Hot but less sticky in Kansas City; late-week storms could bring flooding

A cold front is moving in a bit earlier than expected Tuesday, easing the dangerous heat and humidity that have gripped the Kansas City area, the National Weather Service said.

Leftover showers and thunderstorms early Tuesday, moving in from southwest Iowa, should break up and end by mid-morning, the weather service said. A few spots could get brief bursts of heavy rain. The storms will give way to mostly clear skies in the afternoon, except for some haze from wildfire smoke.

It will still be hot in the Kansas City area, but the cold front should make it feel less sticky as drier air moves in.

Temperatures are expected to top out around 92 degrees, but it will not be as oppressively hot as on Monday, when temperatures reached 97 degrees, and the heat index soared to 106.

With dew points falling, heat index values should be capped at about 100 degrees in parts of the region, forecasters said. That has prompted the weather service to cancel a heat advisory early.

As the winds shift more northwesterly, smoke from the wildfires will move into the area in the afternoon and evening, creating hazy skies, the weather service said.

Air quality is expected to be “moderate” or yellow most of the time, but between midnight and 10 a.m on Wednesday, it may become unhealthy for people who are sensitive to smoke. There is also a chance that a faint smoky smell will be in the air, the weather service said.

The densest smoke should slide southwest overnight into Wednesday, and the haze should clear by Thursday, the weather service said.

Cooler weather is expected for the rest of the work week, with temperatures in the upper 70s to mid-80s.

Shower and thunderstorm chances return to the area as early as Wednesday night and continue through Friday. Excessive rainfall and flooding are possible as the storms track over similar areas, forecasters said. The risk of strong to severe storms is low.