weather

The National Weather Service says a "multi-day catastrophic and potentially historic" storm is expected to impact multiple states. Thousands have lost power in Missouri and other states, and a person was killed Wednesday evening in the southeast part of the state.

National Weather Service offices across the country are suspending or reducing weather balloon flights due to low staffing. Meteorologists say the loss of data could lead to forecasting challenges and less accurate long-term outlooks.

Dry conditions and high winds have led to wildfires across Missouri. So far, there have been no reported injuries, but structures and vehicles have burned.

Nearly 2,500 jobs are being eliminated at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency responsible for collecting weather data used by meteorologists. That could spell danger for millions of people who rely on accurate forecasts.

Rolla Public Library is providing a lost-and-found for people who find photos and other personal items in their yards and elsewhere.

Twisters that tore through Union County, Missouri, killed 6 people. One couple survived against incomprehensible odds in a trailer obliterated by the storm.

High school and college students, families, and neighbors are all pitching in to help clear the debris and start repairing the damage from the tornado that came through Rolla on Friday night.

"The scale of devastation across our state is staggering," Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe said. "While we grieve the lives of those lost, we are also focused on action."

For the hundreds of meteorology students at the University of Missouri, working for the National Weather Service was the dream until federal job cuts hit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Plus: Firings at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have impacted research facilities across the Midwest.

Hundreds of employees were fired from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration last week. The mood was grim the next morning in an atmospheric science class at the University of Missouri.

Winter storms every few weeks have taken a toll on small businesses, who spend more to deal with snow and lose profits when people stay home.

Parts of the Kansas City region are under an Extreme Cold Warning until Thursday afternoon, with wind chills as low as 30 below. But the forecast for next week is significantly brighter.