Kansas City weather is set for a hot, humid Fourth of July, with two main waves of rain and storms expected to shape the holiday. People in the Kansas City metro face a day that starts warm and can turn stormy at different times depending on location.
Friday evening already stayed hot and humid in Kansas City, Missouri, with temperatures mainly at 90 degrees and below while feels-like values ran from the mid 90s to around 100 degrees. At the 8:30 p.m. kickoff at Kansas City Stadium, conditions were expected to be around 87 degrees with a heat index of 94.
First Warn for Kansas City
The Fourth of July brought another First Warn for dangerous heat and storm chances. The forecast showed a level 1/5 severe risk for the metro and a higher level 2/5 along the southern border, while areas north of HWY 36 also carried a level 2/5 severe risk tonight.
Tonight’s first storm chance was expected after midnight, when a complex of storms drops in from Nebraska. The best chance for storms was along the northern border, with wind and hail as the main threats and an isolated tornado possible.
Saturday morning storms
Saturday morning could bring a quieter start for some areas and a noisy one for others. Forecasters showed a 4-9 a.m. window for the KC metro and north, with the better chance coming closer to 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., when lightning, thunder and heavy rainfall were possible.
Temperatures Saturday morning were expected to run from the low 70s to the low 80s, then surge into the upper 80s and lower 90s between rounds of rain. Another batch of scattered rain and storms was possible in the afternoon to evening, with the best chance just along and south of I-70.
Fireworks and southern border counties
Most models showed most of the area dry by 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. for fireworks, but rain and storms may still be ongoing in the southern border counties during that window. A few spots could pick up 1 inch to 1.5 inches of rain, leaving the strongest storms tied to where the afternoon and evening round organizes first.
After the stormier period, high temperatures were expected to sit in the upper 80s and still feel as hot as 92 to 94 degrees. Mostly sunny skies were expected later, with most of next week trending to the upper 80s to near 90 degrees and humidity staying high.
