Late Thursday night Helene roared onshore in Florida as a Category 4 storm. While Friday will be spent assessing the damage, the good news is that Helene is moving fast and most of Florida is already dry.
As Helene moves north, it will get pulled west into a cut-off low. This will bring Helene towards the Ozarks.
Helene will be a rainmaker for parts of the Ozarks today. Before sunrise, we are already seeing a little rain showing up in the eastern parts of the Ozarks. The chance for rain will continue throughout Friday.
Early on the rain will have to overcome some dry air, so it may take some time before we see any sprinkles in Springfield. Rain chances in Springfield stay about 40% today, while West Plains will see a 100% for rain on Friday.
The track of Helene has moved more east, which will keep the heaviest rain out of Missouri. West Plains will see some rain, Springfield will see a little and Joplin won’t see any. There is a big spread across the Ozarks.
In addition to the rain, it will be windy on Friday. Once again, we can blame it on Helene. Winds will be out of the north.