Your typical summer day is pretty hot. You know the drill, air temperatures mixed with higher humidity percentages is going to yield a pretty hefty heat index – and an uncomfortable day. One of the dangers that comes with heat is the deadly threat of rising car temperatures. It only takes a matter of minutes
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The Northern Snakehead, an invasive fish species, has been found in Missouri waterways and is capable of surviving out of water for up to 7 days, posing a threat to local ecosystems due to its ability to thrive in suitable temperatures and capitalize on flooding.
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There’s good news across much of the Midwest as we compare drought conditions with the last several years for this time in June. Looking back to 2023, a multi-year long standing drought was in full swing for much of the Midwest. The region saw severe and extreme drought across central portions of Mid- Missouri and
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It’s no surprise that it’s been hot and sunny ever since last Thursday, and that trend looks to continue as we head throughout the next several days for the most part. You might be asking yourself, “Why is it that we’re seeing so much sunshine and heat in such a long span of time?” Well,
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With this upcoming heat wave affecting most of mid-Missouri, heat index temperatures are expected to reach 90s and above. However, some areas will be heating up more than others. The urban heat island effect refers to cities and other landscapes that are considered a “built environment.” These areas have more concrete and asphalt compared to
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Friday marks the official start of astronomical summer, and the summer heat is barreling in for much of the country. Much of Mid-Missouri will reach 90 degrees for the first time this year at the same time the heat index breaches triple digits. 90-degree temperatures are above average for central Missouri for late June, and
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You might’ve heard the phrase “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” However, when it comes to calculating the heat index, you need both values. As temperatures begin to climb towards the lower 90s this week, that heat index value will also experience some changes. The heat index is a measure of how hot it
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While droughts are often attributed to a lack of rainfall, another aspect of the water cycle has been largely overlooked. The supply of rainfall is just one part of the process, and new studies examining water demand are revealing alarming signs. A study published in the journal Nature suggests that the atmosphere’s demand for water
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The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team has issued a Weather Alert Day effective for a storm threat that may redevelop on Wednesday SETUP: After watching storm energy struggle to build north on Tuesday night (see the “What Changed” section below), we will continue reap the benefits of this shift in the data again on Wednesday.
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Storm timing plays an important role in determining storm intensity, with late overnight and early morning storms less likely to be strong to severe due to decreased energy levels in the environment.
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Although meteorological summer officially began on June 1st, much of the area is still waiting for their first 90-degree days. Columbia and St. Louis are both behind schedule on reaching this mark, thanks to a wetter and milder start to the season. On average, Columbia sees its first 90-degree day on the very last day
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Things are looking a lot better across much of Mid-Missouri in terms of drought conditions. The latest drought monitor came out Thursday morning. When taking a look at the percent of normal the last 30 days, most of the region remains well above average in terms of rainfall totals with the exception of northwestern portions
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You may have seen videos going around on social media of a black bear passing through portions of mid Missouri in Centralia. It’s not often that we see black bears across this area, but this site might increase in future years as populations increase. Nate Bowersock is a furbearer biologist for the Missouri Department of
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In Missouri, if you like golf, you might be gearing up to watch the US Open this upcoming Thursday through Sunday in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Many golfers might be struggling however due to the upcoming forecast. When looking at temperatures, it’s going to be a warmer afternoon each day until Saturday where widespread chances of showers
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A cold front tracked through Mid-Missouri on Sunday, bringing elevated thunderstorms that produced heavy rain and hail through the southern half of the area into the evening. Most of the storms stayed below severe limits, but a few were able to produce large volumes of hail that piled up across Morgan and Miller counties, and
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Our severe threat has ended. Locally heavy rain, and hail was the dominant impact of Sunday’s storms. At one point near Aurora Springs in Miller County, hail was reportedly covering the ground shortly after 8 p.m. SETUP FUTURETRACK The cold front is now centered over I-44, with storms behind the front being more elevated in
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June 6th is D-Day, the anniversary of the largest seaborne invasion in history that almost didn’t happen. But meteorologists on the Allies’ side made a weather forecast that would prove successful. A lot of factors had to come together for a successful invasion. The Allies needed low tides, light winds, and little cloud cover to
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The United States is on the cusp of another above-average hurricane season while NOAA continues to work through federal funding cuts and loss of staffing. Nearly 600 employees have been let go from the National Weather Service, but the agency is now reversing course and looking to fill over 100 critical vacant positions as hurricane
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Rain has continued into the summer and is bringing the spring floods with it. Recent showers and storms dropped 2 to 3 or more inches of rain across a wide swath of Mid-MO in under a day, quickly inundating local creeks and rivers. The rain is connected to a slow-moving front that has stalled right
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FINAL UPDATE: The ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Day is over as our severe threat has come to an end. No severe watches or warnings are in effect. Flood alerts do remain in effect as rain continues to fall early this morning. There have been reports of tree damage and downed power lines across Pettis,
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