Falling white things from the sky... but not snow
With unseasonable warmth expected during the next week, a White Christmas isn't in the cards. However, we could see something else that is frozen and white: hailstones.
Tomorrow is poised to deliver two rounds of thunderstorms. The first round -- possibly with small hail and strong winds -- is expected to race through Southeast Missouri tomorrow morning.
A second round is possible in the afternoon. This round is capable of stronger storms (supercells with large hail, high winds and tornadoes). However, it's possible the worst will miss Cape Girardeau to the south and east. With this uncertainty, we are currently straddling the line between Slight and Enhanced Risk zones for Wednesday, although this is subject to change.
After this system clears the area, we should have a dry Christmas Eve before the next rainmaker arrives. The forecast calls for good chances of rain starting Christmas Day and lasting through Monday. The overall rainfall projections for the next seven days (including tomorrow's storms) paint 4+ inches over a large swath of Missouri and Illinois.
The Mississippi River at Cape has crested lower than initially feared, but all of this coming rain -- especially just to our north -- could bring a higher crest later.
This is not a typical Christmas forecast -- and there's no snow in sight -- but we all know that Missouri weather is capable of bringing anything... and frequently does.
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