming days, leading the National Weather Service to issue Red Flag Warnings. Jon Carney, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service

It’s been over twenty years since Columbia residents approved an ordinance requiring their utility providers to source more energy from renewables. Now, decades later, more than a fifth of the city’s energy comes from renewables, but future progress faces increasing challenges both locally and nationally. According to Columbia Utilities’ 2026 Renewable Energy Plan, the city

If you have lived in Missouri for even a short amount of time, you know how much of a roller coaster it can be. For example, last week, to start the month of February, afternoon high temperatures only got into the low to mid 30s from the 1st through the 4th. Then, the 5th through

Less than five years after the country’s most significant climate change law was enacted, the Environmental Protection Agency is moving to revoke a landmark finding on greenhouse gas emissions that forms the basis of much of the United States’ current climate legislation. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is expected to rescind the 2009 endangerment finding, which

It has been over two weeks since Central Missouri’s first widespread snowstorm, which brought measurable snow across the state. Since then, it has stayed largely dry and has also gotten noticeably warmer, with temperatures breaking the 50 and 60 degree mark over the past couple of days. With temperatures getting almost 30 degrees above freezing

With recent cold and snow, wildfires might seem like one of the last concerns for Mid-Missourians. But unseasonably warm temperatures and a drier-than-normal winter will contribute to an elevated fire risk in the coming days. Missouri is just beginning its fire weather season, as dry vegetation from fall and winter combines with the breezy conditions

If you check your weather apps or consistently look at forecasting models and their outputs, you may notice that the outcomes change constantly, especially in the longer-term forecasts. Then, once you turn on the TV, the meteorologists are sharing different information as well. This can often cause confusion and sometimes panic if only one outcome

If you have taken a look at the forecast over the next 7 days, the temperatures might have caught you by surprise. By Monday, afternoon high temperatures will be in the low 60s, and morning temperatures will be staying above freezing. You might think that spring has come early, even with us not being through

If you’ve been outside in Mid-Missouri recently, you’ve probably made moisturizer and lip balm part of your daily routine. Winter often brings colder, drier air that can quickly dry out our skin, and this year has experienced even lower humidity than usual. According to an X post by Ben Noll, a meteorologist at The Washington