Sunshine and warmer days ahead, with strong storms by Friday
WEDNESDAY: A Red Flag Warning for Camden and Pulaski Counties is in effect from 1PM-7PM this evening. Elsewhere, most of Mid-Missouri is expecting a heightened fire danger, as gusty southwest winds be in place. Outdoor burning is extremely discouraged as these conditions continue to persist. The strong southwesterly winds up to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph will aid in warming us up through the day. Highs will top out in the middle 70s this afternoon, under a thin layer of clouds. It certainly will be one of the nicest days we’ve seen in quite some time.
TONIGHT: Any clouds hovering through the evening, will slowly begin to decrease from the northwest to the southeast. It will be a mild night across Mid-Missouri, as temperatures only bottom out in the mid 50s, thanks to southerly winds. Winds will be out of the south up to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25.
EXTENDED: The warming continues into Thursday as we reach the upper 70s to near 80, making for a warm afternoon as winds continue to be gusty and from the southwest. It will be the warmest day that we’ve seen all year. Another cold front approaches on Friday bringing clouds and a chance for rain & t-storms. Showers are possible Friday morning but a line of showers and t-storms is more likely later in the day as the cold front gets closer. With an organized line of strong storms possible, we could see damaging winds, large hail, and an isolated tornado. The Storm Prediction Center has areas along and west of Hwy 63 under a slight risk for severe weather. With storms expected to fire near the Kansas City Metro and southwest Missouri, it’s important to be alert through the day. As storms race to the east they will quickly lose steam, as the greatest lift and energy associated with this system is west of Hwy 65, but the threat still remains for parts of Mid-Missouri. The timing of the system has slowed down and looks to be more of an evening event, which stresses the importance of making sure you have a severe weather plan in place. This is something we are going to continue to track as we head into Friday afternoon and evening. Much cooler air moves in next weekend with highs in the low to mid 50s Saturday and low to mid 40s Sunday. Nights will drop back to near freezing. We’re also watching for light precipitation Sunday which could start as a rain/ snow mix. Stay tuned to ABC 17 for the latest forecast and updates.
