Several rounds of rain, possibly flash flooding coming with storms this week in KC
It’s shaping up to be one of the nicest days of the summer in the Kansas City area.
But the dry weather may not last.
A few rounds of storms are looming that could bring heavy rains to the metro later this week, according to the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill.
Most of the Kansas City area is expected to see total rainfall between 1 and 1.5 inches by Saturday evening from the storms this week. Depending on how the storms track, however, some areas could see heavier amounts. This could lead to the possibility of flash flooding, especially later in the week once the ground gets saturated.
For Tuesday, however, it will remain dry, with highs climbing into the low to middle 80s. The first wave of storms are expected to form over Nebraska Tuesday night and drop into northwest Missouri after midnight.
The storms are expected to dissipate as they move toward Kansas City, but there’s a chance for a stray shower or two in the metro area overnight, said Jonathan Kurtz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
It’s Wednesday night into Thursday morning when the metro area has a better chance of seeing a “decent pocket of rain” as thunderstorms move through, Kurtz said. The storms are not expected to be severe.
“We could get a decent shot of rain across the region,” Kurtz said.
Up to an inch of rain is likely to fall in an area along the Missouri and Kansas border and north into Nebraska.
Another round of rain is expected Thursday night into Friday morning. While those storms are not likely to be as potent and those on Wednesday, up to another half-inch of rain could fall, Kurtz said.
More rain is expect Friday night into Saturday, with up to half an inch of rain expected.
People should keep an eye on areas that typically flood during heavy rains, Kurtz said.
“If we get isolated pockets that receive over an inch or so (of rain), some places could see quick rises on creeks and streams,” Kurtz said.
“Even though the flash flood concern is low, if we do get a decent shot of rain, people definitely need to be aware of pooling water,” Kurtz said. The morning commute could be affected by some locations with flooded roads.
People should avoid driving through flood waters on roads.
The several rounds of rain will close out what has been a relatively dry month for the metro area. As of Tuesday, 2.38 inches of rain has fallen at Kansas City International Airport. The normal amount of precipitation by this time in July is 4.2 inches.
The Kansas City area, however, is well ahead of its normal precipitation for the year.
So far, 34.28 inches of precipitation has fallen at KCI this year. The normal precipitation by this time of year is 23.26 inches. Typically, Kansas City receives 38.86 inches of precipitation for the entire year.
