The National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis says strong to severe thunderstorms are possible Saturday and Saturday night across parts of southeast Missouri.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis says severe storms and isolated tornadoes are possible in southeast Missouri on February 23, 2019 (map courtesy of NWS St. Louis Twitter)

NWS meteorologist Melissa Byrd expects wind gusts of close to 40 miles per hour in places.

“As far as any kind of severe weather, we could see some isolated strong to severe storms tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon and tomorrow evening, especially over portions of southeast Missouri and southern Illinois,” Byrd says.

Towns like Cape Girardeau, Dexter, Farmington, Perryville and Sikeston could see storms Saturday, and Byrd says isolated tornadoes are possible.

She says the thunderstorms are expected to develop, when the atmosphere destabilizes ahead of a strong cold front.

“Well we got warmer air moving into the region with a lot of moisture and instability which would help to generate thunderstorms,” says Byrd.

Meantime, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Pleasant Hill says motorists traveling in far northwest Missouri could see slick roads and some blowing snow on Saturday, northwest of I-35.

The NWS says heavier snowfall is expected in southeast Nebraska, southwest Iowa and northwest Missouri towns like Tarkio.

NWS meteorologist Jared Leighton tells Missourinet that northwest Missouri’s Atchison County is projected to receive two to five inches of snowfall on Saturday, while other parts of far northwest Missouri could receive a dusting to two inches.

 

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and National Weather Service (NWS) St. Louis meteorologist Melissa Byrd: