The National Weather Service says severe storms could sweep across Missouri tomorrow afternoon and into the overnight.
The National Weather Service says the primary threat tomorrow would be from a bow echo storm, such as this one, to sweep across Missouri bringing damaging winds and perhaps tornadoes.
Meteorologist in Charge at the Kansas City Weather Service Office Julie Adolphson says current models show the storms reaching the Kansas/Missouri border around 4 p.m. tomorrow and passing across the state to the east by Sunday morning, though several factors could cause that timeframe to change.
Adolphson says the primary threat is predicted to be damaging winds. “Like, what we call a ‘bow echo’ system, where the winds are damaging out ahead and along the bow echo. Storms that form initially, though, may be rotating storms,” and that means the possibility of tornadoes can’t be ruled out.
Flooding is a possibility, but Adolphson says it is less of a concern due to recent dry conditions, “however if a storm produces three inches of a rain in an hour or so, then we could see some localized flooding for sure.”
Current models show the storms reaching the Kansas/Missouri border around 4 p.m. … though several factors could cause that timeframe to change.
With numerous festivals, college football games and other events going on across the state, Adolphson encourages planners to be prepared. “Hopefully they do all have a safety plan in place of what they would do in the case that severe weather threatens right in the middle of their festival. Hopefully they will all have some idea, be watching and listening to radio stations and keeping an eye on the sky and using NOAA weather radio or whatever means that they have … local television … keep abreast of the situation and be prepared to react to severe weather threats.”
The storms aren’t likely to reach Columbia during the Missouri-Alabama game, but Adolphson says one of her greatest concerns is for people who will be traveling after that game. “Hopefully they will have an idea about what’s going on and then take proper precautions. Seeking a sturdy shelter is always the number one idea, so that you’re not in that situation where you’re driving.”
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Paducah, KY (Southeast Missouri)
