ST. LOUIS — There is a level 2 (out of 5) risk for a few strong to severe storms today, especially in Illinois this afternoon. It will be another hot and humid day with highs well into the 90s. We will be watching satellite and radar trends closely starting around midday today as spotty to scattered thunderstorms will develop very near the Mississippi River.
A gradual increase to scattered coverage will take place with afternoon and the focus for storms will drift more eastward into southern Illinois. While I cannot rule out a strong storm or two west of St. Louis, the lion’s share of the data suggests storms will form very near the metro by early this afternoon and then shift east.
This will put the focus for most, if not all, of the strong to severe concerns into Illinois after about 4pm. The severe weather threat for the St. Louis area should wrap up before sunset.
The main concern will be isolated pockets of 50 to 60 mph winds. There may be some large hail, up to golf ball-sized, as the storms first develop. These storms will be more isolated and should not be as severe as what we saw over the weekend.
