Missouri Faces Major Tornado Threat This Friday

Many people are fans of surprises, but not this kind. Forecasters from the Storm Prediction Center are now warning that many in Missouri will be under a major tornado threat this Friday.

This new bulletin from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center now shows all of Missouri under a storm threat on Friday, April 3, 2026, but of special concern is an area in the north-central part of the state.

The statement from the Storm Prediction Center says "Very large hail, severe winds, and tornadoes will be possible". The highest chance of severe storms will be late Friday afternoon into the evening hours ahead of the incoming cold front. They add "The most robust convective environment will likely emerge across northern MO into southern and central IA by late Friday afternoon".

There are a lot of meteorological reasons for this new concern about Friday storms involving wind shear, CAPE and other factors, but the bottom line is you need to be weather aware in Missouri on Friday and especially so if you're in the enhanced orange region on the Storm Prediction Center map. You are almost guaranteed to see severe thunderstorms Friday. The only question is if you'll be dealing with large hail, damaging winds, tornadoes or all of the above. Make sure you have multiple ways to receive weather alerts from the National Weather Service when/if they are issued Friday afternoon and evening.

By the way, as I was writing this, the Storm Prediction Center has updated their advisory with a warning for Missouri and Illinois on Thursday, April 2, 2026 so be weather aware both days.