Tornadoes to Rip through Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Dakotas
Severe Weather Expert Henry Margusity discusses the serious situation today in this video.
An eruption of dangerous thunderstorms, including some capable of spawning tornadoes, will threaten people from the eastern part of the Dakotas to Iowa, Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin this afternoon and tonight.
The violent thunderstorms will build through the afternoon from the eastern Dakotas and south-central Manitoba to central Iowa. Cities from Winnipeg to Fargo, Sioux Falls and Des Moines will lie in the path of the early firing storms.
The nature of the early storms will transform from that of flash flooding to producers of large hail, powerful wind gusts and tornadoes.
The thunderstorms will continue to swing northeastward, targeting Minneapolis and reaching far western Wisconsin by the evening.
Severe thunderstorms, which will be spottier in nature, will also erupt over southwestern Iowa, southeastern Nebraska, western Kansas, and along the border of Texas and New Mexico this afternoon.
Tonight, the severe weather threat zone will stretch all the way from eastern Nebraska to places surrounding Lake Superior.
While there are plenty of wide-open spaces in this area, there is also the risk of a strong tornado passing through a town or a neighborhood of a large city, leaving destruction.
Incidents of downed trees, power outages, blown-out windows and overturned high-profile vehicles will occur with this outbreak. Livestock left outside could be harmed.
Flooding Problems
In addition to the severe thunderstorm and tornado threat, widespread flooding concerns exist from northwestern Montana and southern Alberta to central Manitoba. This corridor will receive between 2 and 4 inches of rain into tonight; locally higher amounts are possible.
High Winds
While the threat of severe weather has shifted east of the High Plains and northern Rockies, this area will have to endure powerful winds into tonight.
Winds will gust between 40 and 60 mph from central Montana to the western Dakotas and western Nebraska.
Damage to trees, power lines, some buildings, vehicles and other structures could result from these forceful winds.
Strong winds will whip over more of the northern Plains Friday, while the threat for severe weather will shift eastward extending from eastern Wisconsin and Lower Michigan to southeastern Nebraska and northeastern Kansas. Chicago lies in this zone.
Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski made contributions to this story.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 78° | Needles, CA |
| Low | -20° | Fosston, MN |
| Precip | 0.66" | Chatham, MA |
WeatherWhys®
The "Dead of Winter," the one-month period when normal temperatures reach their lowest levels, has come to an end for much of the United States. Some people may find it odd that the "Dead of Winter" does not encompass the darkest day of the year (the first day of winter). That is due to a seasonal lag in temperatures. More heat continues to be lost than is gained from the start of winter until this time of year.
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