KANSAS CITY, Missouri — If you live anywhere between Kansas City and Springfield, Illinois, this is not a day to ignore the sky.
Isolated severe storms are in the forecast for today across the Mid-Mississippi Valley, with Kansas City, Columbia, Quincy, and Springfield, Illinois all sitting inside a Marginal Risk zone — Level 1 out of 5.
It may sound minor on paper. But forecasters are flagging two real hazards that could affect your community.
Hail Expected First This Afternoon
As storms fire up this afternoon, the initial threat is hail.
Moist air and moderate atmospheric shear are in place — conditions that allow developing storm cells to grow quickly and produce hail before they organize into larger clusters.
The risk corridor runs in a narrow band from near Cedar Rapids and Davenport, Iowa through Peoria, Quincy, and Springfield, Illinois, then west through Columbia, Jefferson City, and Kansas City down to Springfield, Missouri.
If you are in any of these communities, afternoon storms could arrive with little warning.
Wind Gusts Take Over Tonight
As evening sets in, forecasters expect storm coverage to spread and individual cells to merge into multicell clusters.
When that happens, the main threat shifts from hail to sporadic damaging wind gusts.
This is a common pattern — and it means conditions could actually feel more threatening later in the night, not earlier.
What You Should Do Right Now
Keep a weather app or local alert system active on your phone throughout the day. If you have outdoor plans this afternoon or evening, build in a plan to take cover quickly.
Areas farther east — Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis — fall outside the Marginal Risk zone but could still see general thunderstorm activity.
The storms are expected to develop this afternoon and continue into the overnight hours. Stay alert and take the forecast seriously.
Have you seen storms moving in your area already? Share what you are seeing in the comments below.