KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Happy Friday, bloggers!
The chance for us to deal with severe weather increases Friday afternoon and evening. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) upgraded our severe storm risk from Slight (2-yellow) to Enhanced (3-orange).
That means on a scale from 1 (Lowest) to 5 (Highest), confidence is growing for severe storms in Kansas City and our surrounding viewing area.
With Wednesday’s storms we had to wait and see where they ignited before we could track them.
For today's event, the cluster of severe thunderstorms will be ongoing in Nebraska before arriving in our neighborhoods. This greatly enhances our ability to track where they are and what they are producing, predict future movement and tell you what to expect from the storms when they reach your neighborhood.
Once a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is issued, you need to prepare for winds racing at 60 to 70 mph with isolated storms generating even faster winds nearing 75 mph. Hail is possible, but the damaging winds are most likely what you need to prepare for with these being mature storms.
First warnings for viewing begin around 4 p.m. with the final warning lasting through 10 p.m.
My biggest concern since it's Friday is the amount of us outdoor activities that leave us vulnerable. Make sure you have a safety plan ready to execute when the storms get close.
Cassie Wilson, Lindsey Anderson and I will be covering these storms on TV and social media.
Please follow along for the information you need to stay safe.
Cassie will produce another weather blog with the latest data early this afternoon.
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