Metro-east forecast changes, tornado watch in effect until 4 p.m.
The threat of tornadoes forming Wednesday in the metro-east has diminished, according to the National Weather Service of St. Louis.
Lydia Jaja, a meterologist with the NWS, said, as of noon Wednesday, the tornado potential is low, but not zero. On Tuesday, the NWS had cautioned there was a “high potential” for tornadoes developing.
The metro-east remains under a tornado watch until 4 p.m. Wednesday, but Jaja said rain, thunderstorms and high winds likely will be the biggest threats. The storm should be out of the area after 4 p.m.
“Heavy rain and thunderstorms look like they’ll be the story of the afternoon,” Jaja said. “For the most part, the severe threat is shifting out to the east. The highest chance of severe storms is kind of in southeast Missouri and southwestern Illinois.”
Jaja said the cities most impacted likely will be Farmington and Cape Girardeau in Missouri along with Sparta, Centralia and Marion in Illinois, with the timing being between 3-7 p.m.
Additionally, Jaja said the hail threat has diminished for the metro-east. On Tuesday, the concern was golf ball sized hail would form.
“There is a threat of hail, but it’s kind of small compared to the wind threat,” she said. “More than likely, any hail that falls will be small.”
The wind ferocity also has dropped slightly from 70-80 miles per hour as forecast Tuesday to 60-70 mph, according to Jaja.
In anticipation of the heavy storms, East St. Louis School District 189 cancelled classes Wednesday and Scott Air Force Base shut down.
Despite the improved forecast, Jaja still stressed caution while offering several safety tips.
“Make sure you know where to get your information from,” she said. “We have a Twitter page and a Facebook page as well as our website we keep updated. People should sign up for weather emergency alerts that they can get from their phone. Keep aware of things around you. For instance, if the sky gets dark, maybe go check on why that’s happening. Just be aware.”
As Jaja noted, the National Weather Service recommends keeping plugged into the forecast as it develops, www.weather.gov. Their Facebook page is www.facebook.com/NWSStLouis.
This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 12:36 PM.