Evening thunderstorms may turn severe in KC; large hail could come first
Mostly sunny and warm weather is forecast for Monday in Kansas City, but thunderstorms could develop in the evening, and a few may turn severe with large hail and damaging straight-line winds, according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures are expected to climb to around 81 degrees, which is 10 degrees above the average of 71 degrees that is typical for this time of year. Winds will also be gusty, between 35 and 40 mph for a few hours in the morning.
A cold front across the Dakotas is expected to work south today and become the focus for evening thunderstorm development, the weather service said.
Storms are expected to develop between 7 and 10 p.m., with some of the stronger storms capable of producing large hail or damaging winds. The hail, however, will be the primary threat as the storms form, the weather service said.
The storms are expected to organize into clusters, and bowing segments later in the evening will take on more of a wind than hail threat, the weather service said.
The Storm Prediction Center, part of the National Weather Service, updated its severe weather outlook shortly before 8 a.m. and placed the Kansas City area under slight risk of severe weather, Level 2 of 5. The Storm Prediction Center has also placed Kansas City in a 15–29% severe-hail zone, meaning hail is one of the top threats.
The threat of rain showers continues across the region on Tuesday and Wednesday, keeping temperatures unseasonably cool. Temperatures are expected to rise to a high of 50 degrees on Tuesday and 57 degrees on Wednesday.
Warmer temperatures return late in the week, climbing to around 68 degrees on Thursday, 72 degrees on Friday and the mid to upper 70s on Saturday and Sunday, the weather service said.
There will be periodic chances for showers and thunderstorms late in the week. The first is possible coming Friday afternoon, although moisture appears to be limited, and the second on Saturday, which could lead to more widespread thunderstorms Saturday night into Sunday.
