We are tracking an increasing threat for a line of severe storms to move across the region on Thursday evening.
TIMING: 4pm – 11pm Thursday
IMPACTS: Damaging straight line wind gusts, large hail, and a few brief tornadoes possible.
DETAILS: A very warm and humid afternoon expected on Thursday, with highs in the mid 80s and muggy dew points in the mid 60s. A cold front approaching from the northwest will trigger afternoon thunderstorms over central Missouri and Illinois. A potent line of storms will dive southeast from near St. Louis into our area by early evening. There will be a very unstable atmosphere in place to fuel storms, likely leading to an elevated risk for several strong/damaging wind gusts along the front edge of these storms. There likely will not be enough wind shear to support a big tornado threat, but a couple of brief spin-up tornadoes can’t be ruled out.
ACTION: Plan your Thursday evening activities with the potential for quickly changing weather in mind. Make sure to have your WPSD Radar app on and notifications enabled so you can get warnings if issued for your area.