Hurricane Helene to make landfall in Florida. Will the storm affect KC’s weekend weather?
Sunny and slightly warmer than usual weather is expected across the Kansas City area Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
“Not much to complain about if you are a fan of early fall weather,” the weather service said. “Ample sunshine with pleasant highs in the mid- to upper 70s for most. Winds will be light out of the north to northeast under 10 mph.”
The metro will experience temperatures around 78 degrees, which is a couple of degrees higher than the 76 degrees typically seen this time of year.
The weather service said very limited cloud coverage and drier conditions are expected.
Hurricane Helene’s track, from Florida to the Midwest
Hurricane Helene continues to strengthen and is expected to bring catastrophic winds and storm surges to the northeastern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of early Thursday, Helene was a Category 2 storm about 350 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida. The major hurricane is expected to make landfall in the Florida Big Bend coast Thursday evening, bringing destructive waves that could reach 20 feet above ground level.
The hurricane center said as the storm moves inland, strong winds are expected across northern Georgia and the Carolinas. Flash and urban flooding will be possible Friday across portions of the southern Appalachians.
The remnants of Helene are expected to push into the Ohio River Valley. Early forecasts had the remnants impacting Kansas City’s weather this weekend. However, the weather service said that with Helene’s track further east, drier conditions are expected in the metro through the weekend.
“A sprinkle or two is possible for more eastern portions” of the Kansas City forecast area, the weather service said.
Kansas City weekend forecast
Mostly sunny skies are expected Friday and Saturday, with temperatures in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees. Sunny skies are expected Sunday and Monday, with temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s.
The weather service said a strong cold front will move through the area early next week, sending temperatures tumbling into the upper 60s on Tuesday. Overnight temperatures will dip into the upper 40s before rebounding to the mid-70s.
