8 Missouri Weather Signs That Trouble Is on the Way

Sure, you can wait for actual storm warning from the National Weather Service, but there are other patterns you can watch for that are an indication that weather trouble is on the way in Missouri long before damaging conditions begin.

While I am no meteorologist like my wife is, I have experienced a long life of Missouri weather including more than one time that a tornado or funnel cloud went directly over my house. Almost without exception, these 8 signs were present before the severe weather started impacting us.

The air suddenly feels tropical

When the air starts feeling sticky, that means dew points have started rising and when they hit the upper 60's to 70's, that means moisture from the Gulf is providing storm fuel for severe thunderstorm development.

The sky has a greenish tint to it

Remember in the original movie Twister when Bill Paxton says "the sky is green"? It may not be the most scientific sign you can look for, but I wish I had a nickel for every time I've seen storm clouds with a green tint that ended up dropping big hail and damaging winds.

Dark clouds begin to explode into towers

When cumulus clouds start to go vertical and you see huge anvil-shapes appear at the top, severe thunderstorms are coming.

The wind suddenly changes direction

When the normally calm winds from the south become gusty and erratic, you may be dealing with the outflow boundary of an approaching thunderstorm or storm front. Don't ignore the wind.

Temperatures drop quickly on a hot day

Don't you love it when you get a cool breeze on a hot summer day? Well, don't be too happy about it if that cool breeze becomes a real drop in temperature which means a cold front from a thunderstorm is heading your way with damaging winds to follow.

The birds go silent

It sounds like folklore, but there's real science behind the fact that birds are extremely sensitive to barometric pressure drops plus they can hear low-frequency rumblings from approaching storms miles earlier than humans. Many birding groups on social media will tell you this is true.

Storms begin forming along I-44 in Missouri

This is the part of the state where warm, moist air often collides with cooler air masses which has resulted in some of the most dangerous thunderstorms that have hit central and eastern Missouri.

The sky goes quiet

I've experienced it and many of my fellow Missourians swear by it. There's an eerie calm as atmospheric conditions change and winds reorganize around an approaching storm system and then BOOM.