ST. LOUIS — Every Thursday, the latest update from the National Drought Monitor is released, and we haven't really been surprised with each passing week.
Almost all of us are in need of significant rain, with some areas more than others.
A couple of notes regarding this: this data is collected through Tuesday of each week, so areas that just picked up significant rain in Farmington may see a nudge back into the "Severe" drought category.
Sometimes when we have all this heat and humidity, severe weather can be an issue as well. The Storm Prediction Center has outlined our area in a Marginal Risk for Friday night and even portions of Saturday as well. This likely will not be much of a severe threat for us, but it's worth noting that a few of these storms may include some very small hail and wind gusts between 40-60 mph at their highest.
Storms could develop in our area as early as Friday evening. It would be during this timeframe that our severe weather threat is probably the highest (even though it's not that great overall). Scattered strong storms will develop and then eventually increase in coverage overnight.
Scattered storms will continue overnight. Lots of breaks in the rain, but some of us will once again look to get in on the beneficial rainfall as part of the system moves through our area.
During the day on Saturday, the main cold front moves south and storm development should hang around that as it stalls out. This will be good news for areas further to the south, as you're likely to see a bit more rain from this.
As a result, there is a greater likelihood for heavier rainfall south of Rolla and Farmington. But this looks to be one of our better opportunities of getting over a 1/2" or even over 1" of rain in some cases.
The Weather First Meteorologist team will continue to monitor trends as the weekend draws nearer and update on any localized flooding or severe threats.
To watch 5 On Your Side broadcasts or reports 24/7, 5 On Your Side is always streaming on 5+. Download for free on Roku or Amazon Fire TV
