Gusty winds, maybe a tornado, may form out of afternoon thunderstorms in Kansas City
It would be a good idea to keep an eye on the sky Wednesday afternoon and evening in the Kansas City area as severe weather is possible, according to the National Weather Service in Kansas City.
A cold front passing through the region may spawn widespread showers and thunderstorms that will be capable of producing strong, gusty winds and maybe a brief isolated tornado, the weather service said.
A few light showers or drizzle will be possible Wednesday morning and early afternoon. But as the cold front makes its final approach later in the afternoon, widespread showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop, the weather service said in its forecast discussion.
A broken line of thunderstorms will likely develop along the leading edge of the front with steady rain trailing behind.
The initial line of storms will approach the Missouri and Kansas border around 3 or 4 p.m. and pass through the Kansas City metro area between 5 and 7 p.m. before exiting to the east later in the evening, according to the weather service.
A few storms could be strong to marginally severe. Weather conditions will be such that some decent robust thunderstorms could develop roughly from St. Joseph down to the Kansas City metro and areas to the west and southwest of the metro, according to the weather service.
The primary threat will be strong wind gusts, but small hail and a brief tornado could develop. The chance for a tornado to develop is low.
The trailing rains will likely linger behind the initial line of thunderstorms for a few hours before clearing. Rainfall totals are expected to range between .5 of an inch and 1.50 inches across the region by Thursday morning, according to the weather service.
The cold front will also bring to an end Kansas City’s run of above normal weather conditions. High temperatures on Wednesday are expected to be in the mid-60s on Wednesday and low 50s on Thursday. The normal max temperature for this time of year is 56 degrees.
Cold arctic air is expected keep temperatures on Friday only in the upper 30s to mid-40s. Strong northwesterly winds will lead to wind chill values that struggle to get above freezing for most locations, the weather service said.
Kansas City has not had a hard freeze, which is when temperatures fall to 28 degrees or lower for at least a few hours. The first hard freeze typically occurs by Nov. 5.
This story was originally published November 10, 2021 at 8:25 AM.
