Storms or no storms? Kansas City watches a cold front as heat builds
A cold front will sweep through the Kansas City area on Tuesday, but the big question is whether it can spark storms. If it does, a few could turn strong by late afternoon or evening, according to the National Weather Service.
The metro’s summerlike warmup is well underway, with temperatures expected to reach the mid-80s by the afternoon, about 10 degrees above the normal high temperature of 74 degrees typical for this time of year.
A weather system passing to the north will shove a cold front southward through the Kansas City region in the afternoon. At the same time, southerly winds will pull more moisture into the area, making the air feel more humid.
That setup could produce a few thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening, but forecasters say it’s still uncertain whether there will be enough moisture and lift to get storms to develop.
Because of that, there is a slight chance, between 15% and 25%, for storms. If storms do develop, some may be strong to severe, with damaging winds and large hail possible.
The Storm Prediction Center, part of the National Weather Service, has placed areas mainly south of a line from Olathe to Kirksville, Missouri, under a marginal risk (level 1 of 5) for severe storms. Areas north of that line, including a large part of the metro, are outside of the severe risk area, though a few storms are still possible and rain will be hit-or-miss.
Cooler and drier air then moves into the region, making Wednesday slightly cooler, with temperatures around 80. After that, the warming trend looks likely to continue, with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s and lower 90s from Friday through the weekend.
There is some uncertainty as to how hot it will get because there will be multiple chances for rain, which could inhibit temperatures from reaching their full potential, the weather service said.
The weather then turns more active this weekend as warm, humid air returns to the region. Forecasters say that could make for a wet weekend, with multiple chances for showers and storms. There is a 35% to 55% chance of rain from Friday through the weekend.
Some locations could pick up at least an inch of rain, and some areas could see more.
“This essentially looks like a summertime pattern, with the potential for afternoon storms and possibly an MCS (a larger storm complex) to roll through,” forecasters said.
