Stormy stretch could bring hail, damaging winds, tornadoes, downpours to KC
Kansas City is about to get soaked. A stormy stretch will bring showers and rounds of thunderstorms, some possibly strong to severe, with 2 to 4 inches of rain possible from Tuesday night through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
A cold front is expected to slide through the region, arriving around 10 a.m. in northwestern Missouri and moving through the Kansas City metro area around 2 to 4 p.m. before stalling out near a line from Fort Scott to St. Louis by Tuesday night.
It is unlikely that showers and storms will develop ahead of the front’s passage, but scattered to widespread rain and thunderstorms are expected later Tuesday evening into overnight, the weather service said. A few storms could be strong, with hail the main threat.
Unseasonably warm temperatures will continue on Tuesday, climbing to 82 degrees. Typically, Kansas City sees temperatures around 61 degrees for late March.
The severe weather threat ramps up Wednesday, with large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes possible, the weather service said.
Showers and storms are expected to become widespread on Wednesday afternoon, with rain and thunderstorms continuing into Thursday morning. The weather service said locally heavy rain on Wednesday evening into Thursday morning could cause flooding on fast-rising creeks and streams.
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center has placed Kansas City under a slight risk for severe storms, level 2 out of 5 on its scale.
Showers and storms should end from west to east on Thursday afternoon, the weather service said. Temperatures will be in the mid-60s on Wednesday and Thursday.
Additional rounds of showers and thunderstorms are likely on Friday, with periods of showers and thunderstorms possible in the afternoon into Saturday morning. Strong to severe storms will be possible again, the weather service said.
Although 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected during this stormy stretch of weather, some areas could see higher amounts, especially if the storms pass over the same areas.
Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-70s on Friday and the mid-50s on Saturday.
Quiet and cooler weather returns later in the weekend. By Sunday, it should be drier with temperatures in the mid- to upper 50s.
