Insider Blog

You might have noticed the days getting shorter as summer comes to an end. The amount of daylight in mid-August in Central Missouri is about 13 and a half hours, compared to nearly 15 hours on the solstice just two months ago. The change in daylight affects our lives in many ways, altering what people

Over the past couple of days, there has been a noticeable trend in storm activity across central Missouri. Although there has not been any widespread severe weather, isolated storms each afternoon have caused brief wind gusts up to 60 mph before dissipating. Just yesterday, one of these storms occurred in the morning, and damages were

Hurricane Erin is the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, reaching Category 5 storm strength on Friday with sustained winds over 157 mph. As of the 1 PM advisory today, it has weakened slightly to a Category 4 storm with sustained winds up to 140 mph. Although it has not made direct landfall, it

The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is approaching, and the fifth named storm has strengthened into the season’s first hurricane in the Atlantic basin this year. Hurricane Erin has become a Category 1 storm with sustained winds reaching up to 75 mph. It is the fifth tropical system of the season and the first

Major cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, are facing resistance from both sides of the aisle. A spending bill from the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies would fund NOAA at levels mostly consistent with previous years. Senator Eric Schmitt, who is on the subcommittee that budgets

Whether you’re heading back Monday in Jefferson City, Tuesday in Columbia, or walking onto Mizzou’s campus next week, we’re starting off hot. Highs will be pushing into the 90s those first couple of days, so short sleeves are the way to go. For Jefferson City students, your first day starts on Monday, August 18. Expect

On Monday the 11th, the National Hurricane Center named Tropical Storm Erin in the Eastern Atlantic. The significance of Erin in comparison to this years other named storms is this specific named storm has the best chance to potentially become the first hurricane of the season in the Atlantic for 2025. Erin is currently projected

When talking about stationary fronts, it’s basically a game of tug of war. Cold air sits on one side of a region, and warmer less dense air on the other side. Both fronts are equally matched and stay in place, often times lasting multiple days before one side budges. A prime example of a stationary

The Perseid meteor shower is reaching its peak activity over the next 7 days, and there will be several opportunities to view it as next week arrives. The official peak for this meteor shower is August 12-13th, but it is already active and under the right viewing conditions can be observed throughout the night. These

The Missouri State Fair is underway in Sedalia from August 7th through the 17th, and safety is a big priority. Around 350,000 people are expected to visit the fair, and officials have safety plans in place in case of bad weather. Jason Moore, the director of the Missouri State Fair, says the fair coordinates with

Comfortable temperatures have arrived for the weekend, but the northerly winds that brought these cooler conditions also carried smoke from the upper Midwest. Air quality will be fair in Mid-Missouri, but sensitive individuals should exercise caution this weekend. The smoke originates from wildfires in Canada, where wildfire season peaks this time of year. Fires this

Future summers in Missouri will feel more like those near the southern U.S. border if the climate continues to warm through the rest of the century. A report from Climate Central illustrates the impacts of climate change by comparing projected future temperatures to those of cities that currently face similar conditions. By 2100, the climate in Columbia

A cold front passed through the area yesterday evening, and the effects of that front are being fully realized today. Much of the area yesterday afternoon still felt like it was near or in the triple digits, with areas like Jefferson City and Linn experiencing heat index values around 103-106 degrees during peak heating hours.

On July 30th, at 11:24 AM (Russia’s local time), an earthquake occurred near the Kamchatka Peninsula. This was measured to have a magnitude of 8.8, putting it amongst the 10 largest earthquakes in recorded history. The only stronger earthquakes ranged from 9.0 to 9.5, while this earthquake is tied with two other 8.8 magnitudes. At