Happy Thursday blog readers -
Get set to sweat!!! The heat index today will bring us to a feels like temperature of 105° for many. Expect that heat and humidity combo to also bubble up some strong to severe storms this afternoon.
Heat
Today we are searching to hit 90° at the airport for the first time this season, but we are also cranking up the humidity. A heat advisory will go into place at 1 p.m. and last until 8 p.m. tonight.
It has been 255 days since we have felt 90's in KC, that last time we touched this kind of temperature range was Oct. 2, 2023. We are behind the ball when it comes to reaching those 90's and we typically do so by May 27. It looks like we will hit 90 before lunch today and then expect the feels like trend to take over.
Since it has been a minute, here are a few tricks and tips to beat the heat today;
- Slow down: Reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous activities until the coolest time of the day.
- Dress for summer: Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing to reflect heat.
- Eat light: Choose easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads.
- Drink plenty of water (not very cold): Focus on non-alcoholic and decaffeinated fluids. Drink water even if you don’t feel thirsty.
- Use air conditioners: Spend time in air-conditioned locations such as malls and libraries if your home isn’t air conditioned.
- Minimize direct exposure to the sun. Sunburn reduces your body’s ability to dissipate heat. Take a cool bath or shower.
- Be aware of infants, older, sick or frail people and pets. Never leave children, disabled adults or pets in a car.
Storms
The SPC has placed Kansas City in a level 3 out of 5 risk for severe thunderstorms today with our storm window opening up early this afternoon. Threats include large hail (baseball to tennis ball size not out of the question), damaging winds (70-75 mph wind gusts likely), and we can't rule out the chance for a few tornadoes today (mainly early on). The hail and tornado threat will be heightened with early storms and as we move through the evening storms should become more linear along the cold front and pose more of a wind risk. We are in a significant risk for wind and hail today alongside that level 3 risk.
Timeline
2 p.m. - 6 p.m.: Isolated storms possible mainly north of Kansas City
Threats: Large hail, wind and tornadoes
Confidence: Medium
Storms early this afternoon will be dependent on us breaking the cap, but if we do theses isolated storms will be capable of super-cellular threats. That means hail up to the size of baseballs with a few tornadoes possible. This threat mainly stays north of Kansas City. Here is a look at what radar could look like by 2 p.m.:
6 p.m. - 11 p.m.: Scattered storms start to form a line through north central Missouri and head toward Kansas City
Threats: Large hail, wind and tornadoes
Confidence: High
We have higher confidence in the line of storms to impact more people, the good news here is as storms become more linear the tornado threat will start to drop. The wind threat will become more of a focus through the evening with 70-75 mph wind gusts possible. Large hail will also still be a concern but as we move toward sunset that threat should decrease. Metro impact looks likely by 8-10 p.m., with storms wrapping up by 12 a.m. Here is a look at what radar could look like through the evening.
Remember to have your weather alerts turned on today, and keep up with KSHB 41 Weather as we move through the afternoon and evening with these storms.
