Record heat likely in Kansas City; Avoid outdoor burning due to elevated fire risk
Outdoor burning is being discouraged Wednesday as the Kansas City region faces an elevated risk of fire due to parched vegetation, dry weather conditions and record breaking temperatures, according to the National Weather Service in Kansas City.
Temperatures are expected to climb into the low 80s in the Kansas City area, possibly breaking a more than 120-year-old record of 80 degrees for this day set back in 1901, according to the weather service.
The unseasonably warm weather is more typical of what Kansas City sees in June. The normal temperature for this time of year is 50 degrees.
The possible record heat follows what had been a warm and dry winter season in Kansas City, which ended on Monday. The 2021-2022 meteorological winter season tied for the 22nd warmest out of 134 years.
It was also the 8th driest on record, with 1.96 inches of precipitation reported, according to the weather service. That’s well below the normal winter precipitation of 4.21 inches for the season.
With 15.4 inches of snow, this winter was the 52nd snowiest on record. The normal snowfall for the three winter months in Kansas City is 14.8 inches.
Much of the Kansas City area on the Missouri side is facing abnormally dry conditions, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor.
Dry weather conditions, combined with the parched vegetation and the possibility of wind gusts of 20 to 25 mph, put the Kansas City and northwest Missouri under a “very high risk of fire,” according to the weather service. Any fires that do ignite could grow rapidly.
Temperatures are expected to cool to the 50s on Thursday before they return to the upper 60s on Friday and the 70s on Saturday.
There’s a chance for strong to severe thunderstorms on Saturday, with a higher chance for severe weather developing in northern Missouri and southern Iowa.
This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 7:28 AM.
