Strong to severe storms possible this afternoon
MONDAY: It will be a warm and breezy start to the day as overnight lows only drop into the upper 50s. We’ll see sustained winds out of the south/southwest up to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Some isolated spots could see gusts even higher. If you have any Christmas decorations outside, you may want to make sure they are anchored down. Despite the cloudy skies that’s expected, temperatures will warm to near 70 degrees through the afternoon. It’s likely we could tie the record of 70 set back in 1933. AM showers are possible as southerly winds continue to pump in more moisture, but most of the rain we’ll see will be associated with a strong cold front that pulls through Mid-Missouri through the afternoon hours. As the cold front rolls through we could see a few strong to severe storms with damaging winds as we are under a marginal risk for severe weather. The line of storms is expected to approach Hwy 65 by 3PM as they storms track to the southeast. Columbia and Jefferson City will see the line of storms from 4-7 PM, with areas near I-44 seeing the storms by 7-8PM. Rainfall accumulations will vary from up to .10″ near to the northwest, with locations approaching .30″ near I-44. Once the front clears we’ll see winds remain breezy, which will usher in colder air.
TONIGHT: Cooler air moves in by Monday night after the storms clear mid-Missouri by 10 PM. Skies will gradually clear and winds remain breezy with gusts up to 30 mph. This will allow temperatures drop below freezing with a low of 31 by Tuesday morning.
EXTENDED: It will be seasonal Tuesday into Wednesday, with high temperatures in the low to mid-40s. With Mid-Missouri, placed on the westward extent of the upper level trough, we’ll continue to see reinforcing shots of cold air. The northwest flow aloft pattern will continue to pull waves of cold air into the region, with temperatures falling into the 30s for highs by Thursday and overnight lows in the upper 10s and lower 20s. There is a chance we could see some flurries to light snow as we head into Thursday and Friday as a system tracks to our north. By the start of next week temperatures look to moderate back towards seasonal, as highs will top out in the lower 40s. Watch ABC17 news for the latest forecast and follow ABC17 Stormtrack on Twitter for updates.
