Hot, muggy, stormy weekend likely. Could KC metro see its first 100-degree day next week?
It will be a hot and muggy weekend in Kansas City as conditions will send heat index values soaring into the mid-90s to lower 100s, according to the National Weather Service in Kansas City.
The hot conditions start Friday as afternoon temperatures are expected to climb into the low 90s under sunny skies. The humidity will also be increasing across the metro area, the weather service said.
The hottest and muggiest day will be Saturday, where temperatures are expected to climb into the lower to mid-90s. The increased humidity will make it feel as hot as the lower 100s. Temperatures this time of year in Kansas City are typically in the mid-80s.
The chance for showers and thunderstorms also return on Saturday. Morning and early afternoon showers are expected with the possibility of scattered thunderstorms. The threat of severe weather is low with this initial storm activity, the weather service said.
More storm activity is possible later in the afternoon and continuing into the evening. Some of these thunderstorms have the potential to be strong to severe.
The main threats of severe weather is hail one inch in diameter or greater as well as strong wind gusts over 60 mph. There is a low, conditional threat of a tornado, the weather service said.
It will be sunny again on Sunday, albeit a few degrees cooler with temperatures in the upper 80s.
Temperatures are expected to get hotter next week with the Kansas City area possibly seeing its first heat wave of the summer season. Temperatures could soar into the upper 90s to 100 degrees by Wednesday and near 100 degrees Thursday, which is expected to be the hottest day so far this year, according to the weather service.
Conditions are expected to remain hot heading into the end of the month and the beginning of July. Excessive heat is possible. The weather service urged people to watch daily forecasts over the next couple of weeks for anticipated high temperatures and associated heat index values.
Drought worsens in KC region
Meanwhile, drought conditions are worsening in the National Weather Service’s Kansas City forecast area, which covers much of northern and western Missouri and extreme northeast Kansas, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Nearly 98% of the forecast area, which includes Kansas City, is facing abnormally dry or worse drought conditions. That’s up from 88.5% last week.
Overall, a little over 85% of the Kansas City forecast area is experiencing moderate or worse drought conditions, which is up from a little over 74% last week. Meanwhile, nearly 55% of the forecast area is seeing severe or worse drought conditions, up from about nearly 34% last week.
The percentage of areas experiencing extreme or worse drought conditions was just over 16%, up from nearly 9% a week ago.
The Drought Severity and Coverage Index, which converts drought levels to a single value for an area, is 254 for the Kansas City forecast area, up from 205 last week.
The index ranges from 0 to 500, with 0 meaning none of the area is abnormally dry or in a drought and 500 meaning all of the area is facing exceptional drought conditions.
This story was originally published June 23, 2023 at 8:08 AM.
