A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS FORMED OVER EASTERN KANSAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL TRACK RAPIDLY NORTHEAST THROUGH THE ENTIRE REGION THIS EVENING. WHILE SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA...THE GREATEST THREAT AND IMPACT WILL EXIST ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI...INCLUDING THE GREATER KANSAS CITY AND ST JOSEPH AREAS.

Weather-wise, 2012 will be most remembered for drought—a lack of rain and some very hot summer temperatures. Trenton statistics demonstrate the year was unique—the least amount of precipitation in the last 25 years at Trenton. Twenty-two different dates saw daytime high temperatures climbing above 100 degrees.

While not a "drought buster", the listening area received beneficial rainfall overnight Wednesday, into Thursday. Click on "read more" to see the official rainfall totals from across northern Missouri:

As the month of June comes to a close, the city of Trenton has received just 4.67 inches of rain over the months of May and June, a number that is less than half of what is normal for those two months (normally the wettest two months of the year). Normal rainfall is normally in the area of TEN inches.

A new type of text alert could be coming to your cellphone beginning this month. Mike Lear's report includes an interview with a meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill:

Click here to listen to Mike Lear's report

The annual Missouri severe weather drill is scheduled for 1:30 PM on Tuesday, March 5th. As in the past, a tornado warning TEST will be issued across the state. If the weather is inclement on March 5th, the test will be postponed until Thursday, March 7th.

A winter storm warning has been issued for 6 o'clock tonight (Wednesday night) until 12 noon on Thursday, for the threat and likelihood of snow and blowing snow across the NORTHERN portions of our listening area. This warning affects these counties: WORTH, GENTRY, HARRISON, MERCER, DEKALB, DAVIESS, AND GRUNDY]. This area is specifically, north of a line from St. Joseph to Kirksville.

This week’s drought monitor index report, released this (Thursday) morning, shows numerous counties across Missouri with severe drought conditions. There are exceptions in a couple far-reaching areas of the state. The map shows several counties of southeastern Missouri in an EXTREME drought as they have been drier for a longer period of time.

With high temperatures again expected to threaten, or surpass, the century mark on Wednesday through Friday, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has some advice on dealing with the "extreme heat".