Unstable weather is expected to focus on parts of Kansas and Missouri Wednesday night, with the biggest concern being the possibility of heavy hail.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said some have dubbed it “gorilla hail” because it can be so large. The Kansas City metropolitan area is the center of the area of concern.
Sosnowski said the term “gorilla hail” was coined by Reid Timmer, a storm chaser who calls himself an extreme meteorologist. In this case, this term may apply. Some hailstones from north-central Kansas to north-central Missouri could be as large as baseballs.
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“Getting close to a baseball-sized tennis ball or a softball-sized tennis ball can cause significant damage, and a hit to the head can be fatal,” Sosnowski said.
Hail stones cover a street in Kirksville, Missouri, on January 20, 2010. Unstable weather is expected to be concentrated in parts of Kansas and Missouri Wednesday night, March 13, 2024, with the biggest concern being the possibility of significant rainfall. hail.
Cars are especially vulnerable to damage, so Sosnowski encouraged people to find a place to park under cover if possible.
Beyond the hail, heavy rain is likely in the same corridor. The National Weather Service warned of the risk of flash flooding.
Some threat of tornadoes exists.
Forecasters say the storm will move eastward by Thursday. The hail threat will decrease, but heavy rain and strong winds are still possible from northeast Texas to central Missouri.
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The biggest threat on Friday is heavy rain, possibly up to 4 inches in some places, from central Louisiana to central Arkansas, Sosnowski said.
