Throughout the day during mostly clear times, you might have noticed the coloration of the sky changes. Just why is this? It has to do with how much of the earth’s atmosphere the sunlight has to travel through and the scattering of the airs molecules. During the noon hours, there is less atmosphere for the
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Drought has been the big story in recent months and impacts continue across the nation into the fall. Extreme to exceptional drought has expanded along the Gulf Coast in a few short months, and combined with the ongoing dryness further north, the Mississippi River is feeling the strain. River levels have dropped so low in
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Tonight will be the last super moon of 2023 known as the Harvest Moon. Each year there are four Super Moons which occur as the moon passes closest to the earth in its orbit during a full moon phase. This makes the moon appear a decent amount brighter and larger in the night sky. It
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Fall colors are already popping up across the area as the season officially kicked off this past weekend. This rushed change has been expected thanks to a brutal summer, and we are now seeing fall foliage weeks ahead of the typical schedule. Brown and dull leaves are also likely into the fall as we continue
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Have you ever been outdoors ahead of an incoming storm? Have you ever smelled a distinct fragrance from that moment? If you have, it’s not the actual storm making that smell. The lightning creating ozone is actually to blame. There is plenty of oxygen (O2) available in the atmosphere. Whenever lightning heats up the environment
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Mid-Missouri is once again seeing highs into the mid to lower 80s that looks to continue into the rest of the week. It’s officially fall and the average high in Columbia Missouri is 77 degrees for September 25th. The main factor behind what’s driving these summer-like temperatures exists due to atmospheric blocking. A high pressure
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SETUP A low pressure system has developed over the Plains and will slowly shift east through Saturday. An increasingly unstable atmosphere ahead of this will lead to the risk of severe storms into tonight for much of the Midwest. TRACK Storms may initially fire up to the west by 3 to 4 pm, carrying severe
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Astronautical fall is just four short days away. The average high will only continue to fall increasingly in the coming week and months. This means dew points are also on their way to following the same trend of decreasing in this same time span. During the spring and summer months, dew points increase allowing for
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You may have heard more talk of expensive natural disasters in recent headlines as large-scale disasters are increasing year by year. In Missouri, 2023 has already been a notable severe weather year, tying for our highest number of billion-dollar disasters in a year. With several months left, this could be one of the most expensive
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Every year, the United States seems to see drought conditions in one region or another. During the years of 2020 through 2022, drought struck much of the northern Great Plains states and south Central portions of Canada. This lead to a significant decrease in many waterfowl populations. The past spring of 2023 seemed to provide
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You may notice more foggy mornings as conditions cool and we head into the new season. This is typically the time of year with the best setup for fog overnight, especially near bodies of water. On a calm fall night heat is able to rise from the ground quickly, leaving behind cooler, moist air at
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Recent years have seen somewhat duller autumn colors, and this trend may return again this fall. Drought has cropped up across Mid-Missouri periodically in past summers, which can have an impact on tree health and eventual leaf changes. This year has seen an exceptional round of drought, with effects still yet to be seen into
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Every year, Mid-Missouri sees a slough of severe storms barrel paths through the region. Typically, the peak of this activity occurs during the spring months. During the months of April and May, there is the perfect level of moisture, energy in the environment, and fronts to spur thunderstorm activity which can turn into dangerous situations.
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Temperatures are coming down after the peak of summer, but last month was record-setting in several ways. High temperature records were set across the state, and the humidity was especially historic. Columbia recorded its highest heat index ever at 117 degrees on August 20th, and St. Louis saw its longest stretch of dew points at
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This afternoon and evening we are tracking strong to severe storm chances which is why we are under a Weather Alert Day. The main driver of this storm development is a cold front that’s passing through Missouri in the afternoon and evening hours. Whenever we are experiencing hot and humid conditions like mid-Missouri is currently,
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The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team has issued a Weather Alert day beginning at 5:00 tonight through 2:00 Wednesday morning for the potential of strong to severe storms. SETUP: A cold front currently situated just to the west in Kansas looks to shift to the east as the day continues making its way into Mid-Missouri
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While conditions have been much better to head back outside, that also means more danger from the sun. The UV Index still reaches very high levels into September on clear afternoons, which can mean sunburn in less than a half hour. The sun angle is still very high this time of year, allowing more direct
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The forecast has been centered on heat and dry conditions for much of recent memory, and something that may have been literally lost in the weeds is our allergens. Pollen count is still very high across Mid-Missouri, but the specific pollinators are changing heading into the new season. Tree pollen season has been behind us
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Currently, the state of Florida is preparing for a severe weather event, as Hurricane Idalia is rapidly strengthening and approaching parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast. This specific area is where a Storm Surge Warning is in effect, with some areas seeing chances for Storm Surge inundation of 10-15 feet above ground level, and devastating waves.
Continue ReadingWith the recent heat, you’ve definitely heard mention of the heat index in forecasts. This metric is a very useful combination of heat and humidity but doesn’t account for many other factors in summertime. Sunshine alone can add up to 15 degrees to the feels-like, and the heat index is based on shaded air temperatures.
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