Volatile weather is expected to worsen across parts of Kansas and Missouri on Wednesday night, with the biggest concern being the potential for large chunks of hail to form.
Some call it a “gorilla hail” because it has the potential to be very large, said Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather's senior meteorologist. The Kansas City metropolitan area is at the center of the area of concern.
“Gorilla hail” is a term coined by Reed Timmer, a storm chaser who calls himself an extreme meteorologist, Sosnowski said. In this case, the term might fit: Some hail from north-central Kansas to north-central Missouri could be as big as a baseball.
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“When you get close to a tennis ball, the size of a baseball or, God forbid, the size of a softball, that can cause a tremendous amount of damage, and if you get hit in the head , could be fatal,” Sosnowski said.
Hail covers the streets, January 20, 2010, in Kirksville, Missouri. Volatile weather is expected to become more pronounced in parts of Kansas and Missouri on the night of Wednesday, March 13, 2024, with the biggest concern being the potential for massive pieces of hail to form.
Cars are especially vulnerable to damage, so Sosnowski encouraged people to try to find a place to park indoors, if possible.
Beyond the hail, heavy rain is possible in the same corridor. The National Weather Service warned of the risk of flash flooding.
There is a slight tornado threat.
On Thursday, the storm will move east, forecasters said. The threat of hail decreases, 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, perhaps up to 4 inches in some places, along a line from central Louisiana to central Arkansas, Sosnowski said.
