Stormy Friday with damaging 75 mph wind gusts in the forecast for KC. What to know
Thunderstorms could make their way into Kansas City Friday afternoon with the threat of damaging wind gusts, large hail and brief tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service.
Weather models suggest the main threat of the storms will be damaging winds with gusts reaching 75-80 mph, meteorologists said in a morning weather discussion. The storms are expected to develop in the early afternoon near the Kansas-Missouri border, then rapidly travel east, reaching Kansas City around 4 p.m., the forecast shows.
Friday morning will be breezy, the weather service noted, and non-thunderstorm related wind gusts of up to 55 miles per hour are possible.
The forecast winds have the potential to blow down trees and power lines, and may cause widespread power outages, the weather service said in an advisory. Travel will likely be difficult, especially for vehicles that sit higher off the ground.
Even with the forecast thunderstorms Friday, the chance for precipitation hovers around 50%. It’s forecast to be a warm day with high temperatures in the mid 70s to lower 80s.
According to meteorologists, dry air will move into the region from the southwest this afternoon. With the expected strong winds, critical fire weather conditions are forecast to continue late morning through the evening.
A high wind warning and red flag warning are in effect until later Friday evening. Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly, the weather service warns. Outdoor burning is highly discouraged.
A slight chance of showers are possible between 7-10 p.m. Friday before the region reaches an overnight low of around 49 degrees.
Colder weekend for Kansas City
Cold air will arrive overnight Friday, making for a much cooler and breezy day on Saturday. Temperatures will range from the upper 40s to near 60 degrees Saturday with northwest winds gusting 20 to 30 mph, meteorologists predict.
Saturday night, there is a slight chance, around 20%, for light showers. But a lack of moisture is likely to keep conditions dry, the weather service said in its forecast discussion.
Frosty and freezing conditions are expected overnight Saturday, when the low temperatures could reach the upper 20s to lower 30s, the weather service predicts.
Cool conditions are forecast to prevail through Sunday. The high Sunday is expected to hover around 57 degrees for a sunny and clear day. Overnight lows could dip into the mid 40s, the weather service predicts.
Then Monday, temperatures will warm back up with the high possibly rising into the mid 70s near 80 degrees.
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 7:43 AM.
