There is a slight risk that storms expected to pass through the state today will be severe, according to the National Weather Service.
This weather graphic courtesy of the National Weather Service office in Springfield.
Meteorologist Jared Leighton says a storm system moving in from the west is expected to spur thunderstorm development along a cold front. Storms are expected to develop in far eastern Kansas and move into western Missouri in the early to mid afternoon.
Leighton says the storms will move quickly through western and central Missouri.
“Storm motion will be straight to the east at perhaps up to 50, 60 miles per hour,” says Leighton. He predicts they will be in eastern Missouri and the St. Louis area around 7 or 8 p.m.
“We are expecting strong storms. They will be able to produce some hail, maybe even some winds,” says Leighton. “We’re not expecting any tornadoes. It’s not something we can rule out completely but definitely not something we’re expecting any kind of widespread activity on that.”
Leighton says southwest Missouri could see the strongest storms in the state.
“The strongest storms could form in southeast Kansas, east Kansas into far western Missouri. By the time the system actually gets into central and southeast Missouri it will probably be lined out into kind of a squall line. At that point your tornado threat is virtually nothing and your hail threat is very minimal as well. You’re basically a wind threat at that point,” says Leighton. “If you’re anywhere southeast of basically a Columbia to Springfield line you’re probably going to see a squall line … heavy rain, lighting, maybe some winds but that’s about it.”
For information for your area, tune in to your Missourinet affiliate station and visit these NWS pages.
In northwest and western Missouri:Â Â Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)
In northeast and eastern Missouri:Â Â St. Louis
In southwest Missouri:Â Â Springfield
In southeast Missouri:Â Â Paducah, KY
Scotland and Clark counties:Â Â Davenport, IA
