Springfield, MO – Heavy rainfall, possible flooding and isolated damaging thunderstorms are creating a potentially hazardous start to Thursday across the Missouri Ozarks, with a Flood Watch remaining in effect until 4 p.m. Oct. 15. The National Weather Service is monitoring the possibility of localized flooding and isolated stronger storms capable of producing wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph. The unsettled conditions will be followed by a sharp temperature drop, gusty Friday winds and chilly weekend mornings across southwestern Missouri.
According to the National Weather Service in Springfield, its Hazardous Weather Outlook issued at 8:05 p.m. Wednesday identifies an elevated excessive rainfall risk, elevated lightning risk and marginal thunderstorm wind damage risk. Forecasters indicated that rounds of showers and thunderstorms would continue overnight into Thursday, creating the potential for localized heavy rainfall and flooding. Confidence in isolated strong to severe thunderstorms remained low, but damaging winds were identified as the primary severe-weather concern.
Flood Watch and Damaging Wind Potential The Flood Watch covers portions of the Missouri Ozarks and extreme southeastern Kansas, where repeated rainfall could create problems in low-lying and flood-prone locations. In Springfield, showers and thunderstorms are expected mainly before 1 p.m. Thursday, with an 80% precipitation chance and additional rainfall between one-half and three-quarters of an inch possible. Locally heavier amounts could occur where thunderstorms repeatedly affect the same areas…