Level 3 Severe Weather Outbreak Targeting Kansas City and Joplin Saturday With 70 MPH Winds Large Hail and Tornadoes Threatening Eastern Kansas and Western Missouri
KANSAS CITY, MO — The Storm Prediction Center upgraded eastern Kansas, northeast Oklahoma, and much of western and central Missouri to a Level 3 of 5 severe weather risk for Saturday, June 13, with damaging winds potentially topping 70 mph leading the threat as storms fire over eastern Kansas late afternoon, grow into organized clusters, and push southeast through the evening and overnight hours.
How Saturday’s Storms Develop
The event begins with storm initiation late Saturday afternoon near a heating corridor over eastern Kansas. Initial discrete supercells forming during this window carry the greatest potential for large hail and a quick tornado before the storm mode transitions to linear. Kansas City and Joplin are specifically highlighted as areas where residents should keep a close eye on the sky Saturday evening as the supercell window peaks.
As the evening progresses, individual storms are expected to consolidate into a fast-moving squall line pushing southeast. This is when the wind threat becomes the dominant and most widespread hazard, with gusts potentially topping 70 mph as the line organizes through the overnight hours.
The Risk Zone
The Day 2 SPC outlook updated June 12 at 9:16 p.m. ET places eastern Kansas, western Missouri, and northeast Oklahoma inside the Level 3 core risk area. The broader Level 2 zone extends through Iowa, Illinois, and into Michigan, while the Level 1 risk stretches from Lubbock and Oklahoma City northeast through St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, and toward Detroit — covering an enormous multi-state footprint for Saturday’s event.
Primary Hazards
Damaging wind gusts are the headline threat for Saturday’s event, with the potential for 70 mph gusts capable of widespread tree damage, power outages, and structural impacts across the affected corridor. Large hail from early supercells and an isolated tornado threat during the discrete phase round out a multi-hazard event that demands serious preparation.
What Residents Should Do
Anyone across eastern Kansas, the Kansas City metro, Joplin, and surrounding western Missouri communities should finalize shelter plans before Saturday afternoon, secure loose outdoor items, and keep weather alert systems active through the overnight hours.
For continuing coverage of this developing severe weather outbreak across the United States, visit SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
