Warming temperatures, severe storm threat Tue
Winds will increase from the southwest Tuesday as a storm system approaches. This will boost temperatures into the 70s, possibly breaking the record high of 75 in Columbia for the last day of February. At the same time, moist air will move in from the south and dew points will rise to near 60 ahead of a cold front Tuesday evening. The combination of warm air, moisture and wind shear as winds change direction and speed with height will make the atmosphere unstable and favorable for storm development.
Spotty storms are possible from 3-6 PM Tuesday north of I-70. The best chance of storms will come after 6 PM through the overnight hours. Forecast models indicate that a line of storms will develop and will be stretched out along I-70 by 9 PM, gradually moving southeast.
At this time, the best chance of severe storms is along and south of HWY 54 from mid-evening until 2 AM where there is a Slight Severe Threat. The primary threats are large hail 1 inch or greater and damaging winds of 58 mph or greater. The tornado threat is very low but increases slightly south of the I-44 corridor.
As new data comes in, we’ll adjust the timing and forecast strength of storms as needed. Please check back here and look for updates on our ABC17 News Facebook page and on ABC17 News.
