Kansas City, Missouri – A volatile severe weather setup could bring tornadoes, giant hail, and damaging winds across eastern Kansas and much of Missouri Tuesday afternoon into the evening.
According to severe weather guidance analyzing Tuesday’s storm environment, thunderstorms are expected to develop along a dryline across Kansas before spreading east into Missouri during the late afternoon and evening hours. Meteorologists warn that early storms may form as isolated supercells capable of producing tornadoes.
The corridor from Wichita and Topeka through Kansas City and into central Missouri could see the strongest storms. Strong wind shear combined with increasing instability may allow several storms to rotate, raising the potential for tornado development.
Very large hail larger than 2 inches in diameter is also possible with discrete supercells during the early stages of storm development. As storms grow and organize Tuesday evening, clusters or lines of storms could produce damaging wind gusts exceeding 60 mph.
Cities including Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City, Columbia, and nearby communities across the Missouri River Valley should prepare for rapidly changing conditions late Tuesday. Storms may intensify quickly once they develop.
Residents across eastern Kansas and Missouri are urged to review tornado safety plans and ensure they have multiple ways to receive warnings Tuesday afternoon and evening. Additional watches and alerts are likely as the storm system develops.
